SCSEP Four-Year State Strategy

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EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION ADVISORY SYSTEM U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Washington, D.C. 20210	CLASSIFICATION SCSEP
	CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL OWI
	DATE

ADVISORY : TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO.

TO: ALL SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

(SCSEP) GRANTEES

FROM: Portia Wu

Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT: Four-Year SCSEP State Plan Requirements for Program Years 2016-2019

1. Purpose. To inform all SCSEP state and national grantees about the requirements for the SCSEP State Plan as mandated by the 2006 Older Americans Act (OAA) Amendments. Due to the requirements of the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014, there have been some changes to the submission process for the SCSEP State Plans. This Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) provides guidance for the SCSEP portion of the State Plan.

2. References.

• Section 503 of the 2006 OAA Amendments, Pub. L. 109-365, October 17, 2006;

• 20 CFR Part 641, SCSEP Final Rule (September 1, 2010);

• WIOA P.L. 113-128 (July 22, 2014);

• Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 14-15 “WIOA State Plan Submission Requirements”

3. Background. In order to receive SCSEP funds, the OAA requires the Governor of each State, or his or her designee, to submit a State Plan that includes a four-year strategy for the statewide provision of community services and other authorized activities for eligible individuals under the SCSEP. The Governor, or his or her designee, must also describe the planning and implementation process for SCSEP services in the State, taking into account the current relative distribution of eligible individuals and employment opportunities within the State (OAA Section 503(a) and SCSEP regulations at 20 CFR 641.300-365).

WIOA, which supersedes the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, provides an opportunity for federally funded job training programs across the country to ensure that all Americans obtain necessary skills and training needed for self-sufficiency. In order to obtain funding, both state and national grantees must identify the needs of businesses and workers in their region to ensure that workforce solutions and local boards are accountable to the communities in which they are located. Grantees must also ensure that American Job Centers provide customer service to both jobseekers and employers, focus on continuous system improvement, support strong regional economies, and play an active role in community and workforce development.

WIOA state grantees also have state planning responsibilities, and must submit at minimum a Unified Plan covering the title I Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth, title II Adult Education, title III Wagner-Peyser Employment Services, and title IV Vocational Rehabilitation programs. WIOA state grantees have the option to submit a Combined Plan, which includes the programs mandated in the Unified Plan, plus other employment and training programs including SCSEP. SCSEP state grantees may choose to submit a Combined Plan with the WIOA grantee in their state, or a SCSEP Stand-Alone State Plan.

The Combined State Plans, WIOA Unified Plans, and SCSEP state plans will be due April 1, 2016. The Department has issued guidance in TEGL 14-15 on the WIOA Unified and Combined Plan submittal process. State grantees may submit either a four-year SCSEP Stand-Alone Plan or Combined State Plan for Program Years 2016-2019. National grantees also have planning responsibilities, and must coordinate with state grantees in the states where they operate except as provided at 20 CFR 641.320(b). All State Plans must include actions taken and/or plans to coordinate activities of SCSEP grantees in the State with activities carried out in the State under title I of WIOA.

Attachment A of this TEGL is a list of the items that must be included in all state grantees’ SCSEP Stand-Alone Plan or the SCSEP portion of the Combined State Plan.

4. Delegation of Responsibility. The Governor may delegate responsibility for developing and submitting the SCSEP State Plan, provided that any delegation is consistent with state law and regulations. To delegate responsibility, the Governor must submit to the Department a signed statement indicating the individual and/or organization that will be submitting the State Plan on his or her behalf. The Department will honor the delegation as long as the Governor remains in office.

5. State Plan Requirements. As provided at OAA sec. 503(a)(1), the SCSEP portion of the State Plan must include a four-year strategy for the statewide provision of community service employment and other authorized activities for eligible individuals under the SCSEP. The four-year strategy requirement mandates that grantees operating within a state take a long-term view of the SCSEP program to include how it can be combined or enhanced with the coordination of WIOA programs. State grantees must include all elements provided in Attachment A in their four year State Plan strategies.

6. Solicitation and Collection of Public Comments. The Governor, or his or her designee, should follow established state procedures to solicit and collect public comments on the State Plan and must seek the advice and recommendations of the following organizations and individuals with expertise in older workers issues:

• Representatives of the State and area agencies on aging;

• State and local boards under WIOA;

• Public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations providing employment services, including each grantee operating a SCSEP project within the State, except as provided under section 506(a)(3) of OAA and 20 CFR 641.320(b);

• Social service organizations providing services to older individuals;

• Grantees under Title III of OAA;

• Affected communities;

• Unemployed older individuals;

• Community-based organizations serving older individuals;

• Business organizations; and

• Labor organizations.

The State Plan must describe the procedures used to obtain such advice and public comments (20 CFR 641.350 and 20 641.325(f)).

7. Requirements for Modification of the State Plan. Pursuant to 20 CFR part 641.345, modifications to the State Plan are required at any time when:

• There are changes in Federal or state law or policy that substantially change the assumptions upon which the State Plan is based;

• There are significant changes in the state’s vision, strategies, policies, performance goals, or organizational responsibilities; or

• There is a change in a grantee or grantees.

8. Frequency of Submission. The Governor, or his or her designee, must review the State Plan at least once every two years, and submit an update to the Department for consideration and approval. States are encouraged to review their State Plan more frequently than once every two years, making adjustments and submitting updates as circumstances warrant (20 CFR 641.340 and 20 CFR 641.345). Prior to submission of the updates to the State Plan, the Governor must seek the advice and recommendations of the individuals and organizations identified in OAA sec. 503(a)(2) about what, if any, changes are needed, and publish the changes to the State Plan for public comment.

DOL considers the State Plan to be a living document that will guide the strategic and ongoing operations of the SCSEP within the state.

9. Submission and Schedule. Grantees must provide the PY 2016-2019 SCSEP State Plan to the Department by April 1, 2016. Required appendices to the State Plan are identified in Attachment A. States submitting a Combined Plan must do so through the WIOA State Plan Portal. Instructions for portal submissions were published in the WIOA State Plan TEGL 14-15. Grantees may access the webinar discussing features of the State Plan portal at https://www.workforce3one.org/view/5001606445321933913/info. Submission dates are validated at the time of submission through the portal.

SCSEP grantees submitting Stand-Alone State Plans should submit plans directly to [email protected] with a copy to the appropriate Federal Project Officer. SCSEP Stand-Alone State Plans submitted via email are date stamped by the date and time the submission is sent. Grantees should use the “return receipt” function in their email for verification of receipt.

10. Action Required. For PY 2016, all states should submit responses to the questions in Sections I-III of Attachment A on or before April 1, 2016.

11. Inquiries. Please direct questions to the appropriate SCSEP Federal Project Officer.

12. Attachments.

Attachment A: Required Content of the SCSEP State Plan