August 2017 Partner Express Newsletter

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August 2017                                                  

Director's Corner

Greetings all! I hope this newsletter finds you all well and enjoying this summer. As you may know, I am just back from maternity leave. My son Reuben was born on April 3, and is a very cool little individual. :) 

I want to thank Jackie Buck and Kay Tracy for serving as interim directors in my absence. I would also like to thank my supervisor and our Division Director, May Thao Schuck, for stepping in to handle various issues while I was out. Thank you, also, to Chelsea Georgesen, Amy Carlson, Sarah Saito, and Cindy Boyle for keeping our key program operations sailing smoothly. Finally, thanks to the Rapid Response team for their continued work in the face of an exceptional volume of change even within the team.

NEWSLETTER FORMAT CHANGE: We have decided to combine the monthly MinnesoTAA newsletter with the monthly Partner Express so that our partners will only receive one e-mail from our team. We will be mindful of the length of the newsletter so as to not overwhelm.

STAFFING UPDATES: As we shared in the June Partner Express, Mai Neng Moua is now pursuing other adventures and taking good care of herself and her family. We miss her deeply. Additionally, Sylvia Garcia has accepted a promotional opportunity with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and is no longer with DEED. Finally, Mohammadkheir Gaba has also accepted another opportunity with the City of St. Paul, and is no longer with DEED. All of this change can be dizzying, so please do keep a close eye on the unit director on the right column of this newsletter. We are in the process of hiring a Rapid Response team coordinator and two senior specialists. In the meantime, should any questions or concerns arise, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.

Thank you again for all of your patience and continued service to Minnesotans. We are excited to continue a deepening partnership in months to come.

Annie

Performance Update

First and foremost, I want to say “Thank you!” for all the work everyone did to update WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker cases that showed in reports as “No services received for more than 90 days”.

To ensure all the hard working case managers across the state continue to get full credit for the awesome work they do every day and after receiving responses from across the state alerting me to areas of WF1 data entry that were not fully known or understood. I want to provide you all some additional guidance on case note data entry and how those data elements are used to determine if participants are in receipt of services you are providing.

Common Error 1: If a case note relates to more than one program, all programs need to be selected within the case note. To do this, simply click on the “Select/Deselect” link underneath the “Program” options. This will bring you to a screen that allows more than one program to be selected. Select all programs the case note applies to then click “Continue” to complete the case note details.

Common Error 2: Many counselors across the state juggle multiple program enrollments within their caseload. Due to this, the program drop down options within the case note screen displays more than just the programs that participant accessed. In some cases, the counselor will select the program more often used in error.

Reason 1 & 2 are important to know: If the counselor or data entry staff only select one program or the wrong program as the program the case note applies to then that is the only program the system relates to that communication. All other programs will not consider that case note to be relevant to its program sequence. If the case note is relevant to both the “Adult Career Pathways” enrollment and the participant’s enrollment in “Dislocated Worker” or “WIOA Adult” all of these programs need to be selected as programs that case noted communication relates.

Common Error 3: Many counselors select the case note “Contact Method” of “Does not involve Live Contact” when the participant communicated electronically or over the phone.

Common Error 4: Many counselors select the case note “Contact Method” of “Attempted to Contact Person” because they initially were simply attempting communication but when the participant replied, the counselor added their reply to the original case note detail but did not update the “Contact method” to “Live Contact with Person”.

Reason 4 & 5 are important to know: Since it is required for all participants to communicate with their counselor every 30-days and gaps in communication cannot exceed more than 90-days it is acceptable for participants to communicate with their counselors in multiple ways. The following are considered “Live Contact” communication: In-person, telephone, postal mail, emails, text message, instant message, or messages via social media (Facebooks, Twitter, etc.). If the participant communicates back to their counselor in any of these forms, the case note documenting that case note needs to have “Live Contact with Person” selected as the contact method.

Article In short: Reports only capture the programs selected within the case note as the program related to that communication and only case notes with the contact method of “Live Contact with Person” will be included to determine participants in receipt of services for that program.

If you have questions about any of the above information please contact Amy Carlson at amy.carlson@state.mn.us or 651-259-7542.

TAA Update

26 Week Deadline to Submit a TAA Training Plan

There seems to be some confusion in the field regarding the 26 week deadline associated with the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) training benefit. If a worker is eligible for TAA, then they are eligible for the training benefit.  Missing the deadline does not mean loss of the training benefit.  Rather, submitting the TAA Training Application at or after the 26 week deadline means the worker will not be able to collect Trade Readjustment Allowance (TRA—extended unemployment, if eligible) while in full time training.

