Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Wagner-Peyser Program (Employment Services)
All Program-Specific Requirements provided for the WIOA core programs in this section must be addressed for either a Unified or Combined State Plan.
c. Describe the State’s strategy for providing reemployment assistance to UI claimants and other unemployed individuals
Current Narrative:
The Arkansas Reemployment Services (RES) program uses claimant demographic data to mathematically identify Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants that are most at risk of exhausting benefits before finding employment. The Division of Workforce Services, through the Arkansas Workforce Centers, provides additional assistance to these participants, and requires completion of a job search workshop to maintain their UI benefits. The goal of the program is to keep these claimants from exhausting their benefits before they move on to gainful employment.
A job search workshop that lasts four to six hours is held once a month in each of the workforce centers that handle unemployment insurance claims. The workshop provides:
- An orientation to the Arkansas Workforce Center system
- Partner Program Information
- An overview of program requirements
- Labor market information
- Career Readiness Certification information
- Job search assistance
- Proper resume and application preparation
- Interviewing skills information Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) Program. The RESEA program enhances the current RES process by removing barriers to employment for those receiving UI benefits, including transitioning veterans receiving UI compensation for ex-service members to assist them in reentering the workforce more quickly. The RESEA program requires additional services for selected claimants to maintain benefits including the Career Readiness Certificate, an occupational skills assessment and an individual reemployment plan contract.
The goal of the RESEA program is not only to keep claimants from exhausting their benefits before moving on to employment, but also to reduce the number of weeks claimed and to reduce the total benefits paid to result in a new savings for the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. Additional requirements for the RESEA program include:
One-on-one assessment appointments to assist with:
- Resume creation and review o Job search techniques
- Proper application completion o Interview skills and techniques
- Basic skills testing utilizing Career Ready 101 online curriculum as a first step to obtain a Career Readiness Certificate
Presently we have five RESEA locations throughout the state.