HomeMy WebLinkAbout20221490.tiffU.S. Department of Labor
June 13, 2022
Mr. Scott K. James
Chair
Weld County Board of Commissioners
1150 O. Street
Greeley, CO 80631
Dear Commissioner James:
Employment and Training Administration
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20210
RECEIVED
JUN 11201'1
WELD COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS
Thank you for your interest in the Department of Labor's (Department) Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking regarding Wagner-Peyser Act Staffing. Your letter was forwarded to the
Employment and Training Administration, which administers the Wagner-Peyser Employment
Service program.
The proposed rule seeks to revise the Wagner-Peyser Act regulations to require that states use
state merit staff for Employment Service (ES) services, to strengthen the provision of services to
migrant and seasonal farmworkers, and to enhance the protections afforded by the Monitor
Advocate System and the ES and Employment -Related Law Complaint System.
The Department appreciates your interest in this proposed rulemaking and will add your letter to
the comment docket for the proposed rule. We encourage those wishing to comment to please
submit comments via regulations.gov (Docket ID: ETA -2022-0003) on or before June 21, 2022.
The Department will consider all comments submitted to the docket in the drafting of the final
rule.
Again, thank you for your time and consideration. If you have further questions, please contact
the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at (202) 693-4600.
Sincerely,
imberly Vitelli
Administrator
Office of Workforce Investment
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May 26, 2022
OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PHONE: 970-400-4200
FAX: 970-336-7233
1150 O STREET
P.O. BOX 758
GREELEY, CO 80632
Congressman Ken Buck
5626 19`h St
4Suite A
Greeley, CO 80634
Dear Congressman Buck,
The Board of Weld County Commissioners is writing to share our concerns regarding the Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking seeking public comment on proposed revisions to Wagner-Peyser Act regulations to
remove Colorado's status as a demonstration state.
For decades, Weld County, through Employment Services of Weld County (ESWC), has been on the cutting
edge for innovative employment and training programs designed to best meet local needs while serving a
broad spectrum of customers. In 1979, employment and training programs were merged administratively,
resulting in the Job Service and Work Incentive Programs being contracted by the Colorado Department of
Labor and Employment (CDLE) to the Weld County Commissioners allowing County personnel to operate
the Job Service, also referred to as Wagner Peyser.
In the mid -1990s, Representatives from the Governor Romer administration visited numerous areas across
the state to view and assess how programs and services were structured and provided. After visiting Weld
County and viewing the numerous programs operated by Employment Services, the Governor determined
that all workforce areas across the state should have the flexibility to structure employment programs in a
way that best met local needs while providing local structure and control similar to the ESWC model. Weld
County is regionally and nationally renowned for leading this effort, and the NPRM impedes this legacy.
Should Wagner Peyser funding be removed from the local level, it would be with our deepest regret if we
were required to lay off approximately 20 staff from ESWC for them to gain their positions back through
CDLE. Additionally, without the local control model, we cannot guarantee that our constituents of Weld
County will receive services to the fullest extent as demonstrated below:
PYl8
PY19
PY20
Wagner Peyser Participants
9,667
16,204
19,853
Workshop Attendees
2,369
931
653
Job Orders/Postings
11,741
10,828
12,124
Hiring Events and Job Fairs
243
139
42
It is our understanding that Unemployment Insurance is the primary reason for the removal of state
demonstration status. Weld County chose to lead the State of Colorado during the COVID- 19 Pandemic by
only closing the doors of ESWC to the public for five (5) weeks. In Program Year 20, the Employment
Registration Unit assisted 3,032 Unemployment Insurance Benefit recipients from all over the State. A total
of 612 persons requested assistance with ID.me, one of which traveled from El Paso (Texas) because their
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6/6/22,
2022-1490
OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PHONE: 970-400-4200
FAX: 970-336-7233
1150 O STREET
P.O. BOX 758
GREELEY, CO 80632
American Job Center was not open. We pride ourselves on maintaining a high level of in -person customer
service, and utilizing local decision -making practices.
It is of the utmost importance to the Board of Weld County Commissioners that ESWC, one of the first
One -Stop centers in America and the first locally demonstrated Wagner Peyser program, remain under
demonstration state status.
Sincerely,
BOARD OE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
K. James, Chair
Mike Freeman, Pro Tem
May 26, 2022
OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PHONE: 970-400-4200
FAX: 970-336-7233
1150 O STREET
P.O. BOX 758
GREELEY, CO 80632
Secretary Martin J. Walsh
Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20210
Dear Secretary Walsh,
The Board of Weld County Commissioners is writing to share our concerns regarding the Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking seeking public comment on proposed revisions to Wagner-Peyser Act regulations to remove Colorado's
status as a demonstration state.
For decades, Weld County, through Employment Services of Weld County (ESWC), has been on the cutting edge for
innovative employment and training programs designed to best meet local needs while serving a broad spectrum of
customers. In 1979, employment and training programs were merged administratively, resulting in the Job Service
and Work Incentive Programs being contracted by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) to
the Weld County Commissioners allowing County personnel to operate the Job Service, also referred to as Wagner
Peyser.
In the mid -1990s, Representatives from the Govemor Romer administration visited numerous areas across the state to
view and assess how programs and services were structured and provided. After visiting Weld County and viewing
the numerous programs operated by Employment Services, the Governor determined that all workforce areas across
the state should have the flexibility to structure employment programs in a way that best met local needs while
providing local structure and control similar to the ESWC model. Weld County is regionally and nationally renowned
for leading this effort, and the NPRM impedes this legacy.
Should Wagner Peyser funding be removed from the local level, it would be with our deepest regret if we were required
to lay off approximately 20 staff from ESWC for them to gain their positions back through CDLE. Additionally,
without the local control model, we cannot guarantee that our constituents of Weld County will receive services to the
fullest extent as demonstrated below:
PY18
PY19
PY20
Wagner Peyser Participants
9,667
16,204
19,853
Workshop Attendees
2,369
931
653
Job Orders/Postings
11,741
10,828
12,124
Hiring Events and Job Fairs
243
139
42
It is our understanding that Unemployment Insurance is the primary reason for the removal of state demonstration
status. Weld County chose to lead the State of Colorado during the COVID-19 Pandemic by only closing the doors of
ESWC to the public for five (5) weeks. In Program Year 20, the Employment Registration Unit assisted 3,032
Unemployment Insurance Benefit recipients from all over the State. A total of 612 persons requested assistance with
OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PHONE: 970-400-4200
FAX: 970-336-7233
1150 O STREET
P.O. BOX 758
GREELEY, CO 80632
ID.me, one of which traveled from El Paso (Texas) because their American Job Center was not open. We pride
ourselves on maintaining a high level of in -person customer service, and utilizing local decision -making practices.
It is of the utmost importance to the Board of Weld County Commissioners that ESWC, one of the first One -Stop
centers in America and the first locally demonstrated Wagner Peyser program, remain under demonstration state
status.
Sincerely,
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ott K. James, Chair
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