Wagner-Peyser Act

Tennessee’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) Benefits System, called Geographic Unemployment System (GUS) is fully integrated with the Workforce Services Virtual One-Stop (VOS) system. When a claimant files a claim for UI benefits a Wagner-Peyser application within the VOS system is automatically created. This allows AJC staff to immediately begin the process of working with the claimant-assisting with Job searches, providing any necessary education and/or training to get the claimant back to work through the RESA program.

AJC staff can see the active status of a current UI claimant in the VOS system. However, they do not have access to any additional information. In the event a claimant is experiencing issues with their UI claim staff are trained to alert the UI representative within the AJC or route the claimant’s information to UI Assistance through Workforce OneTouch (Zopin Chat or Zendesk) or call the UI Assistance Team.

The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development, in partnership with other agencies and critical stakeholders, provides a series of regional and statewide training activities to cover important topics that involve multiple programs. This serves as the primary means by which training is delivered collectively with the state’s various programs. These opportunities offer training and awareness capacity for the staff responsible for leading the state’s Re-Employment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) program.

The staff that lead the RESEA program serve as the primary connection between core programs and the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program. Training and awareness strategies for the RESEA team, in addition to the mentioned training activities, center on policy review, technical training, and ongoing communications with the UI program. All issuances of Unemployment Insurance Program Letters are reviewed and distributed across the RESEA team, as well as to key staff members in other core programs. Through the state’s virtual one-stop system (VOS), including the state’s issue management/referral system (Zendesk), RESEA staff have the ability to efficiently collaborate with UI program staff to address UI eligibility issues. Through the established technical system – VOS and Zendesk, ongoing communications provides the capacity for learning to occur across the programs. This framework also provides a means for tracking this learning and issue resolution to properly manage this strategy, as well as offer artifacts to train new staff.