To provide a general overview of the aggregate characteristics, services, and outcomes for the population of Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Adult and Dislocated Workers who have exited the program and received training services between Program Years (PY) 2004 and PY 2008.

The public workforce system should take proactive steps to help the unemployed and especially the long-term unemployed return to work. As outlined in the accompanying Training and Employment Notice (TEN) 12-14: Promising Practices and Resources for Addressing Long-Term Unemployment,¹ a number of employers, employer organizations, and workforce agencies have implemented or pledged to implement specific actions, policies, and/or services for addressing the unique barriers to employment facing many of the long-term unemployed. One of these barriers, which is the subject of this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL), is the practice among some employers to exclude unemployed and especially long-term unemployed individuals from hiring consideration. The purpose of this TEGL is to provide information to the public workforce system and other entities (including the "covered entities" listed above) that receive federal financial assistance to operate job banks, about the practice of some employers to exclude unemployed persons from hiring consideration, and to provide tools to educate employers about the practical and legal drawbacks of this practice. This guidance is being issued by the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA), in conjunction with the Civil Rights Center (CRC).

This training and employment notice provides information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and describes opportunities for One-Stop Career Centers to inform customers of the resources available through SNAP. The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service are working to ensure that the nation’s unemployed and under-employed workers are aware of the full range of income assistance available to them and their families during this difficult economic period.

The purpose of this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) is to provide information to the public workforce system and other entities (including the "covered entities" listed above) that receive federal financial assistance to operate job banks, about the use of credit information to exclude, screen, or select applicants for employment and to provide tools to educate employers about the practical and legal drawbacks of this employment practice. This guidance is being issued by the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), in conjunction with the Civil Rights Center (CRC).

This TEGL is accompanied by Training and Employment Notice (TEN) number 12-14: Promising Practices and Resources for Addressing Long-Term Unemployment,¹ which outlines proactive steps that a number of employers, employer organizations, and workforce agencies have implemented or pledged to implement to address the unique barriers to employment facing many of the long-term unemployed. One of these barriers, the practice of using credit information to exclude applicants from employment, is the subject of this TEGL. Long-term unemployed individuals may be more likely than employed or short-term unemployed individuals to fall into debt due to prolonged periods when they lack sufficient income or employer-sponsored benefits such as health insurance to meet basic needs. As a result, these long-term unemployed individuals may be more likely to be negatively impacted by these credit screening practices.

To provide information regarding the provisions of the HEART Act as they affect Federal employment taxes.

To inform the public workforce system and employers about affirmative efforts by employers, employer organizations, and workforce agencies to increase economic competitiveness by tapping into the talent pool of long-term unemployed individuals, which includes many qualified, experienced, and skilled workers. And to encourage the workforce system, through resources and information, to assist the long-term unemployed in returning to work by: (a) partnering with employers to implement promising human resources practices; (b) targeting and expanding work-based learning models, such as on-the-job training; (c) offering specialized services, such as financial counseling, behavioral health counseling, and enhanced job search assistance; and (d) boosting job seeker outreach and engagement strategies to better reach the long-term unemployed.

To provide instructions for the preparation and submission of Program Year (PY) 2010 NFJP Housing Assistance grant plans under Section 167 of the Workforce Investment Act.

To provide guidance to states and other recipients of funds under title I of WIA on the use and reporting of PY 2014 funds for planning and implementation activities associated with the transition to WIOA.

To announce the release and availability of ETA Occasional Paper 2010-01: Evaluation of the Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative (LEPHWI) prepared by Coffey Consulting, LLC and its sub-contractor Excelencia in Education.

To issue rescissions for obsolete Older Worker Bulletins (OWBs) or ones replaced by Training and Employment Guidance Letters (TEGLs).