NEWSLETTER | July 2021 | Volume 6 | Issue 6
Driving the national workforce agenda and providing value-added member services
Conferences & Meetings
UPCOMING MEETINGS
August 4

August 5
Equal Opportunity Committee
(Quarterly Call)

August 12
UI Interstate Benefits Subcommittee
(Quarterly Call)
Conference Corner
REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Join us in Austin, Texas, December 6-10, 2021 for a week of committee meetings and a one-day Summit. 

The Summit will include an array of important information and practices surrounding workforce, unemployment insurance, labor market information, IT, and other issues.
Registration Information:

Member Registration: $450.00
  • A member is a state workforce agency employee
Nonprofit Member Registration: $550.00
  • An employee of a nonprofit organization
Non-member Registration: $700.00
  • A non-member is a non-state agency employee. This includes federal partners, vendors, sponsors, and affiliates.
Hotel Information:

Hilton Austin | 500 E. 4th Street, Austin, TX 78701

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hilton Austin at a (per diem) group rate of $140.00 per night (plus tax).

Complimentary guest room WIFI and access to the Skyline Health Club is included with every room reservation.
The deadline to reserve a room is Monday, November 15, 2021.
ONE WEEK LEFT TO REGISTER
Don't miss out on this year's virtual 2021 NASWA Veterans Conference - there's just one week left to register!

Visit the Conference site to learn more about this year's Keynote Speakers, view the Conference Schedule, Sponsor information and more!

Updates to the conference schedule are added regularly. Be sure to check back often!
The deadline to register is July 16.
What's Happening in the States
Content from states, for states
Submit what's happening in your state to naswa@naswa.org
NASWA in Action
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
The Board of Directors met in June with most states and territories represented. The Board heard Committee and Services updates, a report on the National Labor Exchange (NLx) partnership, and discussed general business. They also heard from guest speaker John Colbert of Capitol Hill Partners.
 
The next Board of Directors Meeting will be held virtually in September, followed by an in-person meeting in Austin, TX in December. Registration for the Austin meeting is open now!
VETS TRIAGE TRAINING AVAILABLE ONLINE
The NASWA Veterans Affairs Committee recently developed a new triage tool for state staff to use when making the initial assessment for JVSG service eligibility. They also worked with USDOL VETS and the National Veterans Training Institute (NVTI) to develop on-line training that is available at no cost and on-demand.

Only 11 minutes long, the training can be accessed on the NVTI website. Click the link under “Serving Veterans.” Other materials available on this site include an intake process flow chart, sample eligibility forms in both English and Spanish, and a Q&A document.
For more information, contact Lori Adams, NASWA Veterans Policy Director.
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING
The Communications Committee met virtually for a half-day meeting in June with close to 50 members in attendance. The committee leadership team - Tara Hutchison, Chair (AL), Chris Cannon, Vice Chair (TN), Larry Parker, Vice Chair Elect (NC), and Dawn Dovre, Past Chair (SD) - led discussions on claimant communications, workforce training & recruitment messaging, educating employers on available workforce recruitment assistance and UI issues, and LMI data to show what the labor force and job numbers look like now.

The next Quarterly Call will be held August 3 and the next Committee Meeting will be held in Austin, Texas in September. Registration is now open!
WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT WEBINAR

Julie Squire, NASWA Vice President of Policy and General Counsel, participated in a Women in Government webinar that discussed using inclusive apprenticeships to help people with disabilities find good employment.
Workforce IT Support Center (Workforce ITSC)
ONLINE TOOLS
Did you know Workforce ITSC staff has cataloged more than 400 state procurements for technology used to administer WIOA programs (including UI) in the Procurement Portal online tool? 
These documents offer members a chance to explore procurement language from more than 117 agencies and organizations across 49 states and territories, representing technology solutions for modernization, case management, career exploration, common intake, performance reporting, and more. Members and partners can also learn valuable insights by exploring the tool’s extensive filtering capabilities. Visit the Procurement Portal to find out more.
LEARNING PATHWAYS
The Workforce Academy was created to expand capacity and adaptability in and around the public workforce development ecosystem. The Academy’s learning products and services reflect the knowledge and experience of ecosystem stakeholders, as well as digital government and technology industry experts.
Business Analysis
Built to help workforce-education ecosystem professionals implement change by equipping those whose jobs intersect people, processes, policy, information, and technology – but who might not consider themselves “business analysts” – with the competencies needed to identify needs and recommend business-driven, customer-centered solutions.
Digital Transformation - Coming Soon!
Curated to help non-technical workforce-education ecosystem leaders adopt new ways of working and thinking; build institutional capacity and culture to effectively leverage people, processes, policy, information, and technology; and support the design and delivery of solutions fit for workers and customers in the digital age.
NASWA AFFILIATES
NASWA Affiliates enjoy exclusive benefits.

UI Integrity Center
BACK TO BASICS: COMMUNICATING TO UI CLAIMANTS (WEBINAR)
Get back to the basics of communicating to claimants about regular UI using the clear, concise messaging and plain language of behavioral insights. These resources can help states know the who, what, when, and where of the UI claim process!

This webinar will be held August 4 from 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ET and will introduce Claimant Communications Resources powered by Behavioral Insights to help claimants understand the ins-and-outs of regular UI and successfully complete the weekly requirements. These resources include:
 
  • Model Claimant Handbook
  • Claimant Guides and Tips
  • Customized, State-Specific Claimant-Help Videos
  • “My Requirements” Weekly Claimant Checklist
INTEGRITY DATA HUB
The Integrity Data Hub (IDH) has released a milestone Prioritization Tool for states. For the first time, states can receive a configurable template and sort their prioritized IDH data results.

Other tools are being developed to help states digest the large amounts of vital data received from the IDH. The IDH team recently hosted a webinar* to highlight the upcoming phases of these tools, and more information is available on the State SharePoint site*.

Have questions or need assistance with the IDH? Contact your Data Hub Program Analysts:

*Access limited to State Workforce Agency personnel and requires NASWA member login.
NASWA Learning
NEW UI ICON LEARNING OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE
NASWA recently released a new online learning module in the UI Interstate Connection Network (ICON) curriculum. The new self-paced IB6 lesson is now available, in addition to the ICON training modules previously published: Interstate Benefit (IB) System Overview, UIQ/SID/IBIQ Applications, Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees, the IB8606 Web Application, and IB4/IB5. Additional modules are upcoming.

Stay tuned: more modules will be available soon!
Note, member login required to access training.
Bulletin Board
Veterans Business Outreach Centers are the perfect place to go for business training, counseling, resource partner referrals, and more. Find one in your area.
COVID-19 Resources
COVID-19 RESOURCES FOR REEMPLOYMENT AND RECOVERY AND UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
Members-only resources and solutions are available to assist states with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. State workforce agency personnel can access information on Reemployment and Recovery as well as Unemployment Insurance.

NOTE: Materials are for internal use only and access requires a NASWA Member login.
COVID-19 PLAYBOOK
A tool for NASWA members (state workforce agency personnel), the COVID-19 Playbook is a compilation of resources on MEUC implementation and PUA Overpayment Waiver information for state workforce agencies.

NOTE: NASWA Member login is required to access.
Workforce Jobs
JOIN THE NASWA TEAM!

NASWA has openings in the following areas:

These and other jobs are available through our Workforce Jobs page.
Have a job to fill? State workforce agencies and Affiliates may email webmaster@naswa.org to submit an open position.
Please send relevant content for the newsletter to Brooke Higdon.