Director's Corner
As of this writing, the federal government has shutdown. Under separate cover, our agency will communicate broader, strategic messages about this shutdown to the leadership of all of our partners. From a TAA-specific perspective, Minnesota’s state merit staff will continue to process applications as part of their duties under TAA. We have sufficient funding to continue these operations, and will remain available regardless of Congressional action.
We understand local partners have many different federal funding streams (as do we), as well as different structures and procedures, and that there will be varying impacts as a result. For information specific to your role, we urge you to speak with your own local leadership. Our deep hope is that all of you continue to enjoy the chance to serve Minnesota’s job seekers, employers, and taxpayers at the same high level of quality that you always have.
In other news, Jason Wadell (announced in previous issue) has begun work and is assuming a caseload. Please see the updated assignments elsewhere in this issue. With luck, this will be the last TAA staff update for a while!
Thanks again for your excellent work and deep commitment to our state.
TAA Eligibility Questions
Since there have been a large number of certified petitions involving many WSA’s around the state, TAA has communicated with many counselors regarding customer eligibility status.
1. Where do you search for eligible customers in Workforce One?
a. On the Home Page Menu, select “TAA Person Search”.
b. Enter the customer’s last and first name. To narrow the search, you can also enter the petition number or Social Security Number.
c. Press “Search” and select the correct customer.
d. If they are listed in this search, they are eligible. If they are not listed, then TAA has not received notice of their eligibility.
2. If the company layoff is already TAA certified, what do potential TAA customers need to provide to begin an investigation on their eligibility status?
a. Send TAA their current address/phone number, a copy of their layoff letter, a written statement on what location/department they worked, the position they held, and any contact information for a Human Resource representative they might have.
b. TAA will then use the provided information to research customer eligibility.
c. Once the customer is deemed eligible, TAA will mail them a certified eligibility letter and email a copy to the assigned Dislocated Worker (DW) Counselor.
d. If the customer is found not eligible, TAA will email the DW counselor all the information discovered in the investigation.
3. What if there is a company laying off workers, and people believe a unit, division, or the full site should be TAA certified? Contact the Trade Adjustment Assistance team as quickly as possible and provide the following information, if possible:
a. How many jobs have been trade-affected?
b. What product(s) and/or service(s)?
c. Outsourced jobs or sales decline due to foreign sales?
d. Two or more company contacts
Closing TAA Cases and Terming Cases
Steps counselors must take in order for TAA to close activities in Workforce One (WF1)
Notify TAA with the information needed to close a specific activity.
a. Training Activities:
i. Credential Attainment Date. (Since Dislocated Worker counselors are the only staff allowed to capture a credential in WF1, make a note to capture it in the “Outcome Screen” at exit.)
ii. If the participant drops out of school, provide TAA with the last day they attended.
iii. If the participant never attended the approved training and no charges were ever applied, notify TAA of this and TAA will generate a Service Desk Ticket to have the activity deleted. (If the activity is not deleted, the system will mark the exit as a negative credential.)
b. RTAA:
i. Povide the last day the participant was eligible to receive the benefit. (If unknown, a simple email to deed.tra@state.mn.us will provide the needed information.)
ii. f the participant has lost the current position but has not exhausted the benefit, TAA will keep the activity open until either the exhaustion date or the counselor requests the case to be termed.
c. Waiver:
i. Provide the last eligible day for the Waiver to be valid. (If unknown, an email to deed.tra@state.mn.us will provide the needed information.)
ii. Send a request to TAA to close the Waiver on the first day of TAA approved training.
iii. Reminder, Waiver review dates in the activity need to be entered by the counselor every 30 days or the Waiver is not valid.
d. Job Search Allowance and Relocation Allowance:
i. After the participant completes her job search and relocation, email TAA with the date each was completed.
e. On the Job Training (OJT):
i. When a participant begins an approved OJT, a copy of the OJT contract will be emailed to the Dislocated Worker counselor.
ii. The counselor should create a Tickler for the last day the OJT is in effect.
iii. On the last day of the OJT, the counselor needs to request the activity be closed and the case termed.
Counselors provide the following information to TAA for a case to be termed
Click to enlarge.
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: deed.taa@state.mn.us and type “TAA
Newsletter” in the subject line.
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