[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 95 (Wednesday, May 18, 1994)] [Unknown Section] [Page 0] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 94-12022] [[Page Unknown]] [Federal Register: May 18, 1994] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration Job Training Partnership Act; Announcing a Systemwide Dialogue on Job Training and Assistance for the Disadvantaged agency: Employment and Training Administration, Labor. action: The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor announces a systemwide Dialogue on improving and strengthening job training and program assistance to the economically disadvantaged. The Department invites public comment on the key issues framing the Department's Dialogue on the Disadvantaged. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- summary: The Department is undertaking a Dialogue to examine the need and options for constructive new directions for improving programs designed to prepare the disadvantaged to obtain good jobs and provide them assistance leading to economic self-sufficiency. This Dialogue will include a series of at least fifteen small group discussions and five town hall meetings across the country in May, June and July; a review of the current literature assessing the effectiveness of existing job training programs; a survey of program participants on the level of satisfaction with the programs; and broad public comment on the key issues described in this notice. The Dialogue will be an ongoing process, with preliminary findings and initial recommendations for system changes by August 1994. comments: Specific written comments are invited from the public on the basic questions presented in this document. Comments are requested by June 22, 1994 or earlier. addresses: Written comments shall be addressed to Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., room N4666, Washington, DC 20210, Attention: Hugh Davies, Director, Office of Employment and Training Programs. for further information contact: Either Hugh Davies or Karen Staha at 202-219-5580 (this is not a toll-free number). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Purpose The Department announces a comprehensive Dialogue to examine possible new directions for the improvement of job training and assistance for economically disadvantaged individuals. The Dialogue will include: A. Small group discussions and town hall meetings across the country to provide an opportunity for DOL officials and others to gather information from participants, graduates, front-line staff, employers and program officials, policy makers, community leaders, and private sector representatives. B. A review of currently available studies, surveys, and reports about job training systems for the economically disadvantaged. C. A survey to elicit customer attitudes about the present training and employment system. D. A request for individuals and organizations to provide written comments and suggestions on the basic questions and issues raised in the Dialogue as provided in this announcement. The Department will analyze this information to shape an action agenda for improving systems and programs that help economically disadvantaged individuals access the training, education, and other services essential for these individuals to obtain and maintain good jobs. II. Background Earlier assumptions about the employment and training needs of the disadvantaged may no longer be valid. The technological advances of today combined with the increasing demands of employers to remain competitive in a global economy necessitate a skilled, adaptable, and self-motivated workforce. New approaches such as the proposed Reemployment Act of 1994, the recently enacted School To Work Opportunities Act of 1994, and the passage of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, which establishes the National Skills Standards Board, are evidence of the commitment of the Administration and the Department to build a workforce with the skills necessary to be prepared for global competition. The 1992 Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Amendments, as well as the new and proposed legislation mentioned above, attempt to tailor and individualize training for youth and adults seeking good jobs. The Department is now proposing a careful review of services provided under JTPA Title II to further strengthen and improve these programs. Of particular concern is the improvement of the existing system designated for youth and the training and employment problems of school dropouts. Fundamental changes may be necessary to ensure the availability of high quality services for customers who are participants in employment and training programs for the disadvantaged. To make a significant impact on improving services available to the disadvantaged, the investment of employment and training resources must be made in close coordination or in conjunction with the resources of other federal, State, local community and private sector partners. The Department has chosen this public comment process, together with small group discussions and town hall meetings, to draw on the knowledge of those closest to the services provided and to critically appraise current programs. III. The Basic Questions The following are a series of broad questions to be addressed in any written response to this notice. Commenters are quested to provide specific comments corresponding to the questions below and to identify comments by letter and number (e.g., A.2.b.). A. Broad questions for the Dialogue. 