January 30, 2014 | 6:57 | Public Domain
This anniversary episode, hosted by the President, coincides with this year's State of the Union Address. We'll take you behind the scenes and on the road to speak directly with Americans like you about your lives and your families, and how together we can make sure that every American who works and studies hard has a real chance to get ahead.
In September 2009, the President announced that—for the first time in history—White House visitor records would be made available to the public on an ongoing basis. Today, the White House releases visitor records that were generated in October 2013. Today’s release also includes visitor records generated prior to September 16, 2009 that were requested by members of the public in December 2013 pursuant to the White House voluntary disclosure policy. This release brings the total number of records made public by this White House to over 3.44 million—all of which can be viewed in our Disclosures section.
February 04, 2014 | 4:12 | Public Domain
During a virtual road trip on Google+, President Obama answers a question from Darnell Summers, a fry cook at a fast-food restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, about raising the minimum wage.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
AMERICAN HEART MONTH, 2014
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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Maintaining a strong heart is key to a long and healthy life. The number one killer of American men and women, cardiovascular disease is responsible for one out of every four deaths in the United States. During American Heart Month, we renew our fight, both as a Nation and in each of our own lives, against the devastating epidemic of heart disease.
While anyone can develop heart disease, those with high blood pressure or high cholesterol and those who smoke are at greater risk. Risk factors like diabetes, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol use can also increase the likelihood of developing heart disease. By adopting a few healthy habits -- getting regular exercise; not smoking; eating diets rich in fruits and vegetables and low in salt, saturated fat, and cholesterol -- each of us can reduce our risk. Following health care providers' instructions can also improve heart health and lessen the chance of heart attack.
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans have gained access to affordable health care coverage, including recommended preventive screenings with no out-of-pocket cost. As we improve access to coverage, my Administration remains committed to supporting scientific research and raising awareness of heart disease. In 2011, we launched Million Hearts, which aims to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. And through First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative, we are helping young people make the positive choices that will keep them healthy throughout their lives.
On Friday, February 7, everyone will have the chance to show their support for heart health by observing National Wear Red Day. Michelle and I encourage Americans to wear red in solidarity with those struggling with heart disease and in acknowledgement of the hardworking health care professionals who provide life-saving treatment, research, and advice. As we honor their contributions, let us take ownership of our heart health and commit to positive lifestyles, this month and throughout the year.
In acknowledgement of the importance of the ongoing fight against cardiovascular disease, the Congress, by Joint Resolution approved December 30, 1963, as amended (77 Stat. 843; 36 U.S.C. 101), has requested that the President issue an annual proclamation designating February as "American Heart Month."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim February 2014 as American Heart Month, and I invite all Americans to participate in National Wear Red Day on February 7, 2014. I also invite the Governors of the States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, officials of other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and the American people to join me in recognizing and reaffirming our commitment to fighting cardiovascular disease.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.
BARACK OBAMA
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
SUBJECT: Certification Concerning U.S. Participation in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali Consistent with Section 2005 of the American Servicemembers' Protection Act
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and consistent with section 2005 of the American Servicemembers' Protection Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 7424), concerning the participation of members of the Armed Forces of the United States in certain United Nations peacekeeping and peace enforcement operations, I hereby certify that members of the U.S. Armed Forces participating in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali are without risk of criminal prosecution or other assertion of jurisdiction by the International Criminal Court (ICC) because the Republic of Mali has entered into an agreement in accordance with Article 98 of the Rome Statute preventing the ICC from proceeding against members of the Armed Forces of the United States present in that country.
You are authorized and directed to publish this determination in the Federal Register.
BARACK OBAMA
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
East Room
11:39 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you, everybody. (Applause.) Everybody, please have a seat.
Well, first of all, let me just thank Erick for being here, for sharing his story, for his service to our country. I hope that listening to Erick here, everybody recognizes what a great success story this is, but also the notion that somebody with this kind of skill and talent was having difficulty finding a job indicates the challenge that we face. And I want to thank all of you, business leaders, and philanthropists, elected officials, all levels and members of my Cabinet and the administration, not only for coming but for committing to more success stories for people like Erick, making sure that everybody in this country who wants to work has a chance to get ahead and not just get a paycheck, but also the dignity and the structure that a job provides people.
