DIRECTIVE	:	TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 02-99
TO	:	ALL STATE JPTA LIAISONS ALL STATE WORKER ADJUSTMENT LIAISONS ALL STATE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY AGENCIES ALL ONE-STOP CAREER CENTER SYSTEM LEADS
FROM	:	DAVID HENSON Director Office of Regional Management
SUBJECT	:	The U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA) Five-Year Research Plan

1. Purpose. To announce the development of the USDOL/ETA Five-Year Research Plan; to request comments on the Research Plan; and to announce the National Workforce Development Research Symposium.

2. Reference. Section 171(a) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.

3. Background. Under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, Section 171, the Secretary of Labor is required to prepare a Five-Year Research Plan every two years. The first Research Plan under the WIA must be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress by July 1, 2000. By requiring such a plan, the WIA has given USDOL/ETA the unique opportunity to conduct a literature review of previous employment and training studies and the research methodologies used for these studies, and to propose an agenda for the next five years (beginning July 1, 2000) for pilots, demonstrations, research, and evaluation studies in areas related to workforce development programs and policies.

4. Research Plan. The Research Plan will identify the potential research and evaluation efforts that will most assist USDOL/ETA in carrying out workforce development programs under the WIA. The Research Plan will focus primarily on proposing an agenda for applied research and demonstration topic areas in employment and training that endeavor to test new approaches, and describe the most successful and best practices, with the aim of providing a learning opportunity for policy-makers and practitioners.

   1. Structure of Research Plan.  The Research Plan will consist of the following sections:

      • A review of relevant literature in employment and training research, such as research sponsored by USDOL, research by individuals and research institutions, and related research by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Department of Education (DoEd), and other federal agencies;

      • An analysis of alternative research methodologies that should be used for various types of employment and training research;

      • A presentation of potential research topics and evaluations that might be conducted in the next five years; and

      • Recommendations for high priority topic areas which should be initiated over the next several years.

   2. Process for Developing Research Plan.  The John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University is providing staff assistance to USDOL/ETA in developing the Research Plan, including preparing drafts of the plan. Available drafts of the Research Plan are for discussion only, and not for reproduction or quotation. These drafts are being developed by the Heldrich Center and thus do not necessarily represent the official policies or positions of the U.S. Department of Labor. The USDOL/ETA has the responsibility for revising the submitted draft Research Plan into a final Research Plan, formally clearing the final Research Plan, publishing the final version of the plan in the Federal Register, and transmitting the final plan to Congress, as required by WIA.

      The Research Plan is being developed through the input of a wide range of individuals and organizations, including research and policy offices of the USDOL, program offices of ETA, research departments of other Federal agencies, State and local levels of workforce development agencies, members of an Expert Panel, and other stakeholders in the employment and training community. In addition to publishing a Training and Employment Information Notice, efforts to obtain input include establishing a website, publishing in the Federal Register, and convening the National Workforce Development Research Symposium.

   3. To Contribute to the Development of the Research Plan.

      Visit http://www.heldrich.rutgers.edu/USDOL-ETA-ResearchPlan. This website was developed by the Heldrich Center to allow a wide variety of individuals to provide input into the Research Plan as it is being developed.

      • REVIEW an early draft of the Research Plan:  A July 6, 1999, draft of the Research Plan is currently available for review. This draft can be mailed to you or downloaded directly from the website. This early draft contains the first two parts of the plan:

        • Section I:  Review of Recent Research, Evaluation and Demonstration Initiatives and Identification of Needs; and

        • Section II: Review of Alternative Methodologies for Employment and Training Research.

        • Section III (List of Potential Research Topics/Subject Areas) and Section IV (Recommendations for High-Priority Subject Areas) will be developed during the summer and fall of 1999, based upon further input from the USDOL, other Federal agencies, the Expert Panel, and the larger stakeholder community.

      • COMMENT on the drafts of the Research Plan:  Submit written comments on various drafts of the Research Plan by mail, fax, e-mail, or through the website. Include your name, address and contact information with your comments.

      • SUGGEST areas where future research is needed in employment and training:  Section III of the Research Plan - List of Potential Research Topics/Subject Areas, and Section IV - Recommendations for High Priority Subject Areas - will be developed, based upon extensive public input. Submit written suggestions for areas where you think future research is needed in employment and training by mail, fax, e-mail, or through the website. Include your name, address and contact information with your suggestions.

      • Dates:  The July 6, 1999 draft of the Research Plan is currently available for comment, and a revised draft will be available for comment on September 30, 1999. Comments on the July 6, 1999 draft must be received by August 30 for incorporation into the September 30, 1999 draft. Comments on the September 30, 1999 draft must be received by October 30 for incorporation into the final draft of the Research Plan.

      • Addresses:  All written comments on the USDOL/ETA Research Plan should be sent through the following website address: http://www.heldrich.rutgers.edu/USDOL-ETA-ResearchPlan; by e-mail to hcwd@rci.rutgers.edu; by fax at (732) 932-3454; or by mail to USDOL/ETA Research Plan, c/o Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Rutgers University, 33 Livingston Avenue, 5^th Floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901.

5. The National Workforce Development Research Symposium. On July 27, 1999, the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration and the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University will convene a National Workforce Development Research Symposium in Washington, DC. This one-day symposium will bring together a variety of individuals with expertise in research in employment and training. The goal of the Research Symposium is to identify, through structured discussion, priorities for future research in employment and training. Concurrent sessions will focus on topic areas such as understanding the labor market, interventions to assist in-school and out-of-school youth, interventions to assist dislocated workers, interventions to assist adults (including welfare recipients and disadvantaged adults), interventions to assist individuals with disabilities and other special populations, unemployment insurance, new tools in employment and training (including reemployment incentives and self-employment/ microenterprise development), alternative methodologies for employment and training research, and national datasets needed for employment and training research.

   The National Workforce Development Research Symposium will be held at the Capitol Hilton Hotel, 16^th and K Streets, NW, Washington, D.C., 20036 on July 27, 1999, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All interested parties are encouraged to attend. There is no registration fee, but prior registration is required. Seating is limited to 100 attendees, and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Individuals interested in attending the Research Symposium should register by July 23, 1999.

   Register for the Research Symposium by one of the following methods:

   Mail: Mail your name, e-mail address, organization, telephone number, address, fax number, city, state, and zip code to USDOL/ETA Research Plan, c/o Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Rutgers University, 33 Livingston Avenue, 5^th Floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901.

   Fax:  Fax your name, e-mail address, organization, telephone number, address, fax number, city, state, and zip code to the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University at (732) 932-3454.

   Internet:  Visit the Research Plan website at http://www.heldrich.rutgers.edu/USDOL-ETA-ResearchPlan to register online.

   Confirmation of registration will be by mail, fax, or e-mail, the method will correspond to your registration method. Background materials for the Research Symposium, including the agenda for the day, is currently available on the Research Plan website.

6. Inquiries. For information related to the Research Plan, contact Janet Javar, USDOL/ETA, Office of Policy and Research, N-5637, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., 20210; fax: (202) 219-5455; e-mail: jjavar@doleta.gov.; for information related to the Research Symposium, contact Aaron Fichtner, Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, USDOL/ETA Research Plan, c/o Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Rutgers University, 33 Livingston Avenue, 5^th Floor, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901; fax: (732) 932-3454; e-mail: hcwd@rci.rutgers.edu.