Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Activities

In addition to using the Governor’s set aside funding to conduct all of the required statewide employment and training activities in 20 CFR § 682.200, Vermont plans to pursue the design, development, and implementation of the following activities:

• Coordinating delivery of employer services and developing common resources for all employers, including small employers, to assist them in accessing and retaining skilled workers to meet their employment needs, 
• Improving the physical and programmatic accessibility of Vermont’s Comprehensive One-Stop Center and VDOL’s One-Stop Career Centers throughout the state,
• Developing and supporting education and training programs that are combined with, or lead to, work experiences that help participants secure long-term unsubsidized employment, targeting youth, mature workers, New Americans, individuals with disabilities, and ex-offenders,
• Creating sector-based demonstration projects that help employers upskill seasonal employees for permanent, full-time employment,
• Improving  coordination between delivery of WIOA services with TAA and registered apprenticeship expansion activities, and
• Other permissible activities described in 20 CFR §682.210.

The Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL) employs a formal system of regular updates through the submission of weekly regional reports to the State Director of Workforce Development regarding possible at-risk businesses or rumors of company layoffs and closure. These notifications are reviewed by state leadership to determine the necessary next steps, assembling teams at the state and local level to address the concern. Additionally, the State Rapid Response Coordinator serves as the primary contact for notification of any potential layoffs or closures. Notifications are received from various sources including local media, local elected officials, company officials, regional and state economic development partners or affected workers contacting a WIOA One Stop Center in their local area. VDOL will look at ways to formalize an interagency notification system with the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development to streamline the sharing of high-level, sensitive business information, thereby improving the effectiveness and timeliness of rapid response activities.

In Vermont, many layoffs or closures do not meet the thresholds required to activate the WARN Act. However, Vermont has a state specific layoff notification statute 21 V.S.A. § 413. This requires all employers who are closing or conducting mass layoffs of 50 or more employees over a 90-day period to notify the Secretary of Commerce and Community Development and the Commissioner of Labor 45 days prior to the effective closing or layoff date that reaches the required thresholds. Employers must send the Secretary and Commissioner the approximant number of employees affected, their job titles, and the anticipated date of job loss. Additionally, employers are required to pay all unpaid wages and compensation owed to any laid off worker. Employers are also required to give a 30-day notice to all local chief elected officials or administrative officers, the municipality and any bargaining unit.

Coordination and cooperation are key to a timely response. The Rapid Response Coordinator convenes all parties that provide outreach to the affected business and provides regular, coordinated communication between key partners including Economic Development, municipal and local officials, the Unemployment Claims Center, Agency of Human Services and education and training providers. A team is assembled and meeting with company officials is held to fully assess the company’s needs. The company will be informed of possible services and alternatives available to them that could lessen the impact and/or avoid layoffs. Through a restructured Business Services Unit, focus will be on anticipating and reducing predictable seasonal layoffs. If the company is interested and able to explore these strategies, the appropriate team member will continue to work with the business to develop a layoff aversion plan.   Simultaneously, the team will begin to develop a transition plan to support the affected workers if the layoff is deemed unavoidable. During the same initial phase, the company will be notified about the Trade Adjustment Act (TAA) and the benefits available to their workers if the layoffs are TAA eligible. Assistance is provided by the State TAA Coordinator to facilitate the submission of the TAA petition.

The rapid response team will work to design a service delivery strategy to accelerate the impacted workers return to work. This will include the scheduling of a rapid response information session held on-site at the company, at the regional WIOA One-Stop Center, or at an appropriate location and time to encourage the highest possible attendance. A mass layoff spreadsheet provided by the company expedites the processing unemployment insurance (UI) claims and also contains contact information of the affected workers. In the event it is not possible to secure this document, a detailed sign-up sheet is made available at rapid response information sessions to create a database of affected workers. VDOL will explore opportunities to use technology to automate the collection of this information.

The rapid response information session will be facilitated by local WIOA One-Stop Center staff or the State Rapid Response Coordinator as appropriate.  When possible, these sessions are scheduled in coordination with company officials. If the business operates multiple shifts, a flexible schedule is established to allow all affected workers attend. Attendees receive information about how to file UI claims, re-employment services available at their local WIOA One-Stop Center, health care information, and general labor market information. Individuals are introduced to the Vermont Job Link, the online Labor Exchange system, and notified that the creation of a Job Seeker Account is required as a condition of the receipt of UI benefits under Vermont law.

All attendees complete a Skills and Interest Survey to identify individual areas of service need. These services include: resume writing, interviewing skills training, online job search and applications, basic educational needs, ESL, financial literacy and specific skills training needs.  WIOA One-Stop Center staff analyze this data and determine a plan for next steps.  This individualized plan may include workshops, dislocated worker orientations, job fairs and referrals to community partners to both groups and individuals. If, through analysis of the data, there are themes or common areas of interest, training providers are engaged. This could include Community College of Vermont (CCV), Vermont Technical College (VTC), local Adult Career and Technical Education (CTE) Centers and Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) providers. Finally, at the rapid response session, affected workers are offered the opportunity to schedule individual follow up appointments with staff in their local WIOA One-stop center. If the affected workers are not in immediate need of services, they are provided contact information to connect with WIOA One-Stop Center staff in the future. 

VDOL will be striving to expand the use of sector specific activities and services to further expedite the return to work of the affected workers and support the recruitment and hiring needs to related businesses.