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 Arkansas Division of Workforce Services (ADWS) was awarded a $400,348 Employment Service/Wagner-Peyser Formula Grant by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration. The grant period is from July 1, 2023 to September 30, 2026.

The purpose of this formula grant is to develop and disseminate essential state and local labor market information (LMI) for a range of users, including job seekers, employers, workforce intermediaries, program planners, policymakers, and other stakeholders. Key activities include populating and maintaining a workforce information database, producing employment projections and statewide economic analysis reports, and ensuring LMI staff are adequately trained. The grant provides funding for ADWS to work with subrecipients to conduct specialized LMI studies or research when needed. The expected outcome is that LMI users will have sufficient information to make informed decisions regarding employment, careers, education, and training.

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.