Public invited to submit brief videos for chance to win $1,000
The U.S. Department of Labor has extended the deadline for its Career Videos for America’s Job Seekers Challenge to allow submissions as late as Monday, Nov. 1. The challenge invites members of the public to produce and submit one- to three-minute videos focusing on the daily activities of 15 high-wage and in-demand occupations. This competition is intended to provide greater visibility for selected occupations and thereby increase the number of workers seeking training and placement in those areas. The creator(s) of the top video in each of the 15 categories will win a $1,000 cash prize.
The competition, already underway, is occurring in the following four phases:
Phase One (May 10 to Nov. 1, 2010): Members of the public can submit their occupational videos in 15 categories representing the selected occupations. To review the list and rules for the video challenge, visit http://www.dol.gov/dol/videochallenge.htm.
Phase Two (Nov. 2 to19, 2010): The Labor Department will screen and review all submissions, identify the top three videos in each occupation and post those online for public review.
Phase Three (Nov. 22 to Dec. 31, 2010): The public will be able to comment on the submissions, which will determine the top video in each occupational category.
Phase Four (Jan. 3 to14, 2011): The Labor Department will share the top videos with the workforce development community and job seekers by posting an announcement of the top ranking videos on key websites such as http://www.dol.gov and http://careeronestop.org. The results also will be shared with national and intergovernmental organizations such as the National Association of State Workforce Agencies and the National Association of Workforce Boards.
Click here to view the full press release.
Upcoming Webinars
The National Association of Workforce Boards is involved with the following upcoming webinar:
"Partnerships to Support Your Local Workforce Investment," hosted by the National Association of Counties, will be held on September 16 at 2:00 p.m. eastern time. This webinar will outline key opportunities for local elected officials to help residents get back to work through effective partnerships that use local, state, and federal resources. NAWB has helped the National Association of Counties identify strong WIB-local government partnerships to serve as presenters for this webinar. You can register for this webinar at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/892891626.
Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and space is limited. For more information about this webinar contact Caitlin Geary at geary@nlc.org or (202) 626-3135 or Jonathan Davitte at jdavitte@naco.org or (202) 661-8841.
Disability Program Navigator Initiative
The U.S. Department of Labor released an evaluation study of the Disability Program Navigator Initiative measuring whether the public workforce system, particularly the One-Stop Career Center system, is helping people who are receiving Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance find jobs in the workplace. For more information, click here.
Have Local Elected Officials Toured Your Career Centers?
Recently, California's Workforce Investment Boards mobilized and hosted a series of open houses across the state for elected officials. The open houses gave elected officials an opportunity to see firsthand the important services and programs being operated for businesses and job seekers in the region. LA County WIB Executive Director Richard Verches said, "I think it was a real eye opener for members of Congress and their staff to see the sheer number of individuals lined up to enter our centers when they opened, and how quickly our resource rooms fill to capacity with diverse job seekers of all ages and backgrounds."
It is critical that Congress and other elected officials understand the value of the programs and services being operated by WIBs across the country. If you have not had your elected officials out to visit your career centers recently, you should take advantage of the August 9 - September 12 congressional recess to bring them in. This is an excellent way to get elected officials engaged in what you are doing in your communities.
For more information about California WorkSource Centers' employment and training solutions visit www.WorkSourceCalifornia.com.
NAWB members can see other examples on the Announcements page of this web site. If you have initiatives in your region that you would like to share, please contact NAWB at bergmant@nawb.org to let us know what you are doing.
USDOL Gulf Oil Spill Response
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Jane Oates met with intergovernmental organizations, including NAWB, last week, and outlined some of the things the Department of Labor is doing to help individuals affected by the gulf oil spill. For more information, click here.
Manufacturing Strategy for Jobs and a Competitive America
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has unveiled a comprehensive strategy for U.S. competitiveness. The “Manufacturing Strategy for Jobs and a Competitive America,” prompts political leaders to consider the big picture – what it will take for manufacturers in the United States to succeed in the global marketplace. The Strategy explains in clear terms what is at stake for manufacturing in the United States and provides a roadmap for policies that will enable manufacturing to create jobs and compete. Click here to view the report.
America's Heroes at Work Continues Working for America's Heroes
America's Heroes at Work, a unique U.S. Department of Labor program that addresses the employment challenges of returning Service Members and Veterans living with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), announced the availability of its new web-based training resource, TBI, PTSD and Employment (www.americasheroesatwork.gov/forEmployers/presentations/TBIptsd). Additionally, the America’s Heroes at Work website, www.AmericasHeroesAtWork.gov, was recently updated and revamped with several new features and sections.
$6.6 Million Grant to Significantly Expand Access, Resources for Healthcare Careers
NAWB is a key partner in a recently announced American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) $6.6 million grant to fund development of Healthcare Virtual Career Platform (HVCP): Healthcare Career Central, an open-source delivery platform that will manage an individual’s entry into any of more than 200 healthcare careers – from career exploration, to skills assessment, training and job placement. The initiative is part of a larger $14 million healthcare career grant package authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and builds on existing resources and new technology to set a new standard for career exploration and expand opportunities for healthcare careers.
The National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) is also a key partner. Other partners include the American Council on Education, Direct Employers Association, Jobs for the Future, and XPAND and Minnesota’s ISEEK (Internet System for Education and Employment Knowledge). The American Dental Education Association’s “Explore Health Careers” will provide technical assistance from an existing database of 120 health occupations. In addition, the Department of Defense and ed2go, a division of Cengage Learning, will provide initial learning content.
New Promising Practices Added
- Rogue Valley Workforce Development Council - Sector-Based Incumbent Worker Training
- Ohio-Pennsylvania Interstate Region - A Joint Strategy for Regional Development
Click here to view all promising practices.