Doing Business with the TRADE PROGRAM in Massachusetts

1. Doing Business with theTRADE PROGRAMin Massachusetts Deval L. Patrick, Governor Timothy P. Murray, Lieutenant Governor Joanne Goldstein, Secretary Michael Taylor, Director Division of Career Services

2. What is the TAA Program? • The TAA program helps workers who have lost their jobs as a result of foreign trade. The program offers a variety of benefits and services to eligible workers, including: • job training • income support (TRA) • job search and relocation allowances • a tax credit to help pay the costs of health insurance (HCTC) • a wage supplement to certain reemployed trade-affected workers 50 years of age and older (RTAA)

3. Some History… • The TAA program was first established by the Trade Act of 1974, and has been amended several times. • It was amended in 2002 through the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 2002. Most recently, it was amended in 2009 through the Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009.

4. Purpose • The TAA program has and will continue to help workers who have lost their jobs as a result of foreign trade to quickly rejoin the workforce by providing them with the means to attain competitive and marketable skills for today’s increasingly competitive work environment.

5. Working Together One-Stop Career Centers (OSCC) Provide employment and case management services Division of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) Administers TRA benefits Division of Career Services (DCS) Administers TAA benefits Educational Institutions/Vendors Trains TAA Clients

6. Basic Overview • Company files a petition • DOL investigates the petition. If approved, DOL issues a certification; a five-digit number is assigned to the certification • Workers are notified about the Trade certification by DCS • Workers go to OSCC for services and case management • Benefits are administered by DCS and DUA

7. Old or New? • There are currently two sets of regulations operating concurrently: the 2002 Act and 2009 Act.

8. A New Face to Trade • The Trade Act of 1974 and the Trade Reform Act of 2002, covered workers who produced a product. (Workers with a manufacturing background) • The Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009 now covers various other worker groups including: • the service industry • public employees • Please be aware as the diverse needs of workers from all industries can vary.

9. Training Services • Training Under the Trade Program

10. Mission of Training • Trade’s Axiom: • The least amount of training at the lowest possible cost in the shortest amount of time to be able to obtain “suitable employment”.

11. 6 Criteria for Training-workers must meet these 6 criteria to have training approved under TAA • There is no suitable employment (which may include technical and professional employment) available for the adversely affected worker. • The worker would benefit from appropriate training. • There is a reasonable expectation of employment following completion of such training. • Training approved by the Secretary is reasonably available to the worker from either governmental agencies or private sources. • The worker is qualified to undertake and complete such training. • Such training is suitable for the worker and available at a reasonable cost.

12. Suitable Employment • Suitable employment is defined in the Trade regulations as work of an equal of higher skill level and with a wage of at least 80% of the worker’s prior average weekly wage.

13. One Training Per Certification • A worker may only be approved for one training program per certification. • Note: A training program may be comprised of several training components (ie, remedial training first, then vocational training or combined remedial and occupational)

14. Reasonable Cost Currently in Massachusetts, for NEW contracts that commenced July 1, 2009 and after, a training program (tuition, fees and books) cannot exceed: • $7,000 for remedial training • $17,000 for vocational training • $25,000 for degree programs • $30,000 max including travel, subsistence, etc.

15. Remedial Training Remedial training can occur at any time of the training program, but it is encouraged to be taken prior to occupational trainings or degree programs. • Examples of remedial training include: • Basic math & writing skills • English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) • Courses leading to a GED • Coursework required for entry into a training program (Pre-requisites) • Remedial training can also occur concurrently with other training.

16. Length of Training Training which exceeds the maximum number of weeks allowed may not be paid for under the TAA program.

17. Some More Changes

18. Contractual Considerations • Becoming a Qualified Vendor… • Respond to RFR 09-07 • Complete Training Pro Requirements • RFR 09-07 • Open Enrollment application process • 2 year minimum term from 7/1/09 • 2 optional 1 year terms after the minimal term

19. Accessing RFR 09-07 • WWW.COMM-PASS.COM • Sequentially click the following • Solicitations • Browse all open solicitations • By entity department • Scroll to “Division of Employment and Training” and select it.

