Legal Definitions - Employment and Training Administration

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is a key division within the U.S. Department of Labor. Its core mission is to strengthen the nation's workforce by developing and overseeing programs that provide job training and employment services. This includes creating opportunities for individuals who are unemployed, those whose jobs have been eliminated due to economic changes, young people entering the workforce, and individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, the ETA is responsible for interpreting federal laws related to workforce security and providing guidance to state governments on how to implement these laws, particularly concerning unemployment insurance and job placement services.

Here are some examples illustrating the work of the Employment and Training Administration:

• Imagine a coal mining region in West Virginia where several mines have closed, leaving many experienced miners without work. The ETA would collaborate with the state government and local community colleges to fund and design a retraining program. This program might teach the former miners new skills in areas like wind turbine maintenance or cybersecurity, helping them transition into new industries and secure stable employment. This demonstrates the ETA's role in "developing plans for training dislocated and unemployed workers" to adapt to changing economic landscapes.

• A state's unemployment insurance agency in Arizona is grappling with how to apply a new federal regulation concerning eligibility for benefits for gig economy workers. The ETA would issue clear guidelines and interpretations to Arizona's Department of Economic Security, ensuring that the state correctly understands and implements the federal workforce-security law, thereby providing consistent and fair treatment for all applicants. This illustrates the ETA's function of "interpreting federal workforce-security laws as they apply to the states" to ensure uniform application of national policies.

• A non-profit organization in a major city aims to create a vocational training program specifically for young adults with intellectual disabilities, helping them gain job skills for entry-level positions in the hospitality industry. The ETA could provide grants, technical assistance, and best practices to this organization, helping them design and implement an effective program that aligns with federal goals for supporting employment for "young people and those who are disabled."