The purpose of the ES program is to bring together individuals looking for employment and employers looking for job seekers

The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration awarded Job Service North Dakota a formula grant of $5.03M effective July 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028, under the Employment Service/Wagner-Peyser Funded Activities program (CFDA 17.207). This universal access program delivers employment services and labor market information to job seekers and employers throughout North Dakota. Core services to job seekers include job search assistance, career counseling, skills assessments, labor market information, and job referrals, with no eligibility restrictions. Employer-focused services encompass job order posting, candidate recruitment and referral, skills-to-job matching, assistance with hard-to-fill positions, and support for workforce restructuring and laid-off worker transitions.

Job Service North Dakota may subaward portions of these formula funds to conduct labor market information research and deliver specific services such as career interest assessments, career guidance, and job search workshops through partnerships with local workforce development entities. The program explicitly excludes direct training services, focusing instead on labor exchange mechanisms designed to facilitate rapid workforce reentry and efficient employer-candidate matching. Services are delivered through the American Job Center network and related workforce development partnerships, with performance outcomes focused on ensuring individuals can access needed services to overcome employment barriers and re-engage with the workforce system.

Activities

The ES is a universal access program that provides services to all individuals who need services. Allowable services include assessments of career interests, career guidance when appropriate, job search workshops, and referral to jobs or training as appropriate. Services offered to employers include referral of job seekers to job openings matching job requirements with applicants experience, skills and other attributes helping with special recruitment needs assisting employers with hard-to-fill job orders assisting with job restructuring and helping employers assist laid-off workers. Training services are not provided and not allowable under ES program.

Expected outcomes

The ES program outcomes are to ensure that individuals are able to access and receive the services they need to overcome barriers to employment and reenter the workforce system as quickly as possible.

Intended beneficiaries

This is a universal access program that is available to all individuals.

Subrecipient activities

The grantees may subaward funds to conduct LMI research as well as the provision of specific services such as assessments of career interests, career guidance, job search workshops, referral to jobs or training as appropriate, and others.