On Tuesday, I delivered my State of the Union address. And I said what while the economy is getting stronger -- and businesses like yours have created more than 8 million new jobs over the past four years, our unemployment rate is lower than it’s been in over five years -- we all know we’ve still got a lot more to do to build an economy where everybody who is willing to work hard and take responsibility can get ahead. We’ve got to do more to restore opportunity for every American.
And the opportunity agenda I laid out begins with doing everything we can to create new jobs here in America -- jobs in construction and manufacturing; jobs in American innovation and American energy. There are steps we can take to streamline our tax code, to incentivize companies to invest here. There are things that we can do to make sure that we are continuing to lead the world in innovation and basic research. We’ve got a whole lot of infrastructure we can build that could put people to work right away. We’ve got a couple trillion dollars’ worth of deferred maintenance in America, and the ramifications of us taking that on would be significant. So we’ve got to grow faster and put more shoulders behind the wheel of expanding economic growth.
Step two is making sure that every American has the skills to fill those jobs. Step three, we’ve got to guarantee every child access to a world-class education, from early childhood to college to a career. (Applause.) And step four, we’ve got to make sure that hard work pays off -- with wages you can live on, savings you can retire on, health insurance that’s there for you when you need it.
Today, we’re here to focus on that second point: connecting more ready-to-work Americans with ready-to-be-filled jobs, so that folks who are out of work can apply the skills that they’ve already got. And getting people back on the job faster is one of our top priorities. But I have to confess, last month, Congress made that harder by letting unemployment insurance expire for more than a million people. And each week that Congress fails to restore that insurance, roughly 72,000 Americans will join the ranks of the long-term unemployed who have also lost their economic lifeline.
And for our fellow Americans who have been laid off, through no fault of their own, unemployment insurance is often the only source of income they’ve got to support their families while they look for a new job. So when Erick was out of work, it’s a lot harder to look for work if you can’t put gas in the gas tank, if you’re worried about whether there’s food on the table for your kid. If Mom isn’t making the rent and paying her phone bill, it’s a lot harder for her to follow up with a potential employer. Unemployment insurance provides that extra bit of security so that losing your livelihood doesn’t mean you lose everything that you’ve worked so hard to build. And that’s true whether you’ve been out of work for one month or six months.
But folks who have been unemployed the longest often have the toughest time getting back to work. It’s a cruel Catch-22 -– the longer you’re unemployed, the more unemployable you may seem. Now, this is an illusion, but it’s one that unfortunately we know statistically is happening out there. According to one study, if you’ve been out of work eight months, you’re likely to get called back for an interview only about half as often as if you’ve been out of work one month -- even with the identical résumé. So we are here tonight to say that’s not right -- because we know there are folks like Erick, all across this country, who have enormous skills, enormous talents, enormous capacity. But they need a chance.
I invited Misty DeMars to my speech on Tuesday night. A mother of two young boys, she’d been steadily employed since she was a teenager, put herself through college, had never collected unemployment benefits, never depended on the federal government -- extraordinarily impressive young woman. When she lost her job to budget cuts, she couldn’t find another, she turned to unemployment insurance to make sure she and her husband could keep the new home they had just spent their life savings to buy. And as I said on Tuesday, she wrote to me and said, “I’m confident I’ll find a job. I will pay my taxes. I will raise our kids in the home that we purchased in a community that we love. Please give us this chance.” And I thought that spoke for so many Americans out there -- just give us this chance.
They’re our neighbors, they’re our friends -- young and old; black, white; men, women; PhDs and GEDs. The interesting thing, by the way, is statistically the long-term unemployed are oftentimes slightly better educated, in some cases better qualified than folks who just lost their job. Just because you’ve been out of work for a while does not mean that you are not a hard worker. It just means you had bad luck or you were in the wrong industry, or you lived in a region of the country that’s catching up a little slower than others in the recovery.
And I’ve heard from too many of these folks who show up early -- they will outwork anybody. They fill out 100 applications, 200 applications. They’re sending out résumés, still finding time to volunteer in their community, or helping out at church. Sometimes they have more experience and education and skill than newly unemployed Americans. They just need that chance.
