Located in:
- Program-specific Requirements for Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Activities under Title I-B
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include the following with respect to activities carried out under subtitle B—
a. 2. D. Describe how the State provides early intervention (e.g., Rapid Response) to worker groups on whose behalf a Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) petition has been filed. (Section 134(a)(2)(A).) This description must include how the State disseminates benefit information to provide trade-affected workers in the groups identified in the TAA petitions with an accurate understanding of the provision of TAA benefits and services in such a way that they are transparent to the trade-affected dislocated worker applying for them (Trade Act Sec. 221(a)(2)(A) and Sec. 225; Governor-Secretary Agreement). Describe how the State will use funds that have been reserved for Rapid Response to provide services for every worker group that files a TAA petition.
Current Narrative:
Members of the Rapid Response team are primarily responsible for initiating discussions with companies and affected workers about the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program and the eligibility criteria. Every effort is made to initiate the submission of a TAA petition as soon as the notice of a company closure or substantial/mass layoff is received. Local TAA staff or the State TAA coordinator assist with the filing of the petition. Whether the petition is filed by the State Coordinator, local American Jobs Center, company officials, union officials or three company employees, the State Coordinator will, upon notification of the filing, track the processing of the petition. Upon certification, TAA information sessions will be announced and held as soon as possible. Affected workers will receive a written notice of the scheduled TAA information orientation sessions. While the petition is under investigation, the affected workers are served with WIOA Title 1-DLW funding to advance their re-employment and training plans. The VDOL Business Services Manager serves as both the TAA and Rapid Response Coordinator, which facilitates program coordination and co-enrollment. New in this role, the TAA Coordinator is actively researching best practices, working closely with the FPO and attending peer-to-peer and other trainings to build capacity. An area of particular interest is developing innovative approaches to business engagement that could lead to increased TAA petitions being filed and certified.
TAA information orientation is presented jointly with local AJC TAA staff and state UI/TRA staff. TAA regional staff cover training, on-the-job training, job search allowances, relocation allowances and re-employment trade adjustment assistance. State UI/TRA staff present about trade readjustment allowance program requirements and enrollment deadlines for eligibility. The VDOL sees an opportunity to increase its use of technology and automation to ensure affected workers receive clear and timely information regarding trade benefits.
Affected workers are formally connected to One-Stop Career Center staff in their local area, if they are not already. As the WIOA Title I administrator, the VDOL is especially well positioned to ensure the alignment and coordination of funds and activities between WIOA adult and dislocated worker programs, the statewide rapid response activities and TAA. In many cases, the VDOL case managers provide services under both WIOA DLW and TAA, so co-enrollment is consistently achieved. These services include case management through the provision of basic and individualized career services in the WIOA One-Stop Centers. The focus is on skill-assessment and retraining workers who need further skills to obtain employment in emerging, in-demand occupations. Currently, the VDOL is exploring ways to build capacity and better utilize TAA funds to increase services to both affected workers and Vermont businesses
The State will reserve 20% of Title I Dislocated Worker Funds to provide rapid response activities. This will include rapid response services for every worker that files a TAA petition.