| THE DIRECTOR’S CORNER
This issue,
we continue our series of glimpses into the performance metrics we’re using to
ensure the highest quality services to job-seeking customers, with the most
cost-efficiency to taxpaying investors. Our second metric (below) is a
bit unusual in that it’s not quite as outcome-focused as our other metrics; but
it is still critical: outreach. Trade-impacted workers must be
aware of the services they are potentially eligible for, and a key role of the
state is communicating that message to them through mailings, group information
sessions, and other methods.
While we
expect the percentage of approved petitions to remain high, we also
expect the overall number of petitions to come down significantly, given
the 2014 law reversion. We continue to watch Congress for signs of
substantial interest in bringing forward the more expansive elements of the
2009 or 2011 TAA laws, and we will let you know what we learn.
On a
staffing note, we are in the midst of a minor shift or two among specialists,
and we hope to have more specific news on that front by the next issue.
Best wishes
to all – here’s to a slow, non-flooding thaw that starts soon!
SMART GOALS – PART II
Trade Adjustment Assistance
(TAA) has measured and analyzed data for multiple three TAA metrics. This
month we are highlighting a project which reviews the total number of petitions
filed, and the percentage of those petitions approved by the US Department of
Labor.
The TAA program has focused
on identifying and filing petitions for trade-affected workers throughout the
state. As you can see in the chart, 18 TAA petitions were filed on behalf
of workers in Minnesota in 2011. There has been a steady increase in
petition submission through the last two years. In 2013, 44 TAA petitions
were filed – a 245% increase from 2011. As you review the chart below,
please note we are still awaiting certification determinations for petitions
filed in 2013. Overall, a higher number of petitions have led to greater
program outreach throughout Minnesota.
COUNSELOR CONFERENCE
The Counselor Conference is coming up in June and we would
love to hear from counselors in the field regarding ideas for content. Please
send any suggestions you have about topics or break-out sessions to cynthia.boyle@state.mn.us. Thanks!
PROCESS TO APPLY FOR RTAA
BENEFITS
Steps customers and counselors must take in order to receive
Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance (RTAA) and Alternative Trade
Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) benefits
1. Counselors should direct their customers to complete the RTAA
application.
a. Finding the
application:
i. Go online to: http://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/dislocated-worker/counselors/forms/index.jsp
ii. Select RTAA Application by clicking on the PDF link to
the right of the application title.
b. Complete the
application:
i. Complete all sections of the application with as many details as
possible.
ii. Keep in mind, the RTAA and ATAA
benefits cannot begin with a date prior to the DW enrollment date
regardless of when the customer began their eligible employment. Due to this
the TAA unit asks that all counselors
write the Dislocated Worker (DW) program enrollment date somewhere on the
application.
iii. Both the customer and counselor need to sign and date the bottom of
the application
c. Documents to attach
to the application:
i. Provide the customer’s last paystub from the customer’s certified employer.
ii. Provide the customer’s first FULL TIME paystub from their eligible
employer.
iii. Provide a photo copy of the customer’s driver’s license.
d. Submit the
application:
i. The application can be sent to the state by email, fax, or US Postal
Service.
ii. Address the application to the specific TAA Specialist handling the
customer’s case. If the specific specialist is unknown, please submit the
application to Margie Jones.
2. What happens next?
a. The assigned TAA Specialist will email both the counselor and customer
to confirm the application has been received and all documentation has been
forwarded to the TRA unit for approval determination.
b. After the TRA unit approves the application, TRA will mail a packet of
forms to the customer. These forms are mailed with instructions on how to
complete the forms and where to submit them in order to receive the RTAA/ATAA
benefit on a monthly basis.
c. The TAA unit receives a spreadsheet from the TRA unit via email every
Friday morning with information on applications that have been approved as well
as those that are still being processed.
i. Once the TAA Specialist confirms the application has been approved,
the specialist will send an email notification to both the counselor and
customer.
ii. At this time, TAA will open the RTAA/ATAA activity in Workforce One.
The activity start date will be the first date the customer is eligible to
receive the benefit. The end date is an estimated date of exhaustion.
THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT WAIVERS:
- Participants must
enroll in fulltime TAA approved training to receive extended TRA
benefits. However, if training is not immediately available, the
training requirement may be waived temporarily and work search efforts
continued.
-
If a participant
eligible under the 2011 law does not plan to be enrolled in training by the
26-week deadline—from either the certification date or date of lay off,
whichever is later—the participant must fill out and submit a waiver of
training request along with their agreed upon plan to the TAA Specialist prior to that deadline. The
following are the allowable instances for a waiver:
A temporary
health condition preventing the TAA participant from participating in
training. The participant is still required to actively search for work, and
cannot refuse work under unemployment compensation laws. Along with the waiver
the following documentation needs to be included before the waiver can be
approved.
- Work Search application with supporting
documentation,
-
TRA application, Individual
employment plan that reflects the intent for training,
- Proof of health issue that restricts the person
from participating in the intended training (e.g. doctor's note), and
- Letter of non-accommodation from the school
identifying their lack of ability to accommodate the health issue.
Enrollment
delayed. The participant cannot start training within 26 weeks from
either certification or layoff, whichever is later, but is available within 60
days following the end of the 26 weeks. For example, a participant’s last day
of work was in winter or mid-spring, and the training starts in the fall. Along
with the waiver the following documentation needs to be included before the
waiver can be approved. Training application with supporting documentation, and TRA
application.
Training
not available. Anytime the start of training is beyond 8
months from either the certification or layoff date whichever is later, then
training not available is applicable.
Along with the waiver the following documentation needs to be included
before the waiver can be approved. Training
application with supporting documentation,
TRA application, Individual
employment plan that reflects the intent for training, Letter of cancelation from the school stating
the program is canceled or otherwise not available, and Documentation showing
the training program is not available at any training institutions within a
reasonable distance.
For all the conditions
listed above, the participant must be actively looking for work, unless within
30 business days of starting TAA approved training.
- Training waivers
are initially issued for 26 weeks (6 months) or less, but can be extended every
six months until Basic TRA payments exhaust, as long as the participant
continues to meet the eligibility requirements for the training waiver.
-
Training waivers must be reviewed every 30 days by the
Dislocated Worker (DW) Counselor.
This means that participant monthly contact with the DW Counselor should
include conversation regarding the status of the waiver. Is the
participant actively seeking work up to 30 days prior to the start of
training? Have there been any changes to the training plan and the start
date of training? Does the waiver need to be extended? If so, then the
waiver must be extended prior to the original waiver end date of six months if
the reason for the waiver still exists, and if there is Basic TRA eligibility
remaining.
-
The training
waiver will terminate when one of the following occurs: the
participant exhausts Basic TRA payments, or the 104-week (2-year) eligibility
period for Basic TRA expires, or the participant begins training, or the
waiver is revoked for non-compliance.
- The participant
becomes ineligible for any further Basic or Additional TRA payments effective
the week a training waiver terminates, unless the individual enrolls in
fulltime TAA approved training by the Monday of the first week occurring 30
days after the date on which the waiver was revoked or expired. A formal,
appealable determination must be given to the participant if the training
waiver is revoked.
Dislocated Worker Counselors can email deed.tra@state.mn.us for information about specific cases, ie, is there Basic TRA eligibility
remaining, what is the current end date of the waiver, etc.
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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