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. C. Describe how the State will utilize Rapid Response funds to respond to layoffs and plant closings and coordinate services to quickly aid companies and their affected workers. States also should describe any layoff aversion strategies they have implemented to address at risk companies and workers.
Current Narrative:
The State Rapid Response Team uses a variety of approaches and strategies to avert and respond to layoffs. These include the early identification of at-risk industries and companies through the utilization of a variety of data including labor market analyses, layoff trends, and policy analysis including the impact of federal, state and local policies and regulations on businesses and industries. State unemployment insurance company layoff data is used to identify layoff trends and specific companies that are approaching WARN levels. These data are used to conduct outreach activities to businesses whose employees might benefit from Rapid Response services.
Additionally, the State Rapid Response team provides resources and technical assistance to local area Rapid Response staff who are charged with developing local layoff aversion plans. These annual plans include additional strategies to address the following:
- Ongoing engagement, partnership and relationship building activities with businesses in the community in order to create an environment for successful layoff aversion efforts and the provision of assistance to dislocated workers in obtaining reemployment as soon as possible.
- Partnering or contracting with business-focused organizations to assess risks to companies, propose strategies to address those risks, implement services, and measure the impact of services delivered.
- Funding feasibility studies to determine if a company's operations may be sustained through a buyout or other means to avoid or minimize layoffs.
- Developing, funding and managing incumbent worker training programs or other worker upskilling approaches.
- Connecting companies to State provided short-term compensation or other programs designed to prevent layoffs or to quickly re-employ dislocated workers, employer loan programs for employee skill upgrading and other federal, state and local resources as necessary to address other business needs.
- Establishing linkages with economic development activities at the federal, state and local levels including the Federal Department of Commerce programs and available State and local business retention and expansion activities.
- Engaging in proactive measures to identify opportunities for potential economic transition and training needs in growing industry sectors or expanding businesses.
- Connecting with businesses and impacted workers at the point of layoff announcement to achieve the rapid reemployment of the affected workers prior to their layoff dates. The Rapid Response Team provides an early connection to the resources needed for rapid reemployment including access to workshops delivered both in-person and virtually, the Help After Layoff site that provides a wealth of information from assessments to accessing career services through local area workforce services, filing for unemployment, health care options after their employer sponsored healthcare ends, how various decisions about their company sponsored 401K can impact unemployment insurance benefits, and how to manage their budgets and credit after a layoff. It also provides direct links to statewide workforce centers, workforce events, registration forms for workshops, assessments and all career services provided by the WIOA Title I Dislocated Worker Program and the WIOA Title III Wagner-Peyser program.
The State Rapid Response Team has formed collaborative partnerships to identify and design appropriate interventions. Partnerships include Colorado’s local workforce areas and Workforce Development Boards, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Trade Adjustment Assistance program for firms, Chambers of Commerce, Small Business Development Centers, State agencies such as the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the Public Health Department, and Vocational Rehabilitation, community-based organizations and quasi-governmental organizations such as Connect for Health Colorado (Colorado’s healthcare exchange).
including partner websites, radio and television public service announcements, flyers posted at the workforce centers as well as You Tube sites, Facebook, Twitter and other social media. Rapid Response and TAA teams also collaborate with partners to conduct workshops, present at conferences, trade shows, professional associations, Chambers, clubs and other outreach events.