The services listed below relate to both the employer and the job and 
service seeker.

		Federal Bonding
		Kentucky Transitional Assistance
		Migrant Seasonal Farmworker
		Media
		NAFTA/TAA
		Older Workers
		Other Public Employment  Service Agencies
		Testing
		Unemployment Insurance
		Alien Labor Certification
		Workforce Investment Act

Unemployment Insurance

Funded by employers FUTA taxes, Unemployment Insurance provides income to those who lose their jobs through no fault of their own or are on temporary layoff until they find new employment or are recalled by their previous employer to return to work.

When filing your claim you will need to bring identification, preferably a picture ID. You will also need to know your former employer’s address and the dates you worked for each employer. Mondays and Tuesdays are extremely high volume days for filing unemployment insurance claims. You may find it more convenient or preferable to wait until later in the week to file your claim. Once you have filed your initial claim, you may use the Automated Benefits Exchange (ABE), often referred to as the VRU, to claim benefits. 

Unemployment Insurance claims may be filed at the locations listed below

Kentucky Works Program

Working in cooperation with Department for Community Based Services' case managers, DES staff in the Kentucky Works Program assist welfare applicants and recipients to obtain employment which leads to self-sufficiency. Incorporating a "work first" philosophy, applicants for welfare must register for employment with DES and attempt to obtain suitable employment before they are deemed eligible to receive benefits. DES staff conduct an assessment of each program participant's employability and based upon that assessment provide customized services including intensive job search assistance, job seeking skills workshops, referral to non-paid work experience, and placement in on-the-job training.

Testing

The Northern Kentucky Department for Employment Services (DES) offers a very comprehensive testing program.  Available to job seekers are:

		The Test of Adult Basic Education – Work-Related Foundation Skills (TABE-WF), determines job seekers’ reading and mathematics functioning levels.
		TapDance, an extremely reliable suite of tests that can measure proficiencies in Typing, Data Entry, 10-Key Machine, Spelling, Grammar and Math. Individuals taking any of these tests will be given a certificate of skill level.

Employers can request that any of these tests be used to help determine the qualifications of the job seekers being referred to them. DES staff can also administer any test the employer is currently using. To find out more about any of these tests or to request assistance with your test, you may send your inquiries to deskenton@mail.state.ky.us or call an Employer Relations Representative at 859-371-0808.

Media Advertising Job Connections

Three days a week you can view employer’s job openings that have been listed with the Northern Kentucky Department for Employment Services on Job Connections.  Job Connections is an employment related show that is carried on Insight Communications, Channel 6.   

Employers listing their openings with the DES Job Bank (859-371-0808) may request that their positions be released for media advertisement through DES, allowing them to reach a portion of the labor force that is often missed by other traditional recruitment efforts.

Job seekers looking for that first job, next job, a better job, or a whole new career, can pursue their job search by tuning into Job Connections for job listings which include a wide range of positions, salaries, benefits, and requirements in entry level, technical, medical, and professional fields.

Federal Bonding

The Federal Bonding Program provides fidelity bonding insurance coverage to ex-offenders and other high-risk job applicants who are qualified, but fail to get jobs because regular commercial bonding is denied due to their backgrounds.

"…this innovative activity delivers a unique helping service that is not duplicated by any other program in the U.S. to secure the job placement of ex-offenders and other high-risk job applicants…..by providing employers with a special incentive to hire the hardest-to-place jobseekers." "It has a proven track record…" U.S. Department of Labor, Training and Employment Information Notice No. 5-98, August 3, 1998.

In Kentucky contact Elizabeth Cawood, Cabinet for Families and Children, at 502-564-7536 or Susan Roberts, Employment Solutions Personnel, at 859-971-1306.  These two agencies have been awarded the Federal Bonds Program for Kentucky.

Click on the link provided to obtain additional information about the Federal Bonding Program.

