Remarks Strategic Use of Recovery Act Funds and Regional Sector Strategies

1. RemarksStrategic Use of Recovery Act Funds and Regional Sector Strategies By Bruce Herman Deputy Commissioner for Workforce Development New York State Department of Labor Bruce.Herman@labor.state.ny.us

2. Overview of Remarks • Strategic Use of Recovery Act Funds. • Regional Sector Strategies. • Upcoming Recovery Act Grant Opportunity for Workforce Development.

3. Strategic Use of Recovery Act Funds • $169.4M in Workforce Investment Act funding was made available to NYS under the ARRA. • Approx. 85% allocated to Local Workforce Investment Areas by formula. • Remaining funds support: Program administration; and State-level workforce initiatives: • Unemployed Workers (Worker Supply). • Incumbent Workers / Layoff Aversion (Worker Demand). • State Agency Collaboration.

4. Unemployed Workers • Adults – Emerging and transitional workers ages 18 and older. • Youth – Disconnected Youth ages 14 to 24. • State Training Vouchers – Certificate / Higher skilled occupational training.

5. Unemployed Workers Emerging and Transitional Workers • Provide entry-level skills to low income adults ages 18 & older. • Request for Proposals (RFP) released June 8, 2009. • Up to $10M made available to fund proposals ranging from $50,000 to $500,000. • Eligible applicants – For-profit or not-for-profit organizations. • Application Deadline: July 8, 2009.

6. Unemployed Workers Emerging and Transitional Workers (cont’d) • Priorities – • Target Populations: Young adults ages 18 to 24, Criminal Justice, Disabilities, Limited English proficiency and Out of school; • Program Elements: Career planning, Work readiness, HS diploma or equivalent, Occupational training, Post-secondary training and Adult education/literacy; • Sectors: Construction trades, Health care, Advanced manufacturing and Transportation; • Other: “Green” career focus; Leveraged resources; Collaboration with community colleges; and Environmental justice. • Must ensure provision of wrap-around services to participants.

7. Unemployed Workers Disconnected Youth • Develop skills to succeed as adults through – Career planning; Work readiness; Academic development; Occupational /post-secondary training; School linkages; and Employment linkages. • Target disconnected youth • As defined by the WIA, ARRA, and the Governor’s Youth Cabinet. • RFP expected to be released late July. • Up to $2.5 million has been made available for this solicitation. • Eligible applicants – For-profit or not-for-profit organizations. • Priorities – Youth ages 14 to 17; youth on probation; juvenile justice/incarcerated youth; youth of incarcerated parents; foster care youth; and youth with other barriers.

8. Incumbent Workers / Layoff Aversion • Building Skills in New York State (BUSINYS) • Shared Work Program • Economic Response Team (ERT)

9. Incumbent Workers / Layoff Aversion Building Skills in New York State (BUSINYS) • RFP released on June 8, 2009. • Help business train their employees in specific transferable occupational skills needed by the business or its industry. • Eligible applicants: For-profit and not-for-profit, private sector businesses of four or more employees. • Up to $5M has been made available for this solicitation. • Businesses may apply for up to $50,000. • Contracts will be awarded for a period of up to 6-months. • Participants to be served: Incumbent workers (i.e., employees). • Application deadline: July 20, 2009.

10. Incumbent Workers / Layoff Aversion Shared Work Program • Provides business with an alternative to layoffs. • Business reduces hours or wages; and employees collect partial UI benefits. • Business retains employee during slowdowns; and can quickly gear up when sales conditions improve. • Heavily marketed to businesses. • Significant increase in applications over last year.

11. Incumbent Workers / Layoff Aversion Economic Response Team (ERT) • Develop an Early Warning Dashboard and a web-site to house data on at-risk firms. • WARN Notices, TAA Petitions, UI Claims Data, Shared Work Requests, D&B Stress and Credit Score Data. • ERT comprised of Business Services and Rapid Response staff in NYC, Long Island, and lower Hudson Valley Regions. • Use Contracted Consultants to provide diagnostic services, assess viability of firm, and provide stabilization/turnaround services. • Develop broad partnerships to mobilize workforce and economic development resources to assist at-risk businesses.

