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References: Training and Employment Information Notice (TEIN) No. 3-94, dated August 25, 1994, and the Job Training Partnership Act Amendments of 1992. Background: Section 701 (i) of the JTPA Amendments directs the Secretary, the Governors, and SDAs to conduct a comprehensive review of current policies, practices, procedures and delivery systems in order to ensure the effective implementation of the Act. A contract was awarded to James Bell Associates, and its subcontractors, the Institute for Policy Studies, Johns Hopkins University, and MAXIMUS Inc., in June 1993, to conduct an independent evaluation of Amendments progress. Training and Employment information Notice (TEIN) No. 3-94, dated August 25, 1994, identified 30 SDAs selected for site visits for the collection of information concerning the implementation of the Amendments. In response to the concerns raised by several Regional Offices, seven of the original thirty SDAs selected for site visits will be replaced with new randomly selected SDAs. This will reduce the burden for these seven SDAs, who recently participated in a JTPA Amendments Implementation Review conducted by DOL Regional Offices. SDA Sites: a. The seven originally selected SDAs to be replaced are: Region State SDA# SDA Name 1 VT 50005 VERMONT CONSORTIUM 2 NY 36015 NEW YORK CITY 4 AL 1015 ALABAMA SDA DIVISION 5 IL 17045 CITY OF CHICAGO SDA 9 5 IN 18005 LAKE SHORE (FORMERLY LAKE COUNTY) 5 MN 27010 MINNEAPOLIS E & T PROGRAM 8 MT 30010 BALANCE OF MONTANA CONSORTIUM b. The seven new SDAs which have been selected as replacements are: Region State SDA # SDA Name 1 MA 25040 BRISTOL CONSORTIUM 2 NY 36110 ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY 4 GA 13015 CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA CONSORTIUM 5 IL 17125 SDA 25 (PIC FOR SDA 25) 5 OH 39020 YOUNGSTOWN CITY IN MAHONING COUNTY 5 MN 27040 RURAL MINNESOTA CEP 8 CO 30010 DENVER CITY/COUNTY Action Required: (1) Those States containing any of the 7 original SDAs who have been replaced should notify these SDAs that they will no longer be visited by the contractor (James Bell Associates, Inc.). (2) Those States containing any of the seven replacement SDAs should notify each SDA of the upcoming visit, and explain that James Bell Associates, Inc., will be contacting them directly to arrange the most convenient time possible for the on-site visit, which is expected to take place sometime between now and December 1994.

Background: The final rule for the 1992 Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Amendments was published on September 2, 1994, as a separate Part II of the Federal Register, and the Department arranged for copies to be provided directly to the States. To respond quickly to the JTPA community's need for information on these rule changes, the Employment and Training Administration is providing training sessions through its Regional Offices. Training Design: Although each Regional Office is arranging for sites and dates separately, sessions will start in some locations before the end of October 1994. Our goal is that all sessions will be concluded by December 1994. This training is intended to reach the Service Delivery Area/Substate Grantee level and is designed to present an overview of information, including time for participant discussion, that will last about one day. These sessions will deal only with the major changes and concomitant issues which may require clarification. Consequently, participants should have a substantial under- standing of the Amendments and of the areas of the interim final rule which were changed. Training Schedule: The training schedule in each Region is being developed by the Regional Office in consultation with the States to correlate with State needs. At some sites, schedules may include additional days of subject specific training and opportunities to continue the dialogue on ways to improve the job training system. Action: Please alert your SDAs/SSGs to the availability of this training opportunity.

Background. The Native American Cultural Heritage Month Committee at the Department of Labor has selected as its theme for this year's activities "The Birth of the White Buffalo: A Celebration of the Partnership of All Peoples". We have decided to make this a cultural event of true significance by enlisting the help of Native American High school students across the country. We are proposing a Poster Art and Essay contest that will provide these children with the opportunity to address this year's theme creatively and imaginatively using visual and written mediums. Action Required. We need the Grantees to assist us in this endeavor. We propose to conduct the contest at the Grantee level and then at the National level. The Grantees will provide the contest rules and requirements to the schools or to their summer youth participants (see attachment) and receive and initially judge the entries. Each Grantee will forward the finalist entries (not to exceed 5 entries) to the Department of Labor, where the winners will be selected by a panel composed of Native American artists, Native American educators, and other interested individuals. All finalist entries will be displayed in the Department as soon as they are received. We hope to get the Secretary of Labor to present the awards to the winners and their Tribal representatives at festivities scheduled for November the 30th. Finalist entries must be received by November 16th and will become the property of the Department. Contest rules and requirements are attached. We need a written response from you, directed to Gloria Duus at the address indicated under DEADLINE in the Rules and Requirements, indicating whether or not you can participate by October 21, 1994. Inquiries. Questions or suggestions should be addressed to Committee Chairperson Gloria Duus on (202) 219-5504.

