The purpose of this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) is fourfold. First, this TEGL officially reinforces the President’s goal that every American complete at least one year of postsecondary higher education or career training. Second, it announces the Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) commitment to the Secretary of Labor’s High Priority Performance Goal to increase credential attainment by participants of the public workforce system. Third, this TEGL describes strategies that state and local workforce agencies, their strategic partners, and ETA discretionary grantees can adopt to both increase the rate of credential attainment among workforce program participants and improve the quality of those credentials. Fourth, it clarifies the reporting requirements for each of the programs included in the goal. Any additional requirements on state or local workforce agencies or discretionary grantees would be addressed in future guidance.

To provide guidance to the State Workforce Agencies or agencies designated by Governors as “Cooperating State Agencies” (CSAs) (also jointly referred to as "states") for phasing out the amendments to the Trade Act of 1974 enacted by the Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009 (TGAAA or the 2009 Amendments). Because December 31, 2010 (the statutory deadline) is a Federal holiday, followed by Saturday, January 1, and Sunday January 2, petitions received on and before 11:59 PM EST, Monday, January 3, will be governed by the 2009 Amendments, and workers covered by those petitions may be eligible for the benefits and services provided by those Amendments. Petitions filed after that date and time will be governed under the prior law, and workers covered by those petitions may be eligible for the benefits and services provided under that prior law.

To distribute an electronic version of a new Guide to State and Local Workforce Data: For Analysis and Informed Decision Making (hereafter referred to as the "Guide"), which makes it easy for a wide variety of users to understand what state and local labor market information/workforce information (LMI/WI) is available on various topics and to locate specific data tables quickly.

To notify states that the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) will conduct an assessment of state quarterly financial reports – ETA Form 9130 (OMB Control No. 1205-0461). The assessment will focus on whether each state’s reported data on obligations meets ETA requirements provided in the 9130 instructions and other ETA provided financial reporting guidance and training.

To provide guidance to states impacted by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico resulting from the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil drilling platform regarding: 1) documentation and reimbursement for oil spill related activities; 2) identification of workers unemployed as a result of the oil spill; 3) reporting requirements related to oil spill activities; 4) confidentiality provisions that apply to information sharing between the state and the "responsible party" (RP) and/or the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF); and 5) information on the disposition of the reimbursed funds.

This guidance does not supplant current or future guidance from the Department of Justice (DOJ), agency, or state counsels’ office pertaining to documentation for cost recovery under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA).

To announce the Road to Recovery: Strategies for Reemployment Conference, which will be held December 14-15, 2010, in Arlington, Virginia, encourage the participation of state Unemployment Insurance (UI) staff, and provide information on how state UI agencies may be reimbursed for actual travel and per diem to attend the conference.

To announce the Road to Recovery: Strategies for Reemployment Conference, which will be held December 14-15, 2010, in Arlington, Virginia, encourage the participation of state Unemployment Insurance (UI) staff, and provide information on how state UI agencies may be reimbursed for actual travel and per diem to attend the conference.

To provide guidance on compliance with the requirements of recent appropriations act provisions, including Section 511, Division E of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, Public Law No. 111-117, regarding the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).

To provide states with the formula methodology used in developing the FY 2011 initial allocations and to describe the process for requesting additional TAA program reserve funds for training, job search, and relocation allowances.

To announce the release and availability of ETA Occasional Paper 2010-10, The Role of Unemployment Insurance As an Automatic Stabilizer During a Recession.