Somebody will look past that stretch of unemployment, put it in the context of the fact that we went through the worst financial and economic crisis in our lifetimes, which created a group of folks who were unemployed longer than normal. They just need employers to realize it doesn’t reflect at all on their abilities or their value. It just means they’ve been dealing with the aftermath of this really tough job market, and all they need is a fair shot. And with that shot, an out-of-work young person can get the critical experience he needs to improve his employment prospects for the rest of his life. With that shot, someone with decades of experience could get back in the game and show a younger worker the ropes. We can give them that shot. And that’s what today is all about.
And we really don’t have an alternative, because giving up on the unemployed will create a drag on our economy that we cannot tolerate. Giving up on any American is something America cannot do. And Erick I think made an important point during his early remarks. Oftentimes folks, no matter how skilled you are, how confident you are, you get discouraged. And that affects people’s physical health. It affects their mental health. And over time, you can have a negative feedback where it becomes harder and harder for folks to get back in the game because they're just getting so many discouraging messages. And that can have long-term impact, particularly if it’s early on in a young person’s career.
So while Congress decides whether or not it’s going to extend unemployment insurance for these Americans, we’re going to go ahead and act. We know what works, and we’re going to go ahead and see what we can do without additional legislation to make some serious dents in the long-term unemployment problem.
We know what works for employers and employees alike. I spoke on Tuesday about Andra Rush, the head of Detroit Manufacturing Systems. She was with us at the State of the Union, sitting with the First Lady. When she was staffing up her new factory, she worked with the local American Jobs Centers -- federally funded -- to hire people who were out of the job but ready to work. On average, they’d been unemployed for 18 months. Today, she says, they are some of her best employees.
Greg Merrity is here today. Greg has been working in sales for 30 years. When he lost his job in December 2011, for the first time in his life he found himself struggling to capitalize on decades of work experience. After months of sending out résumés, pounding the pavement, Greg’s unemployment insurance ran out. And he began, like Erick described, to start feeling hopeless and start feeling useless. And last year, he got hooked up with an organization called Skills for Chicagoland’s Future –- which actually got its start thanks in part to the great work of Penny Pritzker, our Secretary of Commerce, as well as my former Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel.
And so this intermediary trains folks like Greg with the skills they need to get placed right away in one of the local companies. And just two weeks after enrolling, Greg was back on the job, helping people get signed up for the health insurance they need. And Greg said, “SCF made me feel relevant again -– like I have something to offer.”
So today, more than 80 of the nation’s largest businesses, over 200 small- and medium-sized businesses are announcing their commitment to a set of Best Practices, like Greg and Misty and Erick can access, and feel as if they can have a partner in getting back on the job and making the contributions that we know they can make. And so I want to thank all the companies who have made this commitment. (Applause.)
With the support of Andrew Liveris and Ursula Burns, chairing the Business Council, and Randall Stephenson at the Business Roundtable, as well as the Society for Human Resource Management, we’ve engaged employers of all sizes, all around the country -– including many who are here today –- to commit to a set of inclusive hiring policies –- from making sure recruiting and screening practices don’t disadvantage folks who have been out of work, to establishing an open-door policy that actively encourages all qualified applicants.
And, of course, it’s only right that the federal government lead by example. So today, I am directing every federal agency to make sure we are evaluating candidates on the level, without regard to their unemployment history. Because every job applicant deserves a fair shot.
And I just had a chance to meet with some of the CEOs who are making these commitments. Some of them are already participating with what’s going on in Chicago. And they had some great ideas about what they know works.
For example, one of the things that we’re going to have to examine is the impact of credit histories on the long-term unemployed. If you’ve been out of work for 18 months, you may have missed some bills. That can't be a barrier then for you getting to work so you can pay your bills. But unfortunately, we’re setting up some, in some cases, perverse incentives and barriers. But in some cases what I heard from the CEOs is it was just a matter of let’s pay attention to this. Let’s see if we’re doing everything we can to look at every candidate on the merits.
And I was really grateful to all of them for stepping up in this way. And I’m confident that as a consequence of this initiative we’re going to see some progress all across the country.
Going back to Greg, his life was turned around because of a partnership that really cares -- not just because he got a fair shot, but because he had advocates who helped him earn the skills he needed to land a job that made sense for him. And so that’s why we’re excited to have programs like Chicagoland’s Future and Platform 2 Employment, and many others that are represented in this room. As important as it is for the businesses to make these commitments, it’s great to have these intermediaries and nonprofits who are also able to show success, even with folks who have been out of work for a long, long time.
