Located in:
- Program-specific Requirements for Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Activities under Title I-B
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include the following with respect to activities carried out under subtitle B—
a. 2. D. Describe how the State provides early intervention (e.g., Rapid Response) to worker groups on whose behalf a Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) petition has been filed. (Section 134(a)(2)(A).) This description must include how the State disseminates benefit information to provide trade-affected workers in the groups identified in the TAA petitions with an accurate understanding of the provision of TAA benefits and services in such a way that they are transparent to the trade-affected dislocated worker applying for them (Trade Act Sec. 221(a)(2)(A) and Sec. 225; Governor-Secretary Agreement). Describe how the State will use funds that have been reserved for Rapid Response to provide services for every worker group that files a TAA petition.
Current Narrative:
In Wisconsin, the Rapid Response Program operates in essentially the same manner regardless of whether a TAA petition or certification is involved. Sub-section B under "Statewide Activities" describes the DWD-DET's Rapid Response Program and the grants system funded by Wisconsin's Rapid Response reserve.
DWD-DET extends Rapid Response services to all worker groups covered by a TAA petition, just as it provides Rapid Response services to any worker group that has been or will be permanently laid off. In most cases, DWD-DET and its local Rapid Response team are already aware of a given dislocation event and whether Rapid Response activities are underway before a TAA petition is filed. If a TAA petition is the first notice of a dislocation event, DWD-DET will notify the local Rapid Response team, who will contact the employer and any associated union(s) to plan worker transition services. The minimum level of services offered must conform to established requirements described in the "Statewide Activities" section.
When Rapid Response teams serve potentially TAA-eligible worker groups, they share basic TAA Program information, including information about the program enrollment process that workers follow if certification occurs. If the Rapid Response team does not have access to the worker group prior to layoff, DWD-DET will use UI claimant information to identify potentially affected workers. In this situation, the local Rapid Response team will reach out to the laid off workers using contact information obtained from UI. This is no different from DWD-DET's standard Rapid Response protocol.
A local WDB may request Rapid Response funding in the form of a Dislocation Grant and/or an Additional Assistance Grant to serve potential TAA-eligible worker groups in the same manner it requests funds for all other worker groups. The only difference is that Additional Assistance funding cannot be used to fund training for individual participants once a worker group is covered by a TAA certification.
If a TAA petition is certified, DWD-DET's TAA Program is responsible for identifying individuals potentially eligible under the certification through worker lists supplied by the employer and/or UI claimant information. The TAA Program then uses a standard mailer to contact the potentially eligible individuals, inviting them to attend a TAA orientation session to learn about program benefits and register. If the certified group is under 25 workers, a packet of information may be sent out in lieu of in-person sessions.
At the orientation sessions, TAA Program staff use a standardized presentation to explain the program benefits, the process for accessing the benefits, and critical deadlines. During the presentation, TAA staff provide individuals with written materials that cover the TAA Program benefits. Representatives from the WIOA Dislocated Worker Program, Veteran Services, Technical College System and other partner programs are typically present at the orientation session to provide basic information about their respective programs and how individuals can enroll, and to explain the advantages of dual enrollment.
DWD-DET is committed to continually exploring ways to make TAA Program information more user-friendly and to improve coordination between the TAA and WIOA programs. In the past year, the TAA Program developed a series of short online videos that describe the program's purpose, program benefits and critical information related to accessing the benefits. These videos use infographics and testimonials to help engage viewers, explain complex information, and encourage benefit utilization. The videos are shown during TAA orientation sessions and are also available online.