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. E. Describe how the State provides early intervention (e.g., Rapid Response) and ensures the provision of appropriate career services to worker groups on whose behalf a Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) petition has been filed. (Section 134(a)(2)(A) and TAA Section 221(a)(2)(A) .) This description must include how the State disseminates benefit information to provide 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 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 and how the state will ensure the provision of appropriate career service to workers in the groups identified in the petition (TAA Sec. 221(a)(2)(A)).<br><i>NOTE: until the TAA PROGRAM is reauthorized, the requirements to provide rapid response and appropriate career services to worker groups on whose behalf a petition has been filed is not applicable.</i>
Current Narrative:
Rapid Response operates in the same manner regardless of whether a TAA petition is involved and provides timely information to dislocated workers with the goal of returning workers back to the labor market in sustainable employment.
West Virginia’s early intervention to worker groups, on whose behalf a TAA petition has been filed, is in conjunction with our WIOA Rapid Response activities. In most cases, by the time a TAA petition is filed, WIOA rapid response activities have already taken place, and basic and individual services are being provided.
After a TAA petition has been filed and certified by the State TAA Unit, additional information specific to TAA is explained through a TAA/ Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA) Benefit Rights Informational Meeting (BRIM) to thoroughly explain the TAA program. Since the impacted workers have already received critical information at a previous Rapid Response meeting, the BRIM Meeting focuses specifically on TAA benefits and services and required deadlines.
West Virginia continues to strive for improvements and increased coordination between the TAA and WIOA programs by mandating co-enrollment, providing necessary services, and data sharing to create a seamless and effective process for dislocated workers. All TAA paperwork and documentation is imaged into the MACC and WIOA /TAA staff have access to all WIOA/TAA services to eliminate the duplication of services and to strengthen the ability to share accessible data benefiting the dislocated workers.