20. Accessing RFR 09-07 Continued • Go to Department • Choose RFR 09-07 • Select Applicable Header Tabs • Specification = The RFR • Forms and Terms = Necessary Contract Forms

21. Major RFR Requirements: • Affirmative Market Program • Certificate of Good Standing • Registration with Secretary of State • Licensing by the Department of Education • Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Authorization • Single Point of Contact ( S.P.O.C.) • New Programs • Prompt Pay Discount • Dollar Volume Discount

22. RFR Payment Request Requirements • Payment requests must be submitted on a timely basis. • There are consequences of not submitting timely payment requests. • Payments must be submitted in accordance with the budget/payment schedules. • Any payments not submitted in accordance with the budget/payment schedules are subject to return.

23. Participant Training Approvals • Elements of Participant Approval Notification: • Notification Letter • Participant List • Budget/Payment Schedule • Course Description • Break in Training Verification • Refund Policy • Role of the S.P.O.C. • Transparency of the Participant to the Contract Process

24. TrainingProSelecting a Funding Source and Adding a Course to the Account

25. Additional Information on Training Pro • Website: www.mass.gov/dwd/trainingpro • For TAA approval, a course must meet these minimum requirements for performance: • Completion Rate: >/= 70% • Entered Employment Rate: >/= 60% • TAA courses do go through an auto-approval process first. If they meet certain criteria then the course is auto approved. If not, the course is put into a pending status for a TAA staff manual determination. • Course approvals are for 1 year. You must resubmit courses for approval the day after they expire. The system at this time will not allow you to do it any earlier.

26. Submitting a Payment Voucher to the TRADE UNIT Are you wondering what happens once you send YOUR invoices in to the Commonwealth of MA for payment from the Trade Program?

27. Submitting a Payment Voucher According to Budget Payment Schedule, vendor submits P.V. to Accounts Payable Accounts Payable passes the P.V. on to the Trade Unit Trade Unit reviews P.V. and data enters payment information into financial database and sends back to AP AP processes payments approved by the Trade Unit EFT is sent out to vendors accordingly

28. Before the Trade Unit processes a payment, there are number of things that must be reviewed. • Most recent participant list to be sure that the student being billed for is listed • Budget Payment Schedule to make sure we are being billed as scheduled at time of approval • For community colleges, a course outline is needed to show what classes are being taken and when • Any bookstore Purchase Orders will require receipts as well as a a course outline to be sure we are paying for appropriate items, REQUIRED by all students in training • Please note: Class outlines and book lists are received from counselors prior to training approval. Some examples of reviewed items include:

29. How does Trade’s Quarterly Budget Payment Schedule Work?? Invoice can be sent 10/1/09-12/31/09 Invoice can be sent 4/1/10-6/30/10 Invoice can be sent 4/1/09-6/30/09 Invoices can be sent to the Trade Unit via AP at any point within the quarter. Billing does not have to occur on the last day of each quarter listed.

30. Don’t forget about VendorWeb! • Using this web site, vendors to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts can easily and quickly: • Access their payment information • View scheduled payments • View payment history • Print the form to request Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) • And read news and updates of interest to vendors Visit us at: https://massfinance.state.ma.us/VendorWeb/vendor.asp

31. Contact Information • Accounts Payable: Beverly Nisbitt • BNisbitt@detma.org • 617-626-5937 • Contracts: John Marshall • JMarshall@detma.org • 617-626-5915 • Myrna Molina • MMolina@detma.org • 617-626-5214

32. Contact Information • Training Pro Mark Shore • MShore@detma.org • 617-626-5003 • Trade Unit (TAA): 617-626-6007 • *Please note, this is a mailbox that is checked daily. Your message will be returned by one of our staff members within 24 hours.