Delaware Department of Labor receives $9,193,902 from the H1B One Workforce Grant to provide more economic growth opportunities in the IT Industry.

WILMINGTON, DE – The Delaware Department of Labor (DE DOL) works with partners in the Information Technology (IT) sector to build pathways through educational, training, and work-based learning opportunities for Delaware citizens who are unemployed, underemployed, disabled, veterans and their spouses (including those veterans transitioning out of the U.S. Armed Forces), young adults ages 18-26, underrepresented women, People of Color, or citizens reentering the workforce as ex-offenders to prepare for jobs and connect with employers in the IT field.

Why did the State of Delaware apply for the H1B One Workforce Grant? According to available information about Delaware job posting analytics from August 2019 and July 2020, there was a monthly average of over 4,000 job postings for IT opportunities and over 450 hires per month in IT. From 2014-2019, IT occupations grew in the state by over 12%, compared with an overall occupation growth rate of 7%. Furthermore, the H1B One Workforce Grant will serve over 700 customers interested in obtaining a skill and earn credentials to prepare them to enter mid to high-level occupations in the IT field. Awarded credentials include but are not limited to Industry Recognized Credentials, Certifications, Apprenticeship Journeyperson Papers, Degrees or Diplomas, etc.

Tech Impact and Delaware State University partnered with DE DOL. These organizations have been working together to help underrepresented communities and build a system that recruits, and identifies training partners, and interfaces with a newly developed IT Industry Council to meet the in-demand IT occupations (security, developers, applications, analysts, administrators, programmers, technicians, etc).

“The Delaware Department of Labor is excited to be a partner in the development of a career pipeline that produces a qualified work-force within an in-demand industry. The training and the re-employment of workers impacted by COVID-19, will help to get Delawareans back to work,” says, Karryl Hubbard, Secretary of Labor.

“We are excited to work alongside the Delaware Department of Labor and Delaware State University to continue developing an inclusive tech talent pipeline for the citizens of Delaware,” stated Patrick Callihan, Executive Director of nonprofit Tech Impact. “Delaware is already a national leader in developing a diverse workforce in technology, and this grant will enable us to collectively provide increased access to high wage careers, meet the growing demands of our employers, and attract new economic development opportunities for the state.”

Saundra DeLauder, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Delaware State University noted, “Our institution has a proud legacy of providing access and opportunity for first generation and underserved populations. This opportunity aligns with the priorities of our School of Graduate, Adult and Extended Studies under the leadership of Dean Patrice Gilliam-Johnson and we look forward to working with our partners in expanding workforce opportunities for our citizens.”

The Delaware Department of Labor has partnered with the following employers: Marlette Funding (FinTech/IT), CAI (IT), WSFS (Financial), SSD Technology Partners (IT), Brandywine Technology (IT).

Delaware Department of Labor connects people to jobs, resources, monetary benefits, workplace protections, and labor market information to promote financial independence, workplace justice, and a strong economy.

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Media Contact
Ken Briscoe
Communications Coordinator
Department of Labor
kenneth.briscoe@delaware.gov

January 7, 2021
For Immediate Release
Kenneth Briscoe

Expiration and Extension of CARES Act Unemployment Insurance Programs by Congress

[WILMINGTON, DE] – On December 27, the federal COVID-19 relief package that extends and provides additional federal unemployment benefits was signed into law. The Delaware Department of Labor has reviewed the legislation and the process of programming the four extended and additional programs in our unemployment compensation system is nearing completion. 

As a result of our agency’s quick response in initial program implementation, some eligible claimants began to receive the additional $300.00 weekly benefit payment on Monday, January 4, 2021. 

However, we are waiting to receive complete and detailed guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor for each program to complete implementation and all eligible claimants in Delaware are paid. States cannot move forward without this critical guidance and it is likely that guidance will be issued early in the new year. As more guidance is received, Delaware will modify our unemployment compensation system and complete implementation of each program as quickly as possible to bring much-needed relief to eligible claimants. 

Please note that while there will be no gap in benefit eligibility because the PUA, PEUC, FPUC, and MEUC programs are retroactive to the week ending Saturday, January 2, 2021, for eligible claimants, there may be a delay in the receipt of payment. However, rest assured that claimants will receive all benefits they are eligible for, and claims will be backdated to their earliest date of eligibility within the extended and additional programs.

The Delaware Department of Labor will communicate to all claimants with instructions as soon as they may file for benefits from the extended and additional programs.

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To view the latest frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) regarding the recent The CARES ACT Extension of  Unemployment Insurance Benefits in Delaware as a result of COVID-19, please visit https://de.gov/morecares

To view the FAQ’s for Unemployment Insurance Benefits in Delaware please visit
https://de.gov/pua

To view the FAQ’s for Unemployment Insurance Benefits for the Self- Employed in Delaware please visit https://labor.delaware.gov/divisions/unemployment-insurance/unemployment-benefits-faqs/

If you wish to receive email updates regarding unemployment benefits in Delaware please visit  https://de.gov/UICOVID19Updates. For text message updates please text the words UIFACTS to 56525 from your mobile phone. (individual carrier rates may apply) 

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December 28, 2020
For Immediate Release
Kenneth Briscoe
Email: kenneth.Briscoe@Delaware.gov
 

Wilmington, DE (Dec. 28, 2020) – On December 27, 2020, the President signed the latest COVID-19 Relief bill, which extends certain federal unemployment benefits available under the CARES Act. The bill provides the extension of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program (PEUC). 