And my administration is going to partner with the business community and the nonprofit sector. I’ve asked Joe Biden to lead an across-the-board reform of all our training programs, working with Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, to make sure that our job training programs have a single mission: train Americans with the skills employers need, and then match them to the good jobs that need to be filled right now. That's what we have to prioritize. (Applause.)
And today I’m announcing that the Department of Labor is going to put forward $150 million in a Ready to Work Partnership competition to support more partnerships that we know work –- innovative collaborations between local governments, major employers, nonprofits all designed to help workers get the skills they need and build bridges to the jobs that require them.
So even though our economy is getting stronger, it’s not going to be enough until those gains translate into better opportunities for ordinary folks like Erick who have the skills, have the desire, just need a chance. We’re going to keep on knocking down barriers to re-employment so more of the nearly 4 million long-term unemployed Americans can regain the stability and security that a good job brings their families -- and, by the way, so that they have more money to spend on local businesses, which will lift the entire economy up and create a virtuous cycle instead of a negative one.
We’re going to keep encouraging employers to welcome all applicants. You never know who is going to have the next great idea to grow your business. We’re going to keep building new ladders of opportunity for every American to climb into the middle class. It’s good for our economy, but it’s also good for our people.
We are stronger, as I said on Tuesday, when America fields a full team. So I just want to thank all the businesses here for your commitments; all the nonprofits here for the work that you’re already doing on the ground. We are going to scale this up. We are going to make this happen. Most of all, I want to thank Erick and some of the other folks who have experienced success -- because as I told Erick before we came out here, when folks see him doing well, that gives them hope, and it reminds us that we can’t afford to let such incredible talent be wasting away. We’ve got to get those folks back in the game, and that’s what I’m committed to doing and I know Joe is, as well.
So thank you very much. I’m now going to sign our new federal commitment. I appreciate you. And after this I think you guys still have some more work to do. (Applause.)
END
11:57 A.M. EST
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH, 2014
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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Americans have long celebrated our Nation as a beacon of liberty and opportunity -- home to patriots who threw off an empire, refuge to multitudes who fled oppression and despair. Yet we must also remember that while many came to our shores to pursue their own measure of freedom, hundreds of thousands arrived in chains. Through centuries of struggle, and through the toil of generations, African Americans have claimed rights long denied. During National African American History Month, we honor the men and women at the heart of this journey -- from engineers of the Underground Railroad to educators who answered a free people's call for a free mind, from patriots who proved that valor knows no color to demonstrators who gathered on the battlefields of justice and marched our Nation toward a brighter day.
As we pay tribute to the heroes, sung and unsung, of African-American history, we recall the inner strength that sustained millions in bondage. We remember the courage that led activists to defy lynch mobs and register their neighbors to vote. And we carry forward the unyielding hope that guided a movement as it bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice. Even while we seek to dull the scars of slavery and legalized discrimination, we hold fast to the values gained through centuries of trial and suffering.
Every American can draw strength from the story of hard-won progress, which not only defines the African-American experience, but also lies at the heart of our Nation as a whole. This story affirms that freedom is a gift from God, but it must be secured by His people here on earth. It inspires a new generation of leaders, and it teaches us all that when we come together in common purpose, we can right the wrongs of history and make our world anew.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 2014 as National African American History Month. I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.
BARACK OBAMA
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
SUBJECT: Enhancing Safeguards to Prevent the Undue Denial of Federal Employment Opportunities to the Unemployed and Those Facing Financial Difficulty Through No Fault of Their Own
The Federal Government is America's largest employer. While seeking to employ a talented and productive workforce, it has a responsibility to lead by example. Although executive departments and agencies (agencies) generally can, and do, take job applicants' employment history and other factors into account when making hiring decisions, it is the policy of my Administration that applicants should not face undue obstacles to Federal employment because they are unemployed or face financial difficulties. The Government must continue to take steps to ensure the fair treatment of applicants, as well as incumbent Federal employees, who face financial difficulties through no fault of their own and make good faith efforts to meet those obligations. Therefore, I hereby direct as follows:
Section 1. Individuals Who Are Unemployed or Facing Financial Difficulty. (a) Agencies shall not make an unfavorable determination with respect to the suitability, fitness, or qualifications of an applicant for Federal employment because that applicant:
(i) is or was unemployed; or
(ii) has experienced or is experiencing financial difficulty through no fault of the applicant, if the applicant has undertaken a good-faith effort to meet his or her financial obligations.
