TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT NOTICE	NO. 8-03
	DATE: November 13, 2003

TO	:	STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
FROM	:	CHERYL ATKINSON s/s Administrator Office of Workforce Security
SUBJECT	:	Announcement of ETA's Sponsorship of the 2003 Workplace Learning Conference

1. Purpose. To encourage attendance and participation at the 2003 Workplace Learning Conference, December 7-10, 2003, in Chicago, Illinois. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is pleased to be a co-sponsor of this conference for workforce professionals. If you are interested in leading-edge workforce preparedness issues involving incumbent worker training, Workforce Investment Act policy and implementation, welfare-to-work, economic development, work-based learning and school-to-careers initiatives, you may find this conference useful and informative.

2. Background. The theme of the seventh annual Workplace Learning conference is "matching the pace of innovation in workplace learning to the speed of economic change."

   The 2003 Workplace Learning Conference is designed by a broad cross-section of employers, unions, educators, trainers, governmental partners and others with a commitment to excellence in workplace learning. Conference design and implementation is coordinated by the Institute for Work and the Economy in partnership with the Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University.

   The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, is a conference sponsor this year, along with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education.

3. 2003 Workplace Learning Conference Highlights.This conference provides a venue for professional exchange in adult work-based learning and brings together a broad cross-section of leading professionals to learn about innovative and effective practices and resources in work and learning.

This year’s conference focuses on six issue areas:

• Assessment, Evaluation, Accountability And Credentialing
• Innovative And Emerging Workplace Practices
• Intermediary Roles, Models And Strategies
• Linking Work-Based Learning And Economic Development
• Program Sustainability, Resources And Funding
• Research-Based Learning Strategies

Conference speakers include:

• Emily Stover DeRocco - Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor

• Susan Sclafani - Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education

• Jeff Taylor - CEO, Monster.com

• William Lucy - Secretary-Treasurer, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees

• Edward Potter - President, Employment Policy Foundation (EPF)

• Mike Parmentier - Principal, Booz Allen Hamilton's Learning Systems Services Team

U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration Workshop Sessions include:

• Opening Doors to the American Dream for Hispanic Workers: ETA’s Hispanic Initiative Strategy

• The Role of Workplace Learning in a Demand-Driven Workforce System

• Tapping the Skills of Experienced Workers

• Strategies to Promote One-Stop Accessibility for Job-Seekers with Disabilities

• Update on Legislative Developments Affecting Education and Workforce Development

• Limited English Proficiency: What Does This Mean for Our System?

To learn about other workshop sessions, please see the attached conference brochure.

4. Registration. To register for the 2003 Workplace Learning Conference visit, the conference Web site at: http://www.workplace-learning.net

5. Inquiries. For further information about the conference e‑mail: conferenceinfo@workandeconomy.org; call: 815/753-2090; fax: 815/753-2305; or write to: the Workplace Learning Conference, Institute for Work & the Economy, 148 North Third Street, DeKalb, Illinois 60115.

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