American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Welcome to Atlantic Cape May WIB’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act  of 2009 (ARRA) website. This website tracks how the WIB Area plans to use the ARRA funding to help with our local economic recovery, create and retain jobs, and provide safety net services to our residents during from this economic downturn. While these funds cannot address all of the challenges facing us, the WIB Board will ensure that all of the funding will go to important public services; the use of these funds will be transparent to the public; and the Board will be accountable for all funds expended.

Background:  

Provided by the New Jersey State Department of Labor and Workforce Development, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was signed into law on February 17, 2009 with the goal of preserving and creating jobs, promoting the nation’s economic recovery, and assisting those most impacted by the recession including assisting workers who are facing unprecedented challenges to retool their skills and re-establish themselves in viable career paths. 

The United States Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration released a Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL), No. 14-08 available at http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL/TEGL14-08.pdf detailing Guidance for Implementation of the Workforce Investment Act and Wagner Peyser Act Funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and State Planning Requirements for Program Year 2009.  The TEGL requires that the State of New Jersey file a modification to its State Plan to reflect the state’s vision, policies and implementation of ARRA. 

In turn, the SETC is requiring local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) to submit a plan on the strategies and service delivery activities they will carry out in expending ARRA funds. These planning guidelines describe federal and state expectations for implementation of the ARRA and outline requirements for submission of the local plans.  It is important to note that issues involving the creation of new policy by the State Employment and Training Commission (SETC) in the development of modifications for the State Plan may impact local WIB planning and implementation.

Vision & Expectations
As described in detail in the Training and Employment Guidance Letter, No. 14-08, The United States Department of Labor (USDOL) has established four guiding principles in utilizing ARRA funds:

• Transparency and accountability in the use of Recovery Act funding;
• Timely spending of the funds and implementation of activities;
• Increasing workforce system capacity and service levels; and
• Using data and workforce information to guide strategic planning and service delivery.

One of the most important statements in the guidelines presented by the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) that underscores expectations of local Workforce Investment Boards and their One-Stop system is:

“The nation’s public workforce investment system is expected to not only increase services and training for workers facing unprecedented challenges but to retool, reinvigorate and create a more innovative public workforce system capable of spurring economic growth.” 

More explicitly, expectations are that a stronger, more comprehensive One-Stop system will emerge as a result of ARRA funding that ensures customers will be able to move easily between the labor market and further education and training in order to advance in their careers and upgrade their skills.  It will also ensure disconnected youth will be able to reconnect through multiple pathways to education and training that results in their entering and advancing in the workplace.  ARRA funds are expected to accelerate transformational efforts and demonstrate an ability to innovate and implement effective One-Stop delivery strategies

Local Workforce Investment Boards are to target services to meet the needs of 1) dislocated workers, 2) adults with a priority on serving public assistance recipients and other low income individuals, and 3) youth who primarily are disengaged from education and the workforce. Programs and services must be fully aligned with economic and community development strategies, so as to meet the skill needs of existing and emerging local and regional employers and high-growth occupations.  Every level of education and training offered should afford students, apprentices and trainees with the ability to advance in school or at work, with assessments and certifications articulated to the requirements of the next level of education and employment.  Programs and services may include  adult education, occupational/sector training, postsecondary education, registered apprenticeship, career advancement activities and supportive services.

The priorities for New Jersey are in line with the vision, goals and intent of ARRA:

• Create a pipeline of trained workers prepared for present and future demands.
• Align training and placements to New Jersey’ regional and local economies.
• Obligate and spend funds “quickly and effectively” to meet federal expectations. The expectation is that the majority of ARRA funds will be expended during PY 2009. All training enrollments should occur no later than September 2010.
• Maximize the levels of funding to be spent on services to clients.  The goal is to allocate 85% of funding to direct participant services.
• Recognize that ARRA is one-time funding that must result in significantly higher levels of individuals enrolled in training.
• Recognize that ARRA is one-time funding and local areas should limit permanent hiring for this program.
• Recognize that ARRA is one-time funding and that ARRA funds should supplement and not supplant regular sources of funding including normal WIA allocations.
• Use funding effectively and efficiently.  Bulk contracting, now being developed by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, is being designed to provide opportunities for local WIBs to access training.
• Leverage resources across funding streams.  This includes local WIBs developing strategies to not only use ARRA funds effectively, but also their normal WIA PY ’09 funds.  Furthermore, resources such as WIRED funding, REDI funding , National Emergency Grants, partner resources, private foundation funds and funds from other ARRA sources, particularly in support of Green Jobs, should be utilized in a manner that makes the best use of ARRA and WIA program funds.
• The majority of youth funding should be allocated to support summer employment for PY 2009.  The targeted population for these services should be out-of-school youth who are disengaged from education and/or employment (including youth expected to graduate high school in 2009 with no plans for education, training, or employment).
• WIB areas are expected to maintain transparency and accountability. They must track and report ARRA expenditure of funds, performance outcomes and job creation and placements resulting from ARRA funds separately from other funding streams.

The Atlantic Cape May is committed to providing information to its residents and meeting the transparency and accountability requirements of ARRA. In an effort to keep the public informed about the strategies and service delivery activities that have or will be implemented during 2009, the Atlantic Cape May WIB has created this website to distribute timely and important information regarding how the ARRA funds are being utilized in Atlantic and Cape May counties.

Conclusion

To that end,  starting July 1, 2009, the Area Plan, which provides an overview and description of the planned programs in Atlantic and Cape May counties, Monthly Program Reports and Financial Statements will be available on this website for your review.