TAA Reauthorization
The TAA team has excellent news to share. The Trade
Adjustment Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2015 (TAARA 2015) was signed into
law by President Obama June 29, 2015. TAARA 2015 reauthorizes the TAA
program for an additional six years and will allow coverage for workers in the
service industry. The new law will take effect September 28, 2015.
After the TAA team receives official guidance from US DOL, we will set up
information webinars with further information. Stay tuned!
New TAA Specialist
Please join us as we welcome Olajide Williams to the TAA
team! Olajide joined us June 17, 2015. Previously, Olajide provided
job-seeker resources and classes to unemployed workers in multiple WorkForce
Centers throughout Ramsey and Washington Counties. He has already taken
over those social security numbers ending in “4” and will take on those ending
in “9” July 16, 2015.
Return to Trade-Impacted Employer
There are three options for any TAA eligible worker who has applied
for TAA training, and received a call-back request:
1.
The worker can remain in training and turn down
the call-back opportunity if he or she is within 30 days of the training
start date, or if he or she has already started TAA-approved training.
2.
If the worker chooses to accept the call-back, and
has already begun training, he or she can finish the current training semester.
If the worker is separated from employment at the Trade-certified employer
again, and wants to continue training, the worker can contact the TAA unit for
a case review.
3.
If the worker is called back to “unsuitable
employment” at the Trade-certified employer, he or she can continue training
and accept the call-back position. A TAA staff member MUST review the call-back situation to
determine if the new opportunity meets the definition of “unsuitable”
employment.
Trade Readjustment Allowance (TRA) and Graduation
Recently, a small number of workers who have completed
long-term TAA training have continued to request TRA benefits. For
participants who have exhausted Basic TRA benefits, and are requesting
Additional or Completion TRA, there is no bridge to employment.
Participants must cease requesting TRA benefits after training has ended,
or they will be assessed overpayments on their Unemployment Insurance
account. For any person who does not agree with the overpayment
determination, they have 20 calendar days from the date of the determination to
file an appeal. Please have participants follow the appeal directions on
their determination(s).
Benchmarks
Benchmarks for participants in TAA approved training include
a Training Progress Report submitted at mid-term and final grades for each
school term. If the participant fails two benchmarks in a row, he or she must
submit a training modification plan that has been signed by the Dislocated
Worker Counselor to the TAA Specialist. After the modified training plan is
approved by the TAA Specialist, the benchmark count starts over.”
We strive for the information in this newsletter to be relevant and
useful, and we encourage you to provide feedback and suggestions for future TAA
Topics or TAA Success Stories. To contact the TAA team regarding this
newsletter, please e-mail: cynthia.boyle@state.mn.us and type “TAA
Newsletter” in the subject line.
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