(b) Consistent with existing law, agencies shall not remove, suspend, or demote a current Federal employee if the basis of the action is that the employee has experienced, or is experiencing, financial difficulty through no fault of the employee, and the employee has undertaken a good-faith effort to meet his or her financial obligations.
(c) Agencies shall review their recruiting and hiring practices to determine whether such processes intentionally or inadvertently place applicants at an undue disadvantage because of the factors set forth in subsection (a) of this section and report the results to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) within 90 days of the date of this memorandum.
Taking into account the results, the Director of OPM shall issue guidance to Chief Human Capital Officers to assist agencies with implementation of this memorandum.
Sec. 2. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to a department or agency, or the head thereof;
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals;
(iii) the authority granted by law, Executive Order, or regulation to a department or agency, or the head thereof, to determine eligibility for access to classified information or to occupy a sensitive position; or
(iv) the authority granted by law or Executive Order to a department or agency, or the head thereof, to take adverse actions against Federal employees for their failure to comply with any law, rule, or regulation imposing upon them an obligation to satisfy in good faith their just financial obligations, including Federal, State, or local taxes.
(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The Director of OPM is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.
BARACK OBAMA
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
Click here to see a list of best practices on recruiting and hiring the long-term unemployed -- and a list of signers.
Read a report on the importance of addressing the negative cycle of long-term unemployment.
Year of Action: Making Progress Through Executive Action
Today, following up on his call to action, the President is meeting with CEOs whose companies have agreed to take steps to help give the long-term unemployed a fair shot at a job, and will announce new steps to expand partnerships that connect the long-term unemployed to good jobs.
Partnering With Leading Companies to Give the Long-Term Unemployed a Fair Shot. Research shows that the long-term unemployed are frequently overlooked and sometimes excluded from job opportunities – with one study finding that long-term unemployed workers with otherwise identical resumes were called back for interviews at rates 45 percent lower than the short-term unemployed
New Best Practices for Hiring and Recruiting the Long-Term Unemployed. As part of an ongoing effort that began several months ago, the Administration has engaged with America’s leading businesses to develop best practices for hiring and recruiting the long-term unemployed to ensure that these candidates receive a fair shot during the hiring process.
Over 300 Hundred Companies Have Signed On. More than 80 of the nation’s largest businesses have signed on, including 20 members of the Fortune 50 and over 45 members of the Fortune 200, as well as small- and medium-sized businesses. In the coming months, the President will encourage other business leaders to adopt these practices.
Presidential Memorandum to Make Sure the Federal Government Does the Same. The President will also lead by example and use his executive authority to sign a Presidential Memorandum to make sure that individuals who are unemployed or have faced financial difficulties through no fault of their own receive fair treatment and consideration for employment by federal agencies.
$150 Million for “Ready to Work” Partnerships That Support Innovative Public-Private Efforts to Help the Long-Term Unemployed Get a Fair Shot. The Administration is launching a grant competition through the Department of Labor to support and scale innovative partnerships among employers and non-profits in states and cities across the country that are helping to prepare and place the long-term unemployed into good jobs.
Focus on Job Placement Assistance, Work-Based Training and Employer Engagement. These partnerships will employ strategies that have demonstrated success or high promise, including job placement assistance, work-based training, and employer engagement.
New Private Commitments to Scale Models That Help the Long-Term Unemployed. Foundations are also announcing new commitments to help the long-term unemployed, including providing new support to applicants for federal grant programs as well as new grants to rural and urban communities to upgrade the skills of the long-term unemployed.