Migrant Seasonal Farmworker Program

The Migrant Seasonal Farmworker program has two components. They are the Agricultural Recruitment Program (domestic workers) and the
H2A Program workers (nonimmigrant alien workers). The recruitment of domestic involves placing an interstate clearance order which may be served locally or by a supplier state (i.e. Texas, Florida). The H2A Program establishes a means for agricultural employers who anticipate a shortage of domestic workers to apply for permission to bring into the United States nonimmigrant aliens to perform agricultural labor or services of a temporary or seasonal nature.

The greatest activity in Northern Kentucky is with the H2A Program. The agricultural employer is required to file a signed application with the U.S. Department of Labor, Regional Administrator, Employment and Training Administration in the region of intended employment. At the same time, a copy of the application must be filed with the local office of the Kentucky Department for Employment Services in the area of the intended employment. Certain conditions relevant to a domestic worker recruitment effort, implementation of a prevailing wage, housing which meets OSHA standards, meals, transportation, tools, and guarantee of employment must be met. The Department for Employment Services is responsible for assisting agricultural employers with recruitment, monitoring compliance with requisite conditions, accepting and forwarding complaints from workers, and conducting a prevailing wage survey.

The Department for Employment Services’ WorkForce Development Center located at 600 West Cedar Street has responsibility for the Migrant Seasonal Farmworker Program for Northern Kentucky. If questions exist please feel free to email your inquiries to ?? or you may contact him at ?? or by Fax at ??.

You may also contact the Statewide Program Coordinator of the H-2A Program, Paul Friedlander. He can be reached by phone at 270-575-7044
or 270-575-7000 (before 8:00 a.m., Central Daylight Time) or by FAX at 270-575-7008 or by cell phone at 270-519-4737. If Paul is unavailable, time sensitive questions or calls should be directed to the MSFW State Monitor Advocate, Jody Hughes at 502-564-7456.

Alien Labor Certifications

Employers who wish to hire foreign citizens to work for them in the United States are required to obtain an Alien Labor Certification from the Department of Labor. The Kentucky Department for Employment Services is responsible for processing the initial development of the documents required for these certifications and for determining that qualified US workers have been recruited for the position and that none are available. For questions and inquiries contact Jane Hosley at 502-564-7456.  Additional information may be obtained at the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).  

The North American Free Trade Agreement/Trade Adjustment Assistance (NAFTA/TAA) Program

The NAFTA/TAA program provides assistance in the form of reemployment services, training and job readjustment allowances to individuals whose unemployment is linked to increased imports of foreign-made products and relocation of business establishments from the United States to other countries. For the Northern Kentucky area you may contact with questions or inquiries, or the Department Coordinator, Melissa Wiley at 502-564-7456.

Workforce Investment Act

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Program provides specialized services such as employment counseling and training to those who have been permanently laid off due to lack of work or a plant closure and are unlikely to return to work in their previous occupation or industry. WIA Services are available to eligible adults, youth, and dislocated workers. The Department of Training and ReEmployment is the state agency responsible for the administration of the employment and training programs funded by WIA.   administers the WIA services in the Northern Kentucky area. ??? contracted to establish and operate the One-Stop Centers. 

Older Workers

The DES offices located in Northern Kentucky have a representative from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) on-site Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 2:00pm. Ms. Deering works in conjunction with the DES staff in an effort to enhance our services to the older worker.

Older Workers who may have been overlooked in the job market in the past are now finding themselves to be a hot product in today’s economy. Older workers are now a significant resource in the labor force. Employers who do not make this discovery will continue to struggle to find the skilled workers needed to compete effectively in this strong economy.

There are many organizations available to assist older workers re-enter the work force, upgrade their skills and find suitable employment. In Northern Kentucky ???? is one of the organizations that provides information to educate the older worker, the employer and the local community about the value of the older worker and the training opportunities and other resources available to facilitate the employment of older workers.         
      

The Public Employment Service
Workforce Development Agencies

If you are an employer wanting to recruit employees or obtain employment related information from another state; or you are a job seeker interested in relocating to another state and finding job opportunities in that state, the best place to start is with the Public Employment Agency.

 Public Employment Services