The 26 week deadline is calculated from the petition certification date or the layoff date, whichever is later.  The worker and DW Counselor need to submit the TAA Training application to TAA and have it approved within 26 weeks following certification or layoff (whichever is later) in order to receive TRA.  Steps to take: 1) the plan has to be submitted to the Dislocated Worker Counselor who then reviews and signs off on it; 2) the training application with supporting documentation is then forwarded to the TAA general mailbox (deed.taa@state.mn.us) where it is assigned to a TAA Specialist for approval or denial.  Because of these steps, DW Counselors should submit TAA Training Plans as early as possible, to allow sufficient time for TAA to review.

Training Progress Report

The Training Progress Report or TPR should be submitted to the DW Counselor, signed and forwarded to TAA every 60 days while in TAA approved training.  For example, schools within MNSCU start August 21 so the first TPR will be due around October 19 and the second one around December 18 and so on.  Per Federal regulations, the TPR can be turned in within 60 days, so if a participant submitted the first TPR October 1 (within 60 days) the next one would be due no later than November 29.

Why is the TPR important? The TPR allows both DW and TAA to confirm that the participant is making progress and is on track to complete the program within the approved training plan timeline. It also allows TAA to render assistance if the participant is struggling. If TPRs are not submitted within 60 days of each other, the participant is then considered non-compliant and can lose both TAA funding and their TRA benefit.

If you have questions about any of the above information please contact Cindy Boyle at cynthia.boyle@state.mn.us or 651-259-7551.

Cameron Macht

Corner On The Market:
With Cameron Macht

Regional Analysis & Outreach Manager
Minnesota Dept. of Employment & Economic Development
cameron.macht@state.mn.us
320-441-6596

In an increasingly tight labor market, one untapped potential source of workers that seemingly gets overlooked is Minnesota’s blind, DeafBlind, and low-vision population. The most recent issue of Minnesota Economic Trends, DEED’s award-wining quarterly publication, includes a great article from Carly Lykes Frostman about “Minnesota’s Untapped Workforce,” exploring the capacity of and the difficulties that workers with vision impairment face in the labor force.

Lykes Frostman starts by showing different sources of data on disabilities, and explains some of the constraints each dataset provides. For example, population estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS) rely on small sample sizes and self-reporting, while administrative data from Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services use different criteria and verify the data through wage records. ACS estimates can be helpful when setting the context, but VR administrative data allow for more detailed reports and analysis.

According to DEED data, State Services for the Blind (SSB) serves thousands of visually impaired people through its Workforce Development Unit (WDU), Communication Center and Senior Services Unit (SSU). The article states that “All WDU customers must demonstrate eligibility with a verified medical diagnosis of a significant visual impairment. WDU customers must also seek an approved employment goal, which they develop with their VR counselor. After a customer is confirmed eligible, he or she is assigned to one of SSB’s 15 VR counselors located at 13 offices across the state. The counselor, along with other SSB staff, guides the customer through an array of vocational assessments to gauge interests, abilities and needs.”

SSB customers can also receive assistance with job search activities such as resumes and cover letters, interview preparation, networking, and more in consultation with other SSB staff including job placement and assistive technology specialists. If they aren’t ready for a job yet, SSB customers can choose to enroll in vocational or other postsecondary training. Data shows that “about 35 percent of customers from 2012 to 2016 left SSB with more education than when they arrived, with nearly 60 percent having completed at least some postsecondary education.”

Table of the Top 10 Occupations for SSB Customers

Interestingly, office and administrative support occupations were the most common placement for SSB customers, accounting for nearly one in every five job placements. That was twice as popular as sales and related occupations, which were the second most popular job outcome. Median wages for SSB customers in these two areas ranged between $12.00 and $13.00 per hour (see Table 1).

Though in smaller numbers, SSB customers also found success getting placed in higher wage occupations including education, training, and library; business and financial operations, management, and computer and mathematical occupations, which all provided median wages above $23.00 per hour for program completers, including a high of $30.48 for management jobs.  

Lykes Frostman points out that “SSB staff members strive to help all customers realize their full potential and become competitive job candidates who are as qualified as their sighted peers. WIOA regulations define a successful closure as a case that is closed because a customer obtains employment in a competitive integrated setting, and unsuccessful when closed for any other reason.”

However, she also notes that “An unsuccessful closure does not mean that all effort was lost. Customers may be forced to stop participating due to unforeseen life circumstances, such as illness or relocation. They may decide to work with another agency or organization, or they may not be ready to make the life changes required to complete their program and begin working. Sometimes the hard work a customer puts in pays off months or years later when they find a job on their own, or they return to SSB to finish their work.”

As employers continue to struggle to find new workers to fill their open positions, they may find that more inclusive recruiting strategies and investments in technology may help them tap into a much larger pool of potential employees. Lykes Frostman aptly concludes, “Employers and hiring managers who are unaware of the available tools and the abilities of blind people are not only missing out on competent employees, but may be excluding them.”

