Workforce Information Council (WIC) and Policy Council Updates

1. Workforce Information Council (WIC) and Policy Council Updates Making Connections! ALMIS Database Seminar Presented by: Rebecca Rust Florida Agency for Workforce InnovationLabor Market Statistics August 15, 2005

2. Workforce Information Council Quality information … Informed choices

3. What the Council does • Prepares the Secretary of Labor’s workforce information system plan • Provides cooperative management of the workforce information system • Promotes the workforce information system • Listens to customers about their workforce information uses and needs • Works through Policy Councils and work groups

4. Who is on the Council? A Federal-State Partnership • BLS • ETA • State Representatives • 10 state members • Elected by peers in each region

5. Who is on the Council? • State Representatives • Region 1: Roger Therrien, Connecticut • Region 2: David Trzaskos, New York • Region 3: Patrick Arnold, Maryland • Region 4: Rebecca Rust, Florida • Region 5: Sandy Breitborde, Wisconsin • Region 6: Al Crumby, Arkansas • Region 7: Jeffrey A. Nall, Iowa • Region 8: Ron Ahlstrom, Utah • Region 9: Bob Murdock, Nevada • Region 10: Graham Slater, Oregon

7. Who is on the Council? • BLS members • Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics • John (Jack) Galvin • Patricia Getz • Thomas Nardone • George Werking • Office of Field Operations • John Filemyr • Janet Rankin

8. Who is on the Council? • ETA • Office of Workforce Investment • Gay Gilbert • Anthony Dais • Olaf Bjorklund • Office of Regional Operations • Joseph Stolz

9. Policy Councils and Work Groups • Policy Councils for BLS Programs • Current Employment Statistics • Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Mass Layoff Statistics • Occupational Employment Statistics • Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages

10. Policy Councils and Work Groups • Current work groups • CIPSEA Team (joint group with NASWA LMI Committee): working on resolving issues related to implementation of federal legislation on confidentiality and data sharing. • Job Vacancy Statistics Users’ Group: chartered to further the development and use of the job vacancy statistics system

11. Policy Councils and Work Groups • Current work groups • Benefits Survey Users’ Group: chartered to further the development and use of the job vacancy statistics system • Previous work groups • Plant closings and mass layoffs • Customer satisfaction • Local data needs • Funding allocations

12. More about Policy Councils • Charter issued by the WIC • Comprised of State and federal members • State Representatives appoint State members for each region from nominations by LMI directors • BLS members selected by BLS • State and federal co-chairs • Meeting notes and annual report on WIC web site

13. CES Policy Council • Co-chairs • Graham Slater, Oregon • Patricia Getz, BLS • Major accomplishments • 2-year and 10-year plan • MSA redefinition • CES training improvements • Error tracking research • Centralized registry • Issues for FY 2005 • All employee hours and earnings project • Research on seasonality, modeling, and MSA sample weights • ACES improvements

14. LAUS/MLS Policy Council • Co-chairs • Phil George, South Dakota • Sharon Brown, BLS • Major accomplishments • LAUS redesign implementation, including model review and user Q&A • MLS workload reduction resulting from funding cuts • Examined MLS topics: offshoring, staff training, response analysis • LAUS and MLS national conferences • Issues for FY 2005 • Small area LAUS estimates improvements • LAUS and MLS staff training • Many technical topics

15. OES Policy Council • Co-chairs • Tom Gallagher, Wyoming • George Stamas, BLS • Major accomplishments • Semi-annual estimates • Conversion to NAICS completed • Survey operations improvements: centralized mailing, system updates • Support movement of EDS to Projections Managing Partnership • Issues for FY 2005 • Method for problem identification and resolution • SOC review • Showcase innovative uses of OES data

16. QCEW Policy Council • Co-chairs • Rena Kottcamp, Massachusetts • Rick Clayton, BLS • Major accomplishments • Accelerated release of QCEW data • Business Employment Dynamics • New disclosure policy • Geocoding • Predecessor/Successor and Annual Refiling Survey improvements • Issues for FY 2005 • New products from the QCEW data • Data sharing with Census Bureau • NAICS 2007

17. Recent WIC Accomplishments • Workforce Information System plan • Submitted the plan for Department of Labor clearance. • Monitored and provided guidance on plan implementation activities.

18. Recent WIC Accomplishments • Demand for Workforce Information. • Gathered and summarized information on the level of demand for state LMI products and services during 2004.

19. Demand for LMI – Did you know… • LMI web sites had over 34 million visitor sessions in 2004! • More than 17 million copies of LMI publications were distributed to customers! • Thousands of customers participated in labor market information training! • Many thousands more were served through other State LMI activities!

20. Recent WIC Accomplishments • Outreach to key customer groups: • Publicized state LMI activities to thousands of workforce board members, businesses, and workforce development professionals • Workforce Innovations 2004 and 2005 • National Association of Workforce Boards 2005 Forum • Promoted SkillWindow and Skills Based Projections System

21. Recent WIC Accomplishments • BLS issues. • Worked closely with BLS and NASWA LMI Committee representatives on CIPSEA. • Provided input on the change in QCEW disclosure policy

22. Recent WIC Accomplishments • ETA issues - • Monitored and provided input on: • Workforce Information Performance Measures Work Group activities • Core Products planning guidance • Summarized State Core Products activities based on review of annual reports for PY 2003.

23. State Representatives Accomplishments • Workforce Investment Act Reauthorization • Provided in-depth review of bills and the Administration’s proposal from perspective of LMI program • Developed recommendations and legislative language to assist states in working with Members of Congress on LMI aspects of the bills. • Monitored Perkins Reauthorization

24. State Representatives Accomplishments • FY 2006 Federal Budget • Monitored and analyzed federal budget requests related to LMI • Provided analysis to state LMI directors • Encouraged state contact with Congress regarding funding

25. State Representatives Accomplishments • ADAM ALMIS Distributed Access Method (ADAM) System • Initiated and directed the project to provide LMI delivery system users with access to data across state lines. • Pilot testing began in May 2005. • System demonstration planned for August 2005 (NASWA LMI Conference)

26. State Representatives Accomplishments • ETA Core Products. • Provided suggested comments to LMI directors in response to the Federal Register Notice on Core Products Guidance for PY 2005.

27. More about the WIC… On the web at www.workforceinfocouncil.org • The Workforce Information System Plan • Meeting information and notes • Policy Council and work group details • News - sign up for the mailing list!