Technology has had a profound impact on the way workforce development services are provided. Workshops under this topic will feature exciting technology tools and systems produced by and used across all levels of government to improve the delivery and administration of services.
Monday, July 16
1:30-3:00 p.m.
America’s One-Stop Operating System – A Demonstration & Technical Briefing
Speakers: Anthony Dais, AJB Service Center, Syracuse, NY; Michael Harding, Applied Theory Corp., Syracuse, NY; Jane Smith, Employ KY Operating System, Frankfort, KY; Josephine Stephenson, Applied Theory Corp., Syracuse, NY
America’s One-Stop Operating System (AOSOS) is the ETA supported browser-based information management, case management, program delivery, and decision support tool that was designed to meet the business needs of WIA programs. This workshop will provide essential information on the features of the AOSOS production system currently in use in New York and New Jersey. The demonstration will highlight the extremely robust features of AOSOS and will explore the major system modules. The workshop will also provide a technical overview of the system LAN and workstation requirements.
Transforming Staff Capacity Building through Technology: The Future is Now!
Speakers: Rick Fisher, TATC, Washington, DC; Bill Hermann, Learning Link, Cocoa, FL; Nancy Jamison, EDD University, Sacramento, CA; Dan Stone, USDOL / ETA, Washington, DC
Today’s technology is opening up new possibilities for staff capacity building. In this workshop, you will learn about the distance learning opportunities provided by “Learning Link” in Florida and the “Employment Development Department (EDD) University” in California. You will also hear about the USDOL-sponsored Tools of the Trade website and its database of staff development resources, as well as the Performance Enhancing Resource Center (PERC) which delivers online training programs for ETA staff.
3:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
America’s Job Link Alliance – A new Approach to Technology Development
Speakers: Dave McEachern, KS Dept. of Human Resources, Kansas City, KS; William Sanders, KS Dept. of Human Resources, Topeka, KS; Mike Sheridan, Accenture, Austin, TX
Six states have created the America. s Job Link Alliance to maximize their investments in workforce development strategies and business practices, enabling technologies, marketing, training and purchasing. This workshop will feature a demonstration of the WIA compliant operating system already operational in some Alliance states. The demonstration will highlight the system’s current case management and job matching features, plus a look forward to some of the UI features being added to the system.
Innovation in Worker Profiling
Speakers: Humberto Costa, USDOL / ETA, Washington, DC; Felix D’Allesandro, WA Employ. Security Dept., Olympia, WA; Scott Gibbons, St. Louis & Associates, Washington, DC
The Worker Profiling and Re-employment Services (WPRS) program uses an automated program to identify claimants who are likely to exhaust their UI benefits. These claimants are frequently individuals who were displaced due to economic dislocations after long periods of employment history. The WPRS program links the UI program and re-employment service providers to present an abundance of options and services for claimants. This workshop will address automation at three levels: 1) the profiling model; 2) services plans and services provided; and 3) reporting systems to meet Federal requirements and State evaluation of its performance.
Tuesday, July 17
8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
E-Learning and the “Virtual University”: Implications for America’s Workforce Network
Speakers: Mark Cline, Team PA Career Link, Harrisburg, PA; Russell Hamm, USDOL / ETA, Washington, DC; V. Douglas Hines, KPMG Consulting, Washington, DC
Education and training is being transformed by new technologies and by the Internet. The delivery of tailored, just-in-time learning to the computers of public workforce development professionals is a reality. This session previews the world of electronic learning, introduces successful models and describes the thinking behind a “virtual university.” Learn how it may support your staff’s training needs, how it functions and what is required to be successful.
10:30 a.m.-12 noon
Electronic One-Stop Office Management In Action Today
Speakers: Travis Beebe, American Government Services, Little Rock, AR; Derrick Edwards, American Government Services, Minneapolis, MN; J.R. Marlow., Western Arkansas WIB, Van Buren, AR; Sharon Williams, Eastern Arkansas Employ. Develop., West Memphis, AR
Talk with local and state workforce board executives who have successfully implemented comprehensive electronic systems for managing One-Stop offices. Through this case study presentation, experience a demonstration of the actual systems and tools being used today all across the country. Discussions and demonstrations will address solutions, best practices, and issues surrounding One-Stop operations, including: centralized email, comprehensive program administration, case management, flexible reporting, labor exchange, performance tracking, integrated correspondence, scheduling, portal-based information management, and more.
Using Technology to Enhance Customer Choice
Speakers: Stephanie Deese, NC Community College System, Raleigh, NC; Daniel Giddens, NC Commission on Workforce Develop., Raleigh, NC
As a National JETT
CON2000 Award recipient, this session will introduce you to the NC STARS, (State Tracking, Accountability and Reporting System) developed under a USDOL demonstration grant by the State of North Carolina and will also introduce you to a unique partnership between the Local Workforce Development Boards, the North Carolina Community College System, and the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina.
1:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
America’s Career Kit Curriculum for Community Colleges
Speakers: Stephanie Brandt, DE Technical & Community College, Newark, DE; Rebecca Craft, DE Technical & Community College, Georgetown, DE; Genny Iplenski, DE Technical & Community College, Hartly, DE; Anne Richter, DE Technical & Community College, Dover, DE
America’s Career Kit is a valuable tool designed to assist people in finding the right career path. Without proper training, users cannot obtain its full benefits. Delaware Tech has designed a curriculum, specifically for the Community College student, that provides guided practice, simple instruction, and capstone projects that makes it easy to find the skills and the job that is right for them. See a demonstration of the curriculum and hear from students, instructors and designers who have made this project a reality.