To read more about “Minnesota’s Untapped Workforce,” please read the full article in the most recent issue of Trends: https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2017/

Creative Corner

Job Forum

Job Forum
Minneapolis North WorkForce Center

The goal of our Job Forum is to energize and empower job seekers twice a month by providing education and information through specific topics and special speakers. Our focus is to get job seekers away from computers and remind them that job search takes a village and at the WorkForce Center we provide that support. Having created the bi-monthly Job Forum on the 2nd and 4th Mondays at the North Minneapolis WorkForce Center Workshop Facilitator Esther Hollander Felsen reminds jobseekers in transition that they are at a crossroads and the most important thing they can do is to show up!

The emotional implications of job loss for job seekers include feeling isolated, lower self-esteem and self-confidence. Coming together with others gives job seekers an occasion to feel accepted among others going through similar journeys without judgment or criticism. The Job Forum openly supports each individual positively with a welcoming check-in to help introduce them to the group and assist with possible networking contacts.

Facilitator, Esther Hollander Felsen, consistently creates topics to be discussed for learning purposes. Recent bi-weekly topics have been on Self-sabotage and Fear and Personal branding. We also bring in guest speakers to instruct on various topics. Esther likes to have input from individuals and counselors as to what they want to have presented in future job forums. A topic that on “Implementation of Strengthsfinder Results” has been suggested by many participants of the highly regarded, “Find Your Strengths” workshop and will be delivered soon.

Recent feed-back from a participant shared, “Job Club – This is where Esther shines.  Esther has an unwavering commitment to inclusiveness, openness, support, empathy and professionalism as she leads these sessions.    I have a new found understanding of networking and the importance of it during unemployment.”

Esther Hollander Felsen, MA, GCDF|Workforce Development Representative

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
Minneapolis North Workforce Center -800 West Broadway Avenue, Minneapolis Minnesota 55411
esther.hollander.felsen@state.mn.us
Direct: 612-299-7210

Success Stories

Justin

Justin

Services for the Blind - Mankato

Justin lost his vision six years ago when he was 17 years old.  He finished high school in Anoka County and then attended the Academy Plus program at the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind in Faribault.  It was at the Academy that Justin learned the skills he needed such as Braille, cane travel, daily living skill, work experience, and assistive technology.

Following his time at the Academy, Justin attended the Vision Loss Resources program from September 2016 to March 2017.  While in that program Justin got an internship at United Commercial Upholstery Company and after four weeks, they offered him a job.  Justin says he enjoys his production job because he gets to use his mechanical skills assembling items such as boat cushions and panels for golf carts.  Justin is happy to be placed at a company that “is very accommodating and wonderful place to work”.

    We want this e-Newsletter to meet your needs! We encourage you to send your comments and suggestions to Liz.McLoone@state.mn.us,

    View past editions of the Partner Express Newsletter at http://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/dislocated-worker/counselors/news/index.jsp

    Wanting to subscribe to this newsletter? Contact Liz McLoone at Liz.McLoone@state.mn.us  with your request!


    UNIT DIRECTORY


    ANNIE WELCH,
    DIRECTOR
    651-259-7525 

    DW LINE
    651-259-7537 

    RAPID RESPONSE

    MARLA BEATY
    (TAA LIAISON)
    218-259-1380

    MO MALIN
    651-259-7535

    LIZ MCLOONE
    (LABOR LIAISON)
    651-259-7145 

    JASON WADELL
    651-259-7552

    GRANTS

    CHELSEA GEORGESEN
    (GRANTS & POLICY COORDINATOR)
    651-259-7508

    MONICA WEBER
    651-259-7560

    ABDIWAHAB MOHAMED
    (GRANTS AND PERFORMANCE)
    651-259-7532

    PERFORMANCE
    AMY CARLSON 
    651-259-7542

    TAA LINE 651-259-7543

    TAA TEAM

    JENNIFER ANDERSON  (9)
    651-259-7690

    CINDY BOYLE  (2)
    (CO-COORDINATOR)
    651-259-7551 

    JACKIE UMLAUF (Follow-up)
    218-739-7560

    ADELE CLOUTIER  (0)
    651-259-7566

    MARY GARCIA (1)
    651-259-7553

    ESTELA HERNANDEZ  (6)
    651-259-7501 

    LAURIE LARSON   (5)
    651-259-7681

    SARAH SAITO  (7)
    (CO-COORDINATOR)
    651-259-7546

    LINDA SKOGEN  (3)
    651-259-7588

    THOMAS SOMMER  (8)
    651-259-7585

    OLAJIDE WILLIAMS  (4)
    651-259-7431