1. Who are the customers? a. Who should be eligible to benefit from an employment and training program for the disadvantaged? Is the current category of disadvantaged (based on the poverty level) too broad or too narrow? b. How would you change the process that determines which individuals are selected to be served? Should selection criteria be set at the federal, State or local level? Suggest some methods that will help assure equity of service. c. How can employer needs best be met in determining who is served? What factors need to be considered in improving employer satisfaction with programs for the disadvantaged? How do we meet employer workforce needs as well as fulfilling program responsibility to disadvantaged customers seeking jobs? 2. What are the characteristics of a customer-driven system? a. What kinds of services should participant customers reasonably expect from a new and improved job training system? Are there reasons to require that each participant receive certain services? If yes, which services should be mandated? b. Suggest some examples of program features that help make sure participant customers have options and are able to make their needs clear about the training and services required to become employed c. Provide us with examples of how to determine customer satisfaction. d. What changes are needed to achieve a job training system that is focused on the needs of customers? 3. What types of services work best for the disadvantaged? a. Provide two or three specific examples of powerful tools or program strategies that have helped make employment and training programs successful. How might successful strategies be tested more widely? Provide some specific techniques for more effectively replicating successful programs or strategies in other areas. Are there specific features in existing programs that impede replication? b. Give examples of program strategies or approaches that have proved unsuccessful or ineffective. c. Provide some ideas about improving the process for determining the services that participants need to get and keep good jobs. d. Discuss any reasons to limit the length of overall participation or the length of participation in any activity. Suggest what an appropriate length of participation might be. e. What programs or strategies work well for assisting out-of- school youth, especially dropouts? f. What programs or strategies have not worked well for preparing out-of-school youth? How should they be revised? 4. How should the system be structured and administered? a. Where are the most logical places for decisionmaking about program structure and funding decisions? b. What are the most effective roles that the federal, State and local levels of government can play in administering programs? c. How can we best ensure accountability? What are possible ways to better ensure that program funds are used properly, reducing the potential for ``fraud, waste and abuse''? What are the proper roles for oversight of the program? d. What are the two or three most important administrative features of successful employment and training programs that contribute to successful outcomes? 5. How should success be measured? a. What results indicate that a program is successful? b. Provide us with specific examples of ways to measure quality. What program performance measures will help make programs work better? Who should set program measures, who should monitor them, who should decide whether they have been met? c. How can we measure return on investment for programs for the disadvantaged? Should program funding be tied to program outcomes? d. How do we measure participant success? Customer satisfaction? e. Should there be incentives or rewards for program success? If so, what kinds and why? f. What should we do when programs are not working well? 6. How do you ensure that the staff directly involved in customer service are capable of delivering quality services? a. What type of skills do front-line staff need to do their jobs more effectively? b. How do we improve the training opportunities available to front- line staff? 7. How can coordination of programs and leveraging of resources be improved? a. Provide examples of program improvements that have been realized by leveraging other funds or program services. b. How could eligibility criteria or screening be streamlined or simplified to improve program coordination? c. Provide some ideas (and any available supporting evidence) about improving connections between youth programs and early childhood education programs. d. Are there disadvantages to federal requirements for the coordination of funds to provide comprehensive services to the customers? If so, please specify. e. What could be done to make it easier to provide comprehensive services (funded by multiple sources) to the customer? f. Give 2 or 3 examples of ways to better coordinate or integrate the services that are provided by multiple community and governmental agencies to the same customer population. g. There are a number of federal training and employment programs designed to meet the needs of same disadvantaged population. i. How has this affected program operations at the local level? ii. Are any changes necessary? If yes, what specific changes would you recommend? B. Next steps. Based on your answers to the previous questions, what should we do next to move the system to where it should be? Give us two or three specific examples of the most important next steps we should take. Setting a New Agenda The Department has a shared responsibility with the entire employment and training community to design the highest quality job training programs for economically disadvantaged individuals. To this end, the Department is counting on broad system participation in this continuing Dialogue. We look forward to implementing changes that will achieve our mutual goal: The creation of a system that better prepares low income people for decent jobs. Signed at Washington, DC this 12th day of May, 1994. Robert B. Reich, Secretary of Labor. [FR Doc. 94-12022 Filed 5-17-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510-03-M