June 2020

WorkforceGPS Newsletter

Checkout our latest newsletter!

On March 27, 2020, the U.S. President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020.  This legislation provides emergency assistance and health care response for certain individuals, families, and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The CARES Act includes the Relief for Workers Affected by Coronavirus Act, which includes provisions for temporary coverage of individuals who have exhausted their entitlement to regular unemployment compensation (UC) and individuals who are not eligible for regular UC, such as individuals who are self-employed or have limited recent work history.  It also provides individuals who are collecting certain benefits with an additional $600 in Federal benefits per week for weeks of unemployment ending on or before July 31, 2020.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has published several Unemployment Insurance Guidance Letters (UIPLs) on COVID-19 to provide guidance and instructions to state workforce agencies in implementing these provisions.  In addition, ETA has hosted several webinars through WorkforceGPS and produced numerous Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to further explain these provisions within the CARES Act as well as responding to questions from states.  To view recordings and transcripts of these webinars, click here.  Additional COVID-19 resources, which include FAQs for other ETA programs and services are available on WorkforceGPS here.

Summer Youth Employment Programs are facing a very different summer this year due to COVID-19.  The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has developed lists of technical assistance resources to help state and local workforce leaders, youth program practitioners, stakeholders and partners successfully implement a high-quality summer youth employment program.  While summer youth employment programs may look different this summer, there are still resources and lessons learned from past summers that are relevant to any program and can be used to enhance a summer youth employment program.

June 2, 2020, marked the 100th anniversary of the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program.  The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services is paying tribute all year to this historical occasion by showcasing “Success Stories” of how the VR program helped change the lives of students and adults with disabilities.  Similar to the Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA’s) role with the workforce system, the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) plays a key leadership role through its resources and technical assistance to state vocational rehabilitation programs and others.  RSA will celebrate 100 Years of VR throughout 2020, and this page will house updated anniversary content.

The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing and protecting women's constitutional right to vote.   The U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau also turns 100 this year!  Established on June 5, 1920 by Public Law 66-259, the law gave the Bureau the duty to “formulate standards and policies which shall promote the welfare of wage-earning women, improve their working conditions, increase their efficiency, and advance their opportunities for profitable employment.”  To read more about the history of the women’s suffrage movement, click here.  And to learn about the history and accomplishments of the Women’s Bureau over the past century, click here.