SUBJECT:

PURPOSE:

Queens Borough Hall

Friday
May 7, 2004
10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
120-55 Queens Boulevard, 2nd Floor - Room 213
Kew Gardens, NY 11424

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) enacted into law in 1998 provides a national framework for job preparation and employment systems to meet the needs of business and job seekers. This federal legislation strengthens the role of local areas and makes extensive changes in a number of key areas, including funding streams, target populations, delivery systems, accountability, long-term planning, and governance structures. Each local area is required to have at least one physical one-stop center which may be supplemented by networks of affiliated sites with a goal of connecting employment, education, and training services into a coherent local network of employment-related resources.

In order to assess the progress of the advancement of New York City's five-year plan, the Legislative Commission on Skills Development and Career Education, the Assembly Committee on Children and Families, the Assembly Committee on Labor, the Assembly Committee on Small Business, and the Assembly Committee on Correction will hear testimony from individuals, community organizations and businesses, local Workforce Investment Board members and staff to evaluate the progress, results and what is working well thus far.

Please see the reverse side for a list of subjects to which witnesses may direct their testimony, and for a description of the bills which will be discussed at the hearing.

Persons wishing to present pertinent testimony to the Committee at the above hearing should complete and return the enclosed reply form as soon as possible. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation.

Oral testimony will be limited to ten minutes' duration. In preparing the order of witnesses, the Committee will attempt to accommodate individual requests to speak at particular times in view of special circumstances. These requests should be made on the attached reply form or communicated to Committee staff as early as possible. In the absence of a request, witnesses will be scheduled in the order in which reply forms are postmarked.

Ten copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk. The Committee would appreciate advance receipt of prepared statements.

In order to further publicize these hearings, please inform interested parties and organizations of the Committees' interest in hearing testimony from all sources.

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.

SELECTED ISSUES TO WHICH WITNESSES MAY DIRECT THEIR TESTIMONY:

How has the five-year plan for New York City's one-stop system changed since its first submission to the New York State Department of Labor? What were the certification issues encountered?

How have strategic planning grants dollars been utilized? What populations of customers received the benefit of these dollars? How have these dollars translated into services to one-stop customers?

Are services being provided enhancing employment in the New York City area? By what means are you tracking these results and assessing their effectiveness with the local workforce board's plan for adults, youth and dislocated workers?

What policies are in place for determining the allocation of individual training accounts (ITAs)?

What effect has the WIA had on local providers? How has the local board outreached to community organizations that support customers of the one-stop system?

How will the local workforce investment board support youth employment for summer jobs this year? What was the outcome of last year's summer jobs program? Describe other youth initiatives under WIA.

Describe what is working well in the system in terms of the clients served by demographics; how they are being served; and the average salary upon entering, as well as the average salary upon completing, a jobs training program.

What partnerships have worked exceptionally well to support the one-stop system? Have there been any difficulties with sharing information across agencies in order to better serve clients?

What are the hurdles the New York City local workforce board still has before it?

PUBLIC HEARING REPLY FORM

Persons wishing to present testimony at the public hearing on New York City's progress on the Workforce Investment Board's plan and operation of such plan are requested to complete this reply form as soon as possible and mail it to:

Brenda Carter
Program Manager
Assembly Legislative Commission on Skills Development and Career Education
Agency 4 - 12th Floor
Albany, New York 12248
Email: carterb@assembly.state.ny.us
Phone: (518) 455-4865
Fax: (518) 455-4175

I will require assistance and/or handicapped accessibility information. Please specify the type of assistance required: