Trade Adjustment Assistance Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services Presented by Mershal Noble

PURPOSE Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program was created to provide benefits and support to workers who have become unemployed due to the impact of international trade. The TAA program provides United States workers who are adversely affected by trade with the opportunity to obtain the skills, resources and support they need to become reemployed.

OBJECTIVE…. Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services To ensure that eligible workers are aware of the services and benefits for which they qualify, Regional Workforce Boards should be proactive in the business community by providing employers with information relative to the TAA program and all other services for which trade-affected individuals may be eligible.

THE BUSINESS VALUE APPROACH Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services By using the Business Value approach, workforce service providers can develop stronger relationships with an employer, learn more about the company’s operating environment and their workforce challenges. With this in mind, we are better positioned to identify and meet the employer business needs as well as the needs of the workers.

THE BUSINESS VALUE ASSESSMENT Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services The ultimate goal of a Business Value Assessment is to apply measures which accurately demonstrate the benefits to the employer through the provision of available workforce services. Early intervention of a closure or mass layoff provides advantages for all affected parties.

WORKFORCE SERVICES Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services One-Stop Career Centers provide an array of services including:  Rapid Response Assistance  Assistance in filing petitions  Reemployment Services  Labor Market Information  Comprehensive Assessment including testing, interviewing, career/employment plans etc.  Program Orientation

WORKFORCE SERVICES (cont’d) Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services  Training opportunities  Counseling Note: Many services provided can be customized to meet employer or employee needs. Delivering services at the employer’s site serves as a true “value added” benefit.

RESPONDING TO LAYOFFS Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services Notification of a layoff may be delivered in various forms:  Newspaper article  Petition filing  Affected worker verbal notification  Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Note: Although there is a requirement for employers to provide notification for covered layoffs, every effort should be made to provide rapid response assistance to all individuals.

KNOWING YOUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services Each administrative area should be aware of the businesses operating within their community. Regional Workforce Boards should develop a good working relationship with industry associations. Additionally, information should be based on labor market statistics where employment trends, business assets, liabilities and improvement measures are analyzed and published.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO ACCOMPLISH? Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services By using the Business Value Assessment approach, we can determine current deficiencies that may exist which could be problematic when workers lack knowledge, skills and abilities that would prevent them from quickly returning to the workforce. Having use of a variety of tools guides the process to meet employer and employee needs; prepares workers for future employment and identifies the need for skills upgrade to avert layoffs.

IDENTIFYING RELEVANT BENCHMARKS Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services Companies are interested in improvements in productivity, product or service quality, customer satisfaction, employment retention, as well as cost and revenue implications related to workforce investments. With the true realization of relevant benchmarks, many of our trade-related dislocations are directly related to the areas identified above.

HOW CAN WE DO IT DIFFERENTLY? Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services Looking at today’s economy and the many challenges individuals are facing, we need to treat each company layoff or plant closure individually by recognizing the firm’s current environment.

HOW CAN WE DO IT BETTER? Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services EMPLOYER SERVICES Identify employers whose workforce needs are met through the use of on-the-job and customized training.

HOW CAN WE DO IT BETTER? (cont’d) Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services TRAINING PROVIDER SERVICES  Identify training providers based on the delivery of occupations in demand  Identify tuition and related costs for training  Negotiate training costs for workforce services participants  Customize training programs based on established curricula to meet group needs  Develop completion benchmarks

HOW CAN WE DO IT BETTER (cont’d) Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services TRAINING PROVIDER SERVICES Ensure participants are receiving adequate training based on measures developed by the regional workforce boards. This will support successful delivery resulting in job placement through planning, coordinating and evaluating.

UNDERSTANDING THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services Florida is a service oriented state. Within the past several years, we have found that petition filings have decreased tremendously in the manufacturing industry. As a result of the 2009 amendments under the Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act (TGAAA), Florida’s petition filing tripled. This was based on the amendment under group eligibility

UNDERSTANDING THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE (cont’d) Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services which provided assistance to the manufacturing, service and public sector workers. Since May 18, 2009 through February 12, 2011, Florida filed 99 petitions. Of those petitions filed, 26 were approved in manufacturing and 40 approved in the service sector. Over this 21-month period, Florida received approval for a total of 66 petitions, or a 67% approval rate.

IDENTIFYING RESOURCES Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services The TAA program works parallel with the Business Services and Rapid Response units to ensure dislocations that may be trade-related are identified. It also allows for affected workers to receive rapid response assistance as outlined under the Trade Act, as amended.

IDENTIFYING RESOURCES (cont’d) Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services Upon receipt of information relative to layoffs, the rapid response coordinator makes initial contact with the employer to schedule a meeting. Upon completion of the meeting, the Rapid Response Coordinator will prepare a Rapid Response On-site Visit Report. With the employer’s approval, the Rapid Response Team will schedule a meeting with the workers to discuss the various services and benefits.

IDENTIFYING RESOURCES (cont’d) Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services The Rapid Response Orientation with affected workers will include other partners e.g., Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Career Counselor, Wagner-Peyser Labor Exchange Representative and local TAA Coordinators etc. Customizing these orientations allows the employer and affected workers to receive information regarding the various partners within the community that may be able to assist their individual needs.

AWARENESS RESOURCES Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services  Unemployment Compensation  Short-Time Compensation  Placement Assistance  Retraining through Training Vendors  Community Services  Assessment Tools – Trade Adjustment Assistance Program and Rapid Response.  Workforce partner program services (WP, TAA, WIA, SNAP, WTP etc).

IMPORTANT PROGRAM CHANGES Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services On October 21, 2011, President Obama signed the Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of It extends benefits based on the Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act (TGAAA) under the stimulus program that expired February 12, 2011.

IMPORTANT PROGRAM CHANGES (cont’d) Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services The significant changes are based on the following components:  Group Eligibility  Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA)  Training Waivers

IMPORTANT PROGRAM CHANGES (cont’d) Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services  Training Funding  Case Management Funding  Job Search Allowances  Relocation Allowances  Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC)  Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance (RTAA) – Wage Subsidy for Older Workers

IMPORTANT PROGRAM CHANGES (cont’d) Fair Trade: An Approach to Effective Business Services As a result of the recent passage, Florida has the opportunity to set new standards in educating the business community about the various services and benefits for which individuals may qualify.

TAA PROGRAM CONTACTS Mershal Noble, State Trade Act Coordinator (850) Carol Booth, Government Operations Consultant (850)