To transmit the subject computation for State Workforce Agency usage in computing minimum weekly DUA amounts for all major disasters declared during the first quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2013.

To inform the public workforce system about the required process for outreaching to and tracking outcomes of VRAP participants. This includes how the Department of Labor (DOL) will make available VRAP participant information to the public workforce system and procedures for American Job Center (formerly One-Stop Career Center) staff to offer VRAP participants employment assistance upon program completion or termination as required by the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011. This guidance also provides reporting specifications for reporting public workforce system outreach activities and the employment outcomes of VRAP participants.

To transmit the sixth edition of ET Handbook No. 301, BTQ Nonmonetary Determinations Quality Review.

To advise States of the changes to LERS necessary to implement Sections 211, 238, and 239 of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 (VOW Act) and Section 2149 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, as well as for collecting performance data related to the Veterans’ Gold Card Initiative

To provide checklists of all currently active ETA Advisories as well as checklists of all ETA Advisories rescinded/cancelled since the previously issued checklists.

To advise state workforce agencies of the new provisions under the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 governing work search requirements for EUC recipients and state responsibilities for conducting random audits of recipients’ work search activities.

To provide a summary of selected ETA 581 data with associated charts and tables for CY 2011.

To request that states designate ASUs in order for the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to allot funds under WIA for the period beginning on July 1, 2013.

We are pleased to announce Workforce System Strategies – a new technical assistance repository designed to make it easier for workforce system professionals to quickly find information that supports positive customer outcomes.  Workforce System Strategies is a highly-searchable tool populated with a growing number of experimental studies, implementation evaluations, and peer-informed how-to guides.  You can use Workforce System Strategies to:

• Help job seekers and employer customers achieve better outcomes
• Identify preliminary evidence that may be useful in program design
• Be at the forefront of the workforce system

To emphasize and support the use of layoff aversion and its critical role in creating and sustaining high-performing Rapid Response systems, and to provide examples of allowable and recommended activities and partnerships key to averting layoffs.