FURTHER DETAIL ON EXECUTIVE ACTIONS THE PRESIDENT IS TAKING TO GIVE THE LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED A FAIR SHOT
After the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, our economy has made significant progress, as businesses have added 8.2 million jobs over the past 46 months. But a remaining legacy of the recession is the crisis of long-term unemployment. Too many Americans who found themselves out of a job through no fault of their own have struggled to return to work. At a time when we as a nation should be helping those who are long-term unemployed find new jobs, we should never have taken an abrupt step backwards by cutting off their unemployment insurance, which has already hurt 1.6 million Americans since the end of last year and is estimated to hurt 4.9 million workers by the end of 2014. The President urges members of both parties to come together right now to extend emergency unemployment insurance. And, the President will continue to work with Congress as well as to take executive action to address the challenge of the long-term unemployed.
Partnering With Leading Companies to Give the Long-Term Unemployed a Fair Shot. Research shows that the long-term unemployed are frequently overlooked and sometimes excluded from job opportunities – even when they may have identical or superior resumes to other candidates.
Long-Term Unemployed Are Frequently Overlooked in Recruiting and Hiring Practices. One recent study showed that the interview “callback” rate for otherwise identical resumes falls sharply as the length of unemployment rises, with callbacks 45 percent lower for those unemployed for eight months compared to those unemployed for just one month. Another study found that those unemployed for seven months need to send an average of 35 resumes to online job postings to receive just one interview, compared to just 10 resumes per interview for those unemployed for only one month.
New Best Practices for Hiring and Recruiting the Long-Term Unemployed. As part of an ongoing effort that began several months ago, the Administration has engaged with America’s leading businesses to develop best practices for hiring and recruiting the long-term unemployed to ensure that these candidates receive a fair shot during the hiring process.
---- Ensuring advertising does not discourage or discriminate against the unemployed
---- Reviewing screening and other recruiting procedures so that they do not intentionally or inadvertently disadvantage individuals based solely on their unemployment status
---- Using recruitment practices that cast a broad net and encourage all qualified candidates to apply
---- Sharing best practices for success in hiring the long-term unemployed within their companies and across their supply chains and the greater business community
Over 300 Hundred Companies Have Signed On. More than 80 of the nation’s largest businesses have signed on, including 20 members of the Fortune 50 and over 45 members of the Fortune 200, as well as small- and medium-sized businesses. In the coming months, the President will encourage other business leaders to adopt these practices.
Additional Support for Human Resource Professionals in Implementing Best Practices. The Society for Human Resource Management, which helped develop these best practices, has developed additional guides for human resource professionals and long-term unemployed job-seekers and will be an ongoing resource to provide technical support for companies seeking to implement these practices.
Presidential Memorandum to Make Sure the Federal Government Does the Same. The President will also lead by example and use his executive authority to issue a Presidential Memorandum to ensure the long-term unemployed receive a fair shot in the Federal hiring process. The Memorandum directs federal agencies to review their recruiting and hiring practices to determine whether these practices put long-term unemployed individuals at an undue disadvantage and report the results to the Office of Personnel Management. This process will help to make sure the unemployed or individuals who have faced financial difficulties (a common side-effect of long-term unemployment) are fairly considered for jobs.
$150 Million for “Ready to Work” Partnerships to Support Innovative Public-Private Efforts to Help the Long-Term Unemployed Get a Fair Shot. Today, the President and Department of Labor are announcing $150 million in existing resources from the H-1B fund to support high performing partnerships between employers, non-profit organizations and America’s public workforce system that will help provide long-term unemployed individuals with the range of services, training, and access they need to fill middle and high-skill jobs. A solicitation for applications for these “ready to work” partnerships be available in February and awards will be made in mid-2014. In particular, these grants will reward partnerships with the following key features:
Focus on Reemploying Long-Term Unemployed Workers. Programs will have to recruit long-term unemployed workers and employ strategies that are effective in getting them back to work in middle to high-skill occupations. These strategies could include assessments, job placement assistance, training, mentoring and supportive services such as financial counseling and behavioral health counseling.
Work-based Training That Enables Earning While Learning Through Models Such as On-the-Job Training (OJT), Paid Work Experience, Paid Internships and Registered Apprenticeships. Incorporating work-based training into these projects will afford employers the opportunity to train workers in the specific skill sets required for open jobs.
Employer Engagement and Support in Program Design – Including Programs That Commit to Consider Hiring Qualified Participants. Training programs funded by these grants must address the skills and competencies demanded by employers and high-growth industries, and ultimately lead to the employment of qualified participants. Preference will be given to applicants with employer partners that make a commitment to consider candidates who participate in these programs.