EIMS and the e-Government Strategy
Speakers: Lance Grubb, USDOL / ETA, Washington, DC; Shakil Khandoker, USDOL / ETA, Washington, DC
This workshop will discuss the ETA Enterprise Information Management System (EIMS), what it is, where it is today, where it will be in the future, and the role of e-government. EIMS already allows many ETA grantees to submit their quarterly financial and performance reports through the Internet. The goal is for EIMS to capture the entire grants life cycle process, from cradle (application) to grave (closeout) and disseminate all pertinent information throughout the process. Under the e-government strategy to become a fully integrated, digitally based, Internet-accessible organization, ETA will ultimately expand EIMS to cover all program areas.
Mid-Atlantic Career Consortium (MACC)
Speakers: State Representatives from the MACC Executive Committee
In areas rich with institutions and programs that need to be brought into a One-Stop scheme, and/or where these various institutions and programs are spread over a sizable geographic area, a more effective design appears to be a system of electronically connected services that operate together as though they were located under a single roof. With this in mind, USDOL/ETA, PA, MD, VA, WV, DE, and DC established a joint partnership, formerly called the Mid-Atlantic Career Consortium, that will support their joint efforts in workforce development and establish a “core” Internet-based application based on the PA CareerLink system.
3:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Knowledge Management – Improving the Delivery and Use of Organizational Knowledge
Speakers: Venus Baines, USDOL / ETA, Washington, DC; Harry Veihmeyer, Scientific Systems & Software Internat., Lanham, MD
Organizations have a wealth of knowledge trapped in individual PCs, databases, printed documents, and locked in individual’s brains. This knowledge often goes unshared, unused, misplaced, or becomes irrelevant, out-of-date, or corrupted. Based on a Knowledge Management Initiative currently underway at ETA, this workshop will address ways that organizations can properly manage and effectively leverage and share this knowledge with other employees and customers to improve the quality and timeliness of service delivery.
New Jersey’s Process Improvement for the One-Stop Career System
Speakers: Jessie Breccia, NJ Dept. of Labor, Trenton, NJ; JoAnn Hammill, NJ Dept. of Labor, Trenton, NJ; Rick Maher, Maher & Maher, Little Silver, NJ
This presentation illustrates how to incorporate the One-Stop Operating System (OSOS) and other workforce technology-based resources to improve operating efficiency and maximize customer satisfaction in the One-Stop Career System. It describes how to use process mapping to develop customer workflow. It describes the dynamics of process mapping and how to create an atmosphere for employee input and buy-in. The presentation also discusses New Jersey’s experience with the process and how it will impact on service delivery and employee performance.
The Use of Expert Systems Technology to Provide Guidance on Federal Employment Laws
Speaker: Roland Droitsch, USDOL / OASP, Washington, DC
Learn about how the US Department of Labor-through the e-laws (Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses) initiative-is using Expert Systems technology to increase access to compliance assistance information for businesses and workers. Expert Systems, one of the most established forms of artificial intelligence technology, form the foundation for e-laws. The e-laws Advisors are Web-based, interactive systems that provide information about Federal employment laws.
Wednesday, July 18
10:30 a.m.-12 noon
America’s Job Bank: Now and in the Future
America’s Job Bank is the largest and busiest job site on the Internet, with more than 1,500,000 job listings and 500,000 resumes and millions of user sessions per month. The first part of the session will provide a general overview of AJB to allow attendees not familiar with AJB to get a basic understanding of its current functionality and design. The second portion of the session will be devoted to a discussion of the planned enhancements to AJB in its next major release, including: the addition of a job order and resume writer, the use of O*NET as its occupational coding scheme, a major revision to its search engine, and other smaller enhancements to improve its usability and functionality.
Building America’s Workforce Network on a Foundation of Standards and Technical Assistance
Speakers: Paul Jesukiewicz, Advanced Distributed Co-Laboratory, Arlington, VA; Will Peratino, USDOL / OASP, Washington, DC; Jerry Wethington, MO Dept. of Labor & Industrial Relations, Jefferson City, MO
Standards will assure the effective integration and cooperative operations of the “systems” of partners of America’s Workforce (AWN), especially between the states and the national office. Issues such as the need for common data language and definitions, consistency, protocols and technical assistance will be discussed as the case is established for a national initiative to address the standards need. The partners of AWN are considering a process to identify reasonable standards.
Workforce Information – Priorities in Practice
Speakers: Azin Adjoudani, iSeek Solutions, St. Paul, MN; Phil Baker, NE Dept. of Labor, Lincoln, NE; James McFadden, DE Dept. of Labor, Wilmington, DE; Antonio Oftelie, iSeek Solutions, St. Paul, MN
Learn about the Secretary of Labor’s new workforce information system annual plan, and see labor market information systems that are ahead of the curve. Nebraska’s Career Compass features user-customized reporting, and access to information from neighboring states. Minnesota’s iSeek Solutions helps customers use O*NET to identify career profiles and gives seamless access to job listings and training provider information. These examples put the new plan’s priorities into practice to help customers get the information they need for decision-making.