The purpose of this Bulletin is to announce the retirement of Herb Fellman, former Chief, Division of Indian and Native American Programs (DINAP), from Federal service as of September 30, 1994. As most of you know, until October 1993 when he was reassigned as Chief of the Older Worker's Division, Mr. Fellman had been working in the Indian and Native American Program for over 20 years. For half of those 20 years, he served as Chief of the Division. In recognition of his years of Federal service (he began in 1952) and his many years of work for Indian programs, OSTP/DINAP is planning a retirement luncheon on November 15, 1994, in his honor. (The enclosed flyer gives more details of the luncheon.) Since most grantee staff will not be able to attend the luncheon, we are requesting that grantees send in their "Best Wishes"/"Good Luck" letters or cards to be presented to Mr. Fellman at the luncheon. Send your greetings before November 15 to: Mr. Thomas M. Dowd Chief Division of Indian and Native American Programs 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Room N-4641 Washington, D.C. 20210 Attention: Herb Fellman Those planning to attend the luncheon should be aware that DINAP and grantee staff must use personal funds for any expenses related to the luncheon itself, including travel. Follow the instructions on the flyer for more details about the luncheon.

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Reference: Training and Employment Information Notice (TEIN) No. 49-93, Capacity Building Strategy Paper. Background: As mentioned in TEIN 49-93, the need for system-wide capacity- building has been discussed for years. The Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) was amended in 1992 to include capacity building and technical assistance, information dissemination and replication activities as priorities at the National, State and local levels. The purpose of capacity building (as outlined in Section 453 of the Act) is to enhance the effectiveness of and strengthen the caliber of services provided through programs authorized under JTPA and other Federal, State, and local employment and training programs. As the employment and training community is called upon to respond to new job training initiatives, we anticipate an increase in capacity-building efforts and technical assistance needs. To address the anticipated increase in needs, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is undertaking an extensive consultation effort that will provide necessary information for making decisions about the direction of capacity building in future years. Approach: As outlined in the Capacity Building Strategy Paper, our goal for the consultation is to sharpen our understanding of the capacity building and technical assistance and training needs of the nation's employment and training system and respond to those needs. Specifically, the ETA's National and Regional Offices, along with States and local partners, will work together with contractor support from Technical Assistance and Training Corporation (TATC) to establish a capacity-building assessment framework as well as to identify relevant efforts already underway. The activities that will be performed as part of the consultation effort include: Establishment of a Panel of Experts -- This panel will be convened under the auspices of TATC. The Panel will include Federal, State and local representatives from JTPA (Titles II and III), the U.S. Employment Service, One-Stop, School-to-Work and JOBS. The Panel will be a working group responsible for providing guidance to TATC and oversight of the capacity-building consultation project. TATC will work with ETA's Regional Offices to convene the Panel. Focus Groups on Capacity Building -- Regions will host focus groups, preferably in conjunction with regularly scheduled meetings or conferences, to engage the States, Service Delivery Areas (SDAs), Substate Areas (SSA) and service providers (including front-line staff) within their Regions to gather information on capacity-building needs and delivery preferences. In addition, States that received a grant for One-stop implementation will be consulted regarding their capacity-building and technical assistance needs. System-Wide Survey on Staff Capacity-Building and Technical Assistance Needs -- TATC, with support from ETA National and Regional Office staff, will design, develop, and administer a broad-based, system-wide survey of capacity-building training requirements. This survey will focus on the identification of training and technology needs and existing training resources and technology capabilities. This survey will be directed primarily to program managers and training and employment professionals at the State and local levels of the programs involved in the consultation effort. The results of the survey will help direct resources to the identified technical assistance and capacity building priority areas. Analysis of Front-Line Staff Functions -- TATC will conduct an analysis of front-line staff positions to identify the tasks performed and the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required to perform front-line staff functions. TATC will work closely with State Training Institutes and related Associations and Organizations to build upon the work they have done in this area. The information will be analyzed to identify common staff functions and functions that may be needed in the future as the employment and training system changes. It will allow for the design of appropriate curricula to meet the KSA needs identified for specific subject areas. Action: Recipients of this TEIN are requested to inform SDA, SSA and Employment Service Directors and program administrators of the upcoming consultation activities and encourage them to participate.

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References: Trade Act of 1974, as amended, Chapter 2, Subchapter A -- Petitions and Investigations, Section 225, Benefit Information to Workers; and Section B of APPENDIX A to GAL 15-90, dated August 21, 1990. Background: Recently staff from the General Accounting Office (GAO) testified before the United States Senate Committee on Finance on the results of its study of Economic Dislocation and Worker Adjustment Assistance (EDWAA) and TAA programs in three States. Of particular note was testimony that many TAA participants "did not receive training in their first 15 weeks of unemployment." GAO went on to testify that, "delays in the delivery of TAA training assistance were generally due to the worker certification and notification process." GAO, also testified that once workers are certified, notices of eligibility may take up to 60 days and that workers may have to wait a total of 4 months before they receive any TAA assistance. State Responsibility: States have a positive responsibility, under provisions of Section 225 of the Trade Act, Benefit Information to Workers, to provide individual notices to adversely affected workers of certification of eligibility to apply for TAA benefits. These notices should be sent to individuals at the earliest possible time after the Department of Labor issues an affirmative determination on a TAA petition investigation. Operating instructions on State responsibilities for providing benefit information notifications to adversely affected workers are issued at Section B of APPENDIX A to GAL 15-90, dated August 21, 1990. Action Required: States must inform all appropriate staff of this GAL and ensure that notifications to adversely affected workers are provided in accordance with the TAA program operating instructions at Section B of APPENDIX A to GAL 15-90.