CONTINUING TO WORK WITH CONGRESS ON THE PRESIDENT’S EXISTING PROPOSALS TO GET THE LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED BACK TO WORK
Continuing to Work With Congress to Extend Emergency Unemployment Insurance for Americans Looking for Work. At a time when we as a nation should be helping those who are long-term unemployed find new jobs, we should never have taken a step backwards by abruptly cutting off their unemployment insurance, which has already hurt 1.6 million Americans since the end of last year and is estimated to hurt 4.9 million workers by the end of 2014. The President urges members of both parties to come together right now to extend emergency unemployment insurance.
Working to Put in Place Job-Driven Training Programs that Connect the Long-Term Unemployed to Work. In addition to his broader efforts to support job growth through investment in areas like infrastructure and manufacturing, the President has called for new, targeted efforts to train the long-term unemployed and connect them to jobs. In the American Jobs Act, for example, and in his subsequent budgets, the President has proposed new, temporary programs that would offer reemployment and training for the long-term unemployed and low-skilled workers. The President’s budget also proposed consolidating and improving the two programs that serve displaced workers in order to double the number of workers that are able to receive training after losing a job through no fault of their own.
NEW PRIVATE COMMITMENTS TO EXPAND MODELS THAT HELP THE LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED GET BACK TO WORK
LinkedIn. LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, has committed to support select grantees and states from the Administration’s new $150 million fund for Ready to Work Partnerships to help them identify, connect and support the long-term unemployed in their region.
Skills for America’s Future. Skills for America’s Future, an industry-led initiative launched in partnership with the White House in 2009, is announcing its intention to offer technical support to applicants for the new grants being announced today by the Department of Labor, including the provision of on-line informational resources and briefings. SAF will seek to offer prospective applicants with strategies and approaches reflecting best practices in demand-driven employment strategies that meet employer needs and ensure labor market success for job seekers and the long-term unemployed. SAF and Skills for Chicagoland's Future, the first regional adaptation of SAF's demand-driven workforce development principles, is announcing efforts to support the expansion of SCF's promising model program. SAF has provided Skills for Chicagoland's Future with a grant to launch a new web portal to support the needs of employers and organizations interested in learning more about demand-driven intermediary work or in replicating the SCF model. SAF also announced a grant to the Indianapolis-based Workforce Investment Board, “Indy,” in support of the adoption of demand driven workforce development practices targeting the long-term unemployed. Finally, SAF is announcing its plans to undertake research agenda designed to identify and promulgate a set of best practices for how to effectively engage employers in demand-driven training and employment programs.
National Fund for Workforce Solutions. With support from the Social Innovation Fund (SIF) and matching funds from a dozen national philanthropies, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions (NFWS) will be awarding $2.5 million in grants this month to 21 rural and urban regions across the U.S. Local communities will match this grant on at least a dollar-for-dollar basis, creating an investment pool of more than $5 million. These resources will be invested in addressing the occupational needs of small/middle-market companies and institutions in key regional industries. Funding will be targeted to upgrade the skills of the long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged populations. Training priorities will be established based on the competency requirements as defined by the hundreds of employers participating in the National Fund’s sectoral industry partnerships.
Skills for Chicagoland’s Future. Skills for Chicagoland’s Future will lead a groundbreaking expansion of their work including a unique partnership with the Chicago Department of Aviation and announcement of a new two-year $600,000 grant from JPMorgan Chase’s landmark New Skills at Work program which will increase the number of unemployed served in 2014 by 20%. SCF will expand their practice of obtaining annual signed commitments from a multitude of employers to hire the unemployed through SCF. SCF will also launch a new web portal for organizations that have an interest in replicating a demand driven model or companies seeking information on opportunities to address long term unemployment. SCF’s innovative model and approach led to the job placement of nearly 600 unemployed in 2013 with 75% being long term unemployed.
Per Scholas. Per Scholas is announcing that as of February 3, 2014, it will open a fourth location. Located in downtown Silver Spring, MD, this free IT-Ready job training will serve 80 dislocated workers in its inaugural year, ultimately training over 1,000 area residents by 2020. IT-Ready graduates will be equipped with the IT job skills needed by community employers, which were consulted in preparation for opening. This program will be supported the Creating IT Futures Foundation, Per Scholas’ national expansion partner, and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, who helped find and furnish the new site, and will be a primary referral partner ensuring that residents from the region receive the support services needed most.