The Delaware Department of Labor is actively working to implement the provisions of the new law, which includes a $300 per week benefit provided by the Federal Pandemic Unemployment program (FPUC). At this time, there is no additional information regarding the program’s implementation.

If you’re currently filing traditional Unemployment Insurance benefits or receiving benefits through PUA and PEUC, it is critical that you file your weekly certifications to minimize any potential disruptions to your benefits.  

In an effort to keep the public informed of this new extension of benefits and its implementation, we will continue updating the websites located at http://www.DOL.Delaware.gov,  http://UI.delawareworks.com, and at http://pua.delawareworks.com.  

We will also provide updates as we receive them on our social media platforms, and via emails and text messages.

Delaware DOL office phone lines are experiencing longer than normal wait times. We encourage you to visit the websites above for the most updated information.

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FOR RELEASE: December 9, 2020
CONTACT: Kenneth Briscoe Kenneth.Briscoe@delaware.gov

Unemployment Benefits Scheduled to Expire on
December 26, 2020 for Many Claimants in Delaware

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE – According to federal program guidelines, all unemployment compensation programs created by the CARES Act are currently scheduled to expire on or before December 26, 2020.   Many unemployment compensation beneficiaries will see their benefits end unless the U.S. Congress approves additional weeks of unemployment program funding.

In Delaware, the two programs that will be affected by this expiration are PUA (Pandemic Unemployment Assistance) and PEUC (Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation). PUA is a program that provides benefits to those who would not normally qualify for regular unemployment compensation, such as the self-employed, gig workers, part-time workers, etc. PUA also provides benefits to those who exhausted all other unemployment programs but remain unemployed due to a pandemic related reason. PEUC provides for an additional 13-week extension to regular unemployment compensation recipients. 

Some claimants may see their benefits end prior to the December 26th expiration date due to exhausting all programs. 

When the programs expire on December 26, 2020, all payments under PUA and PEUC will stop, regardless of an existing dollar balance or remaining eligible weeks. Claimants currently enrolled in the PUA and PEUC programs will no longer file weekly certifications. 

Resources for additional assistance including financial, healthcare, food, child-care, housing, and legal can be found on the Delaware Emergency Management Agency website. (https://dema.delaware.gov/recoveryAssistance/index.shtml)

You are encouraged to continue to utilize the Delaware Department of Labor’s website to learn about training, employment opportunities, and information on how to further your education to transition into an alternative career path. You can learn more about those opportunities at http://dol.delaware.gov

Today, thousands of jobs, including telework positions, are available across the state of Delaware. Please visit Delaware’s Workforce Development website at Delaware Job-Link (https://joblink.delaware.gov/), there you will have access to more than 9,000 current job openings, job training opportunities, and career services.

If you are a job seeker who wants to find training to enhance or gain skills to become more employable, please visit our newly launched rapid workforce development website Forward Delaware, located at http://www.forwarddelaware.com

For more information on how Delaware has responded to the coronavirus pandemic please visit de.gov/coronavirus.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MEDIA CONTACT:

Kenneth Briscoe
Communications Coordinator
Delaware Department of Labor

[Monday, October 12, 2020, Wilmington, DE] The Delaware Department of Labor has issued the Ninth Emergency Rule, which updates and revises the First and Seventh Emergency Rules, establishing deadlines to file appeals to the Lower Authority (Appeals Referees, the “Referees”) and Higher Authority (the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, the “Board”).  The new Rule establishes November 5, 2020 as the revised deadline to file certain appeals to the Referees or the Board.

On March 16th, 2020, Governor John Carney issued a First Modification of the Declaration of a State of Emergency for the State of Delaware due to a Public Health Threat (the “State of Emergency”), which gave the Secretary of Labor the ability to develop emergency rules to amend the Delaware Unemployment Insurance Code in response to COVID-19.  The Secretary of Labor issued the First Rules, which provided an extension of all deadlines to file an appeal to the Referees or the Board until 30 days following the conclusion of the State of Emergency.

When it became clear that the State of Emergency was on-going, the Secretary of Labor issued the Seventh Rules, which were amended by the Ninth Rules.  The Ninth Rules set November 5, 2020 as the new deadline for any appeals that would have been due between March 16, 2020 and November 5, 2020, but were extended by the First Rules. 

This new deadline means that anyone who was issued an unemployment decision, including a Pandemic Unemployment Assistance decision, that listed a deadline between March 16, 2020 and November 5, 2020 to file an appeal to either the Referee or the Board must file those appeals by no later than November 5, 2020.  The deadline to file appeals to the Referees or the Board is no longer extended to 30 days following the conclusion of the Governor’s State of Emergency.  If you already filed an appeal of your decision or decisions issued prior to November 5, 2020, then you do not need to do anything further.  If the deadline listed on your decision is later than November 5, 2020, then the appeal deadline listed on your decision controls.

How to file an claims appeal:
You must include your full name, contact information and case number when filing an appeal. There are three ways you may file your appeal to our appeals referees or the appeals board.

1. To file online: Appeals may be filed through the online portal at http://ocs.delawareworks.com
2. To file mail:
   Please send your written appeal to:
   Division of Unemployment Insurance Appeals Unit
   PO Box 9950
   Wilmington, DE 19809-0951
3. To file by email: dol_dui_appeals_request@delaware.gov

For more information regarding the update, or to read the full rule, please visit www.dol.delaware.gov/

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