PA Labor & Industry OVR 2013 Public Comment Sought

The Department of Labor and Industry, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), announces a period of public comment on its proposed Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2013 Combined Agency State Plan Attachments (Attachments). The plan is the blueprint for the provision of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services to persons with disabilities living in this Commonwealth. FFY 2013 begins on October 1, 2012, and ends on September 30, 2013. This notice is provided under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. Local meetings include:

Erie BBVS District Office
(Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Venango  and Warren Counties)
Date: April 5, 2012, Time: 5 p.m.—6 p.m.
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Conference Room, 3200 Lovell Place, Erie, PA 16503
(866) 521-5073 (Voice), (888) 884-5513 (TTY)
Contact Person: Dawn Sokol (814) 871-4401
and
Perkins Family Restaurant
Date: March 21, 2012, Time: 10:30 a.m.—12 p.m.
18276 Conneaut Lake Road, Meadville, PA 16335
Contact Person: Dawn Sokol (814) 871-4401
On-site at restaurant—mobile number (814) 573-1432


Erie BVRS District Office
(Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango and  Warren Counties)
Date: April 5, 2012, Time: 10 a.m.—12 p.m. and 5 p.m.—6 p.m.
Erie District Office Conference Room, 3200 Lovell Place, Erie, PA 16503
(800) 541-0721 (Voice), (888) 217-1710 (TTY)
Contact Person: Jack Hewitt or Kim Garnon

KOEZ bill receives final approval

[from Senator Robbins' newsletter] A measure intended to promote new economic development and job creation in the Commonwealth received final legislative approval Tuesday and is headed to the Governor for his signature and enactment into law.

Senate Bill 1237 authorizes the designation of 15 new Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zones (KOEZ) of up to 350 acres each. The parcels must be deteriorated, underutilized or unoccupied. Parcels may be occupied by a qualified business if the business creates or retains at least 1,000 full-time jobs within three years of designation and makes a capital investment of at least $500 million within three years of designation.
The bill allows the designation to be for 15 years instead of 10 if the business invests at least $1 billion and creates at least 400 new permanent full-time jobs within 7 years of the date of designation.

Chart outlines PY 2012 Workforce Funding

FISCAL YEAR 2012 RESOURCES

Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations for Job Training and Education 

National Skills Coalition | December 2011 | Download

State of the Union

Highlights from last night's State of the Union address and the President's "An America Built To Last" plan:


*Reform job training and Unemployment Insurance to help put more Americans back to work:
The President believes we need to reform outdated and inefficient unemployment insurance and job training systems and restore the basic bargain that if you are willing to do the work, you deserve the chance to gain the skills you need to find a job or land a better one. The President called on Congress to move forward on reforms to the Unemployment Insurance program by requiring workers to undergo eligibility assessments in order to receive emergency federal benefits, while at the same time offering new tools to help workers find new jobs. He also proposed streamlining training and employment services for dislocated workers so that those workers are able to access a single program, visit a single location, and go to a single website to find the help they need about job services and training opportunities in their communities.

*Forge new partnerships between community colleges and businesses to train and place 2 million skilled workers: Many industries have difficulty filling jobs requiring specific technical skills, even with many Americans still looking for work. In coming years, America will need to fill millions of mid- and high-level skilled positions in industries from healthcare to advanced manufacturing, clean energy to information technology. The President proposed a new initiative to train and place two million Americans in good jobs through partnerships between businesses and community colleges that give workers the skills employers explicitly need. To address future workforce needs, the President will support partnerships between high schools and industry to create more career academies, which combine instruction in academic subjects and industry skills.

The work plan also includes initiatives toward hiring unemployed Veterans, continued work for Equal Pay, strengthening the manufacturing sector, and multiple tax reform proposals.

Sen. Scarnati elected for 6th time as President Pro Tempore of the PA Senate

Sen. Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) was sworn in as President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate for 2012, the sixth time Senate colleagues have elected him to the third-highest constitutional office in the commonwealth.

In brief remarks to the chamber, the senator said the legislature must continue to focus on creating jobs and making state government live within its means. He also highlighted several cost-saving initiatives that were implemented in the Senate in 2011.

Senator Scarnati is serving his third term in the Senate. He was born and raised in Brockway, Jefferson County, and represents the 25th Senatorial District, which currently includes Cameron, Elk, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, Tioga and portions of Clearfield and Warren counties.

Casey Unveils Bill to Match Unemployed With Skills Training for New, In-Demand Jobs

PITTSBURGH, PA – U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today toured Manchester Bidwell Training Center and unveiled an innovative jobs bill that would help adults gain the skills employers are seeking to boost employment throughout the state. The bill is modeled after the work being done by Manchester Bidwell.

“My bill would create targeted, effective programs like those offered by Manchester Bidwell here in Pittsburgh to prepare workers for good paying jobs,” said Senator Casey. “The key to strengthening our economy and revitalizing our communities is jobs, and this bill would help prepare workers to fill jobs across Pennsylvania.”

Senator Casey’s National Program for Arts and Technology Act would provide education and training to unemployed adults and at-risk children so they are able to attain in-demand job skills.

The bill would authorize the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to community-based organizations with a plan for developing a center that:

• Provides education and training to underemployed and unemployed individuals
• Meets quarterly performance goals, which may include:
  • students’ school attendance and behavior
  • recruitment and enrollment metrics
  • student outcomes and performance in training
  • job placement
• Obtains non-federal matching dollars of at least 1:1

NW PA Election updates

[taken from materials from PoliticsPA--both articles by Keegan Gibson]

Battle looms for Earll's seat: "When Jane Earll retires at the end of her term, the popular 14-year incumbent Republican will leave behind one of the most competitive state Senate districts in Pennsylvania. Both parties have made recruiting a top-tier candidate a priority. Several sources confirm that Republicans will tap Janet Anderson, a former staffer in Earll’s office and the Ridge administration who is currently the Executive Director of the Northwest Regional Planning and Development Commission." See a list of other candidates who may run for Earll's position (such as Sean Wiley of the Foundation for St. Vincent Health Systems) here.


Mike Kelly draws a challenger: "Democrat Missa Eaton has jumped into the race against freshman Rep. Mike Kelly. The assistant professor of psychology at Penn State Shenango has been considering a bid for a few weeks, and made it official Thursday morning."