Goodwill Industries. Goodwill Industries International is announcing its partnership with Accenture to launch GoodProspects® for Credentials to Careers in order to help more Americans, including the long-term unemployed, gain the skills needed for college and career success. The program, which is funded by a $1.5 million grant as part of Accenture’s Skills to Succeed initiative, will help 40 Goodwill® agencies from across the country connect with more than 15,000 people, starting with 10 competitively selected Goodwill agencies that have existing partnerships with community colleges and area businesses. GoodProspects for Credentials to Careers will engage in local credentialing partnerships, conduct regional education and industry summits to develop and strengthen the talent pipeline, and offer Accenture employees and others the opportunity to provide program participants with mentoring and skill-building support. Goodwill will also leverage local training and educational opportunities through community colleges to help address the skills gap in businesses across the country. Finally, GoodProspects for Credentials to Careers will offer career-readiness services such as resume refinement, job-search assistance, soft-skills workshops and access to technology as well as other wrap-around services such as financial coaching, credentialing opportunities, employer referrals, and childcare and mental health services.
JPMorgan Chase. JPMorgan Chase & Co. recently announced its New Skills at Work initiative, a five-year workforce readiness and demand-driven training initiative. Working closely with local businesses, elected officials, academics and community leaders, JPMorgan Chase will use new data and industry intelligence to direct grants and forge partnerships to help close the skills gap. To achieve this goal, communities need reliable local level data to tell them exactly which skills are needed in which sectors, in order to drive strategic local workforce planning. The data that supports the workforce system today is inadequate; New Skills at Work will address that challenge by developing new data and research to create regional gap reports that analyze the specific skills needs of each community. New Skills will begin its work in nine cities -- Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and the San Francisco Bay Area. As part of a commitment to help the long-term unemployed, JPMorgan Chase is announcing today that the gap reports will include an analysis of the challenges that the long-term unemployed face and a picture of the job opportunities available to those who develop specialized skills through focused and effective training. With this data in hand, the public, private and non-profit sectors, including Ready to Work grantees, can join together to give aspiring workers the training they need to meet employer demand in their community.
AARP Foundation. AARP Foundation is announcing the expansion of its BACK TO WORK 50+ initiative through a new collaboration with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and with generous support from the Walmart Foundation. This program movies low-income, unemployed men and women age 50+ from instability to stability by increasing their income through employment in good jobs in their communities. Originally launched as a demonstration project in Denver, CO in 2013, BACK TO WORK 50+ is designed create local coordination of employment services, public benefits application assistance, financial capability and employer engagement to connect 50+ job candidates to specific in-demand jobs in their communities. Over the next two years, AARP Foundation will invest over $2 million to expand the program and reach thousands more older workers who need these important services. As part of the BACK TO WORK 50+ expansion the first 11 community colleges that will become part of the network have been selected and an additional four colleges will be added later in 2014.
Platform 2 Employment. With support from the AARP Foundation, Citi Community Development and the Walmart Foundation, P2E is announcing the launch of its job readiness program for the long-term unemployed in Orlando, Florida. This caps P2E’s 10 city expansion over the past twelve months that included Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis, Newark, San Diego and San Francisco. Over the next year, P2E plans to expand its program to 25 additional cities. Tested across multiple cohorts including participants from all socio economic and ethnic backgrounds, P2E has already placed 203 long-term unemployed into work experience opportunities, with 88% or 179 of these individuals moving on to unsubsidized full-time employment.
Update: The live Hangout has concluded. You can watch the full video below, or right here.
President Obama's going on a road trip today, and we want you come along for the ride.
After the President delivered his State of the Union Address, he traveled the country to talk about how we're going to ensure opportunity for all. And over the past week, people from all over have submitted their video questions about the address.
Today, January 31, he'll meet with some of those folks as part of a virtual road trip on Google+. The road trip will begin on the West Coast, then the President will hop on to a Hangout in the Midwest, and end back East.
It all happens today at 2 p.m. ET -- don't miss it. Watch the Hangout Road Trip live on WhiteHouse.gov, the White House Google+ page, and at YouTube.com/WhiteHouse.
