Secretary Gassman Appoints Andy Feldman as Executive Assistant

November 5 – Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman today announced the appointment of Andy Feldman as Executive Assistant for the Department.

"I am pleased to announce the appointment of Andy Feldman to the top management team at the Department of Workforce Development," Secretary Gassman said. "Andy brings valuable experience in employment and training policy, along with exceptional credentials in policy and public management. He will be an important asset as we work during these challenging economic times to implement the Governor’s agenda to grow our economy, create jobs, and help put Wisconsin back to work."

As Executive Assistant, Feldman will fill one of the Department’s top three leadership roles and be responsible for external relations for the Secretary’s Office, including communications, legislative and congressional relations, as well as interactions with DWD partner agencies and organizations. The appointment is effective November 9, 2009. Feldman most recently served as Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Jim Doyle.

A native of Milwaukee, Feldman earned his B.A. in Economics from Swarthmore College and a Masters and Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University. His doctoral research focused on best practices in employment and training programs. Feldman served as a Staff Economist on President Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisors, taught Strategic Management at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and was Special Assistant to the Secretary of Administration and Finance in Massachusetts.

Feldman replaces Executive Assistant Jessica Erickson, who has been appointed Communications Director for Governor Doyle. "Jessica has been a tremendous asset to our DWD leadership team, and we will miss her greatly," Secretary Gassman said. "Jessica’s talent is truly unique, and it’s not surprising that Governor Doyle has tapped her for such an important role in his office."

A member of Governor Doyle’s cabinet, Secretary Gassman leads the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and oversees more than 1,600 employees charged with strengthening the state’s workforce. DWD provides training and employment assistance to job seekers, enforces worker’s rights, administers Unemployment Insurance, Apprenticeship, and Worker’s Compensation, and works with employers to fill jobs.

Governor Doyle Announces $553,000 to Help Meet Employment Needs of Veterans

November 3 – Governor Jim Doyle announced a $553,000 federal grant to provide employment and training assistance to members of the Wisconsin National Guard returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and other veterans searching for work.

"This grant will help us provide additional services to meet the employment needs of our veterans, especially the brave men and women returning from their tour of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan this fall and next year," Governor Doyle said. "They have served their country, now we must do our best to help them." 

Starting this fall, 3,200 members of the Wisconsin National Guard will return from Iraq. With the grant, the Department of Workforce Development Office of Veterans Services will hold Transitional Assistance Program (TAP) workshops for Guard and Reserve units that offer instruction on writing resumes and preparing for job interviews, and provide information on employment and training services available to veterans and their spouses.

At the workshops, returning troops also will receive information about veterans’ preference, priority of service and the state’s non-competitive appointment authority for veterans. In the last seven months, DWD hired 52 veterans with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Included in this total are 42 special disabled veterans.

DWD plans to hire 45 more veterans in the near future, with funding from a U.S. Department of Labor grant. The added staff will help meet the employment needs of veterans.

Veterans seeking employment and training services should first register on the DWD website, www.jobcenterofwisconsin.com. They can find information about services on the Office of Veterans Services page, http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/veterans/.

Guard and Reserve units that would like to have a TAP workshop conducted at their location for their service members and their spouses should contact the Office of Veterans Services at 608-267-7277 for additional information.

Secretary Gassman Announces $2.5 Million Grant to Upgrade Unemployment Insurance System

October 6 - Department of Workforce Development Secretary Roberta Gassman announced today that Wisconsin has been awarded a $2,458,324 grant by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to make technology upgrades that will improve the operation of the state's unemployment insurance system.

"Unemployment insurance is a critical lifeline for Wisconsin working families struggling through the national economic recession," Secretary Gassman said. "This funding will help us build on improvements we’ve already made to strengthen the system and ensure benefits are paid promptly."
The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) will use the grant money to:

• Upgrade and replace the state’s 10-year old system used for taking telephone claims;
• Develop and implement a new system to help the department schedule UI appeals faster and more efficiently; and
• Further advance the State Information Data Exchange System (SIDES) – a new national electronic system developed by a consortium of states led by Wisconsin and the U.S. Department of Labor. SIDES is designed to improve the timeliness and quality of information submitted by employers, resulting in claims being paid faster and at less cost to the states and employers.

The grant will also help DWD build on steps already taken to improve the system as claims approached record levels nearly a year ago. The department has reassigned staff, enlisted the help of retirees, increased hours of operation on weekdays, added weekend shifts, and hired 100 new workers, with 70 more new workers currently being hired. DWD has also streamlined the filing process to make it easier, doubled the system’s server capacity, added phone lines, and improved the flow of calls.

For quicker service, people are encouraged to file online at www.ucclaim-wi.org, and to call during off hours or later in the week if they cannot get through on Mondays and Tuesdays when the greatest number of calls occur. Ongoing efforts to strengthen the system have achieved dramatic results, with most callers now getting through within minutes and most benefits paid within a week, quicker than the federal requirement of payment within 21 days.

Further information on the ETA State Unemployment Insurance Technology Infrastructure Grants is available on ETA’s Web site at http://www.doleta.gov.

Governor Doyle Proclaims October National Disability Employment Awareness Month

October 5 - Governor Jim Doyle has issued an Executive Order proclaiming the month of October National Disability Employment Awareness Month in Wisconsin. Throughout the month, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and its Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) will recognize and celebrate achievements of employers and employees with disabilities. DVR provides employment services to people with disabilities.

“Wisconsin’s 21st century economy depends on a diverse workforce that includes highly trained people with disabilities, and our employers play an important role in making Wisconsin a state that values the contributions of all of its citizens,” Governor Doyle said. “National Disability Employment Awareness Month is an opportunity for us to highlight the talents and skills of job seekers and working Wisconsin citizens who have disabilities. Society as a whole benefits when people with disabilities work.”

During the month, DWD will acknowledge many of Wisconsin’s employers who have recognized the importance of a diversified workforce that includes people with disabilities. Employment opportunities for people with disabilities can become a critical component in their ability to move from a life of dependency to a life of independence and inclusion in their communities. DVR partners with local service providers, educational institutions and businesses to offer a variety of employment supports and opportunities for individuals with disabilities who want to work.

The effort to educate the public concerning issues related to disability and employment began in 1945 with a week-long celebration that Congress later expanded to National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

For information about employment and other services for people with disabilities in your area, contact your local DVR office or independent living center:

• DVR Offices
• Independent Living Centers