2 Nuts and Bolts Supporting More Job-Driven Approaches through Targeted Technical Assistance and Dissemination of Best Practices As discussed above, federal agencies work closely with state and local grantees to better understand what works well and how they can move to a more job-driven focus. In almost all cases, local programs want to do as much as they can to help people attain good jobs, but they may need guidance to better work with employers to improve job placement rates or introduce better data about the local labor market to help improve the advice they give to job seekers about which fields of training to pursue. Coordinated Outreach to Governors and Local Agencies on Job-Driven Training Checklist. As a first step, many agencies are notifying their state and local grantees about the checklist and asking them to incorporate the Job-Driven Checklist into their operations. Building on the letters that agencies are sending out to program operators and the specific steps that are being taken to deepen employer engagement, work-based learning, and information for individuals, agencies will also take a number of actions to help grantees understand how to incorporate other job-driven practices into their operations and will disseminate best practices that wrap many of the job-driven elements together. DOL, ED, DOC, and HHS are issuing a joint letter to USDA will also send a letter to agencies that administer governors about the Job-Driven Checklist. DOL and SNAP. SNAP offers nutrition assistance to millions of ED will follow up this letter with outreach to program eligible, low-income individuals and families and provides operators about the checklist. In September, HHS economic benefits to communities. USDA will send letters th will be issuing a letter to TANF agencies describing by September 30 to all agencies that administer the strategies for engaging employers and using better SNAP program encouraging them to strengthen job-driven data on job availability. Each month, about one elements into their SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) million adults and 1.7 million families receive programs for FY 2015. The letter will emphasize the assistance from TANF and related state programs, importance of job-driven E&T programs in connecting many of whom are involved in work or work-related SNAP participants with available employment activities including vocational training. opportunities, helping them attain self-sufficiency, and reducing their need for SNAP benefits. The letter will include examples of best practices and lessons learned. Helping States Create Career Pathways for Workers of all Skill Levels. DOL will launch the National Career Pathways Peer Network, an initiative to provide states and formula and competitive grantees working with job seekers of varying skill levels an enhanced set of resources and technical assistance to scale the number and quality of state-level career pathways systems in place nationwide. To address the particular needs of lower-skilled job seekers, ED will launch the Career Pathways Exchange, an online information dissemination service that will give all states and interested stakeholders access to resources and guidance to assist them in developing, expanding, and strengthening their career pathways systems. Helping TANF Agencies Implement Job-Driven Practices. In addition to sending a letter to TANF agencies describing strategies for engaging employers and using better data on job availability, over the next year, HHS will host an 18-month policy academy, “Systems to Family Stability,” to work with 47