Develop and disseminate essential state and locallabor market information (LMI) for a range of customer groups: 1) job seekers 2) businesses employers 3) workforce and labor market intermediaries such…

The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development Fiscal Services Division received a $634,898 Formula Grant award under the Employment Service/Wagner-Peyser Funded Activities program (CFDA 17.207) from the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration, effective July 1, 2023. This award supports the development and dissemination of essential state and local labor market information (LMI) for a range of customer groups, including job seekers, employers, workforce intermediaries, educational institutions, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

Key activities funded by this grant include populating and maintaining a workforce information database, producing employment projections and a statewide economic analysis report, and ensuring LMI staff receive adequate training. Grantees have flexibility in determining additional LMI reports and data products to deliver. The goal is to provide users with accurate, actionable information to inform decisions around employment, career pathways, education, and training. The Department may use a portion of the funding to work with subrecipients on specialized LMI research or studies when internal staff capacity is limited.

Purpose

The purpose of this grant is to develop and disseminate essential state and locallabor market information (LMI) for a range of customer groups: 1) job seekers 2) businesses employers 3) workforce and labor market intermediaries such as employment, school, and career counselors, and case managers at american job centers, who help individuals find a job or make career decisions, or engage businesses seeking skilled workers 4) program and service planners at educational institutions and community-based organizations 5) policy makers, including state and local workforce development boards (wdbs) 6) partners, such as economic development entities and human resource professionals and 7) other customers, including recipients of workforce development grants, researchers, commercial data providers, and the media.

Activities

Grantees must populate and maintain a database (the workforce information database or WID), produce two types of public products (employment projections and a statewide economic analysis report), and ensure LMI staff are adequately trained. ETA also encourages grantees to produce other reports and data in addition to those required. Grantees have wide discretion in both the topics and presentation format. These reports should include accurate data, actionable information, and resources that enable data users to make informed decisions about the reemployment, work-based learning, training, and career pathways strategies that lead to rapid reemployment and worker advancement along a continuum of high-demand and higher wage jobs.

Expected outcomes

By performing these duties users of LMI will have sufficient information to make informed decisions regarding employment, careers, education, and training.

Intended beneficiaries

Job seekers, employers, staff in american job centers, state and local wdbs, national state local policy makers, students, academic researchers, labor market analysts, and other users of LMI.

Subrecipient activities

A state may use wigs funding to work with a subrecipient to conduct a study or research an LMI topic when a state LMI office does not have sufficientstaffing or knowledge to conduct the work themselves.