To request Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Section 166 grantees to submit nominations for consideration by the Secretary of Labor for appointment to fill expiring terms of membership on the Native American Employment and Training Council (Council).

To provide planning guidelines and instructions to Native American grantees for the development of a strategic two-year Comprehensive Services Program (CSP) plan and Supplemental Youth Services Program (SYSP) plan for PY 2008-2009. Native American entities designated as a Section 166 grantee for PY 2008-2009 must submit a two-year plan for meeting the employment and training needs of Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians consistent with the purposes described in Section 166 of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).

The requirement to submit a two-year strategic plan is contingent upon your organization being “Designated” as a Section 166 grantee for PY 2008-2009. Grantees that are not designated as a Section 166 grantee for PY 2008-2009 will not receive Section 166 funds and therefore, there is no need for them to submit a two-year plan. Grant designations will be made in accordance with the procedures described in the Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) process which was published in the Federal Register on January 4, 2008 (73 Federal Re. 883).

As indicated in No. 4 below, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) expects the initial submission of the two-year plan to thoroughly address the guiding questions in Attachment B. Plans that fail to meet these standards will not be approved. Therefore, grantees are encouraged to begin working on their two-year strategic plan as soon as they receive this TEGL.

To respond to questions from states concerning the QCEW program, and to remind them of the importance of collecting these data and the appropriate use of unemployment insurance (UI) administrative funds to collect the data.

To inform states of the acceptable levels of performance criteria for the average age of pending lower and higher authority appeals core measures, to update the current minimum passing score for nonmonetary cases and the sampling rules for the measure of nonmonetary determinations quality. This is also to remind states that the regulatory requirements remain in effect for lower authority appeals promptness.

To announce the release and availability of Comparison of State Unemployment Insurance Laws 2008.

The intent of this guidance is to inform State Workforce Agencies and all other necessary parties of a revised deadline for inputting information pertaining to the implementation of the Rescission of Unexpended Balances into the WRERS system.

To transmit the subject computation for State Workforce Agency usage in computing minimum weekly DUA amounts for all major disasters declared during the third quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2008.

To provide an updated list of State contacts for the Federal Bonding Program and to encourage its use in the workforce system.

This TEGL is pending approval. It will be updated once available.

The purpose of this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) is to provide states with information on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 and FY 2008 rescissions for the WIA Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs. Funding appropriated to states may be significantly affected and require a reevaluation of current spending patterns.

While annual rescissions are not new to our WIA programs, this year there is additional complexity because there are three separate rescissions which span several Program Years (PY). These rescissions are from funds appropriated in the FY 2008 and FY 2007 appropriation acts, and the Department of Labor is required to implement them. All but one of the rescissions are across-the-board (ATB) rescissions similar to those enacted each year for the last several years. The manner in which these rescissions will be administered was determined by applying both appropriations law and relevant portions of the reports that accompanied the appropriation acts.