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April 10, 2014       
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ResCare Workforce Services Network Interviews the Experts at 2014 NAWB ForumIn this special edition of the ResCare Workforce Services Network, an impressive collection of the nation's workforce leaders gather at a private reception in Washington D.C.  

Many of them pause for our cameras to share what they believe are the most important messages that should be communicated to the thousands of workforce professionals who subscribe to the Putting America To Work Newsletter.

Watch this video to hear their expert advice on how to improve the effectiveness of local workforce initiatives.
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State Funding Levels for Workforce Investment Act  Released

 
The U.S. Department of Labor has released state-level allocations for the Workforce Investment Act programs that impact adult, dislocated workers and youth activities for Program Year 2014 beginning in July.

 

Federal allotments for the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service (ES) Program also were recently released. Most states have already informed local Workforce Investment Boards what their funding levels will be.   

 

As noted in our March Washington Update, WIA funding has nearly been restored to last year's pre-sequestration levels, which means most states will see at least a small increase in funding for the coming program year.

 
For detailed tables on WIA and ES state-level funding, visit The Department of Labor.


Senate Approves Assistant Secretary for Employment & Training 
   
Last week, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Portia Wu to serve as Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training. Wu previously served as special assistant to the president for labor and workforce policy at the White House Domestic Policy Council.

Before joining the President's staff, she was vice president at the National Partnership for Women and Families, overseeing Work-Family and Workplace Fairness policy. For seven years, she worked for Senator Edward Kennedy as the labor policy director and general counsel for the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
 

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New Trend Among Stay-At-Home Mothers Reducing Employee Candidate Pools

According to a recent Pew Research study, the share of mothers who do not work outside the home rose to 29% in 2012, up from a modern-era low of 23% in 1999.

This rise over the past dozen years represents the reversal of a long-term decline in "stay-at-home" mothers that had persisted for the last three decades of the 20th century. 

The recent turnaround appears to be driven by a mix of demographic, economic and societal factors that can be found in the Stay-At-Home Mother report.

The report indicates that a growing share of stay-at-home mothers (6% in 2012, compared with 1% in 2000) say they are home with their children because they cannot find a job. With incomes stagnant in recent years for all but the college educated, less educated mothers in particular seem to be weighing the cost of child care against wages and deciding it makes more economic sense to stay home. 
      

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Tips to Help Ex-Felons Re-Enter the Workforce: The Ex-Offender Profile    
   
 
For more than two years, ResCare Workforce Services has managed a Fresh Start program at the Polk County, Florida Career Center that has revealed valuable lessons about how to successfully support ex-offenders in their quests to re-enter the workforce.

The following seven common profile traits of ex-offenders who attempt to re-enter the workforce are a continuation of a series of Fresh Start tips that business leaders and workforce professionals should know regarding what ResCare Workforce Services has learned about putting ex-offenders to work.

The Seven Common Profile Traits of Ex-Offender Job Seekers:
  1. They are not afraid of hard work 
  2. They are surprisingly polite
  3. They appreciate help and positive feedback 
  4. They follow directions well  
  5. They've had experience in the workforce in most cases   
  6. They often have in-demand trade skills 
  7. They have a sense of urgency in establishing a career 
To learn more about the Polk County Fresh Start program, visit Career Source

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Department of Labor Grants Available To Help Women Enter Nontraditional Jobs

The Department of Labor has made $1.8 million in grant funding available to help recruit, train and retain women in high-skill occupations, including advanced manufacturing, transportation and energy.  The funding will help approximately four eligible community development organizations develop resource centers to support women interested in entering these occupations.      

 

 

 

Approximately four grants will be awarded to community development organizations to create Regional Multi-State Technical Assistance Resource Centers.  Services in the centers will include:

  • Development of connections with pre-apprenticeship programs to prepare women for registered apprenticeship programs
  • Orientations on creating a successful environment for women in apprenticeships
  • Support in the form of child care, transportation, support groups and other efforts to remove barriers to women succeeding in these industries

Eligible applicants include community-based organizations capable of establishing technical assistance resources for Registered Apprenticeship programs to assist women to enter nontraditional occupations. The grants are jointly administered by the department's Women's Bureau and its Office of Apprenticeship.

 

To learn more about the grant and how to apply, visit Grants.gov.
      

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Across the nation, many efforts are underway to help put America to Work.  Here are a few upcoming events hosted by ResCare and our partners:


To learn more about what ResCare is doing to put America to work, visit one of many locations around the nation at ResCare.com

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The ResCare Workforce Services Network showcases one-on-one interviews with the nation's leading workforce experts to provide content for professionals interested in helping job seekers find employment.

Visit our archives to view past interviews or email us to recommend a topic or person for future interviews.
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NOW HIRING
Apply Today!
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ResCare is expanding its workforce services throughout the country and is seeking qualified applicants to fill the following important accountant positions:

Project Accountant in:
Assistant Project Accountant in:

Accounting Specialist in: 

 Seneca, SC  

 

 

Accounting Clerk in:  

Austin, TX 

 

Interested internal and external candidates should access our online ResCare Careers Tool to learn about job qualifications and how to apply.

  

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Perfecting Your  
Elevator Speech

ResCare's John Korusek - from the Chesterfield Resource Workforce Center - regularly shares job seeking tips on the Job Watch segment of the WRIC-TV News broadcast in Richmond, VA.

 

Recently, he offered viewers tips on how to perfect their elevator pitch just in case they ever find themselves alone for approximately 30 seconds with someone who can help advance their career.

 

John says every job seeker should have an elevator pitch that includes their name, relevant skills and how those skills set them apart from other job seekers.

  

To learn more about what John Korusek says should be included in every elevator speech, watch his presentation on this segment of the WRIC-TV Job Watch.