12. Memorandum with Other State Agencies State agency collaborations include: • Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) – Career Pathway Initiative. • Office of Parks and Recreation (OP&R) – State Parks Conservation Corps. • Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) – Addiction Certificate Programs. • Office of Mental health (OMH) – Subsidizing Community College Education for Individuals with Mental Health Disabilities.

13. Memorandum with Other State Agencies Career Pathways Initiative with OTDA • Joint funding of $5M. • Job training and education programs designed to improve economic prospects of low-income workers. • Sector-based strategy. • Integrate support services to enable participants to advance. • Target PA recipients, low-wage workers, UI recipients making less than 200% of the federal poverty level. • Grants will be made to not-for-profit, community-based agencies. • Aimed at areas of the state with: • Demonstrated labor market needs, and • Unemployment rates higher than that for the region.

14. Memorandum with Other State Agencies State Parks’ Conservations Corps with OP&R • Up to 22 weeks of summer employment for 200 youth. • Up to 16 weeks of green job skills training for 100 youth. • Employment and training will take place at state parks. • Approx. $3.35 million has been reserved through January 31, 2010.

15. Memorandum with Other State Agencies Addiction Certificate Programs with OASAS • $1 million in funding. • Train over 200 individuals for addiction counseling certification. • In NYS there are currently 7,200 credentialed addiction counselors, 4,200 counselor trainees, and 300 vacancies for counselors. • There are currently 80 eligible training providers. • OASAS will identify more through a Request for Qualifications.

16. Memorandum with Other State Agencies Subsidizing Community College Education for Individuals with Mental Health Disabilities w/OMH • Up to $1 million funding. • Approx. 200 individuals with mental health disabilities will be prepared for jobs with mental health providers. • Each participant will have a provider sponsor, who will agree to employ the participant after training is completed. • Training will take place at community colleges.

17. Regional Sector Strategy • Initiative that began in 2007. • Regional Transformation Strategy grants, or 13N. • Utilizes sector-based strategies focused on the attraction, retention, or development of talent. • Intended to improve the supply and quality of the region’s talent pipeline; and foster the region’s competitive advantage. • A total of $7.7 million has been awarded to 8 regions. • Planning Grants up to $50,000; and implementation Grants up to $500,000. • Some regions have received a second implementation grant.

18. Regional Sector Strategy • Western New York - $1,000,000 • Manufacturing and Life Sciences sectors. • Southern Tier - $550,000 • Advanced Manufacturing sector. • Central New York - $1,000,000 • Energy and Environmental Systems sectors. • Finger Lakes Region - $1,000,000 • Life Sciences sector. • North Country - $1,000,000 • Aerospace and Transportation Equipment Manufacturing sector.

19. Regional Sector Strategy • The Capital Region - $1,050,000. • Advanced Manufacturing; Construction; Biotechnology; Energy; and Nanotechnology. • Long Island - $1,050,000 • Advanced Manufacturing sector, including: Defense & Aerospace; Bioscience; and Pharmaceuticals. • The Hudson Valley - $ 1,050,000 million for multiple sectors: • Water Purification and Management; Manufacturing/Industrial; Transportation and Logistics; Energy-Tech; Enabling Technologies; Materials Recovery & Recycling; Materials & Nanotechnology; Environmental Information Technology; Air Quality; and Agriculture & Nutrition.

20. Upcoming ARRA Grant Opportunity for Workforce Development • ARRA Competitive Grants for Green Jobs TrainingUSDOL/ETA Training and Employment Notice (TEN) No. 44-08(May 15, 2009) • $500M available for a series of solicitations, expected to begin in June 2009. • Six potential grant opportunities: • State Labor Market Information Improvement.  • Energy Training Partnerships. • Pathways out of Poverty. • State Sector Training. • Green Capacity Building.

21. Thank You! For more information on services and initiatives, please visit: www.labor.ny.gov