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What should a WIB do? There are at least two possible approaches: The WIB could establish an overall policy for how to prioritize service. As a part of this policy, dislocated workers served by Rapid Response could be given priority.

In conjunction with this policy or as an alternative to it, operational procedures could be put in place which would ensure that dislocated workers served by Rapid Response are quickly and effectively linked to the services provided by the One-Stop Centers. States have responsibility for rapid response although some states contract with local areas.

These operations procedures, which are the "hand-offs" of dislocated workers from Rapid Response services to the One-Stops, are particularly critical to establish in situations in which Rapid Response is being delivered by a labor program that must then link dislocated workers to non-labor One-Stops.

As a labor representative on a local WIB, you can advocate that whoever is responsible for rapid response be aware of the methods for connecting rapid response teams with One-Stops that are shown in box below.

2. Defining which other adult workers are "at risk" and therefore should receive priority for service.

What the WIB needs to know to establish priorities for service is: Who is having trouble finding (and/or keeping) a decent job? For dislocated workers, that means a job that pays wages comparable to the job they lost. For other workers, it means a job that meets some wage and quality standard established by the WIB.

Getting Dislocated Workers to One-Stops: Some Methods for Establishing Effective Links Between One-Stops and Rapid Response Teams

• Rapid Response does the front end of the "intake" function—and that intake is not duplicated at the One-Stop.
• The Rapid Response Team is trained to do an initial screening of the dislocated workers they serve using a standardized protocol (also used by the One-Stops). Workers do not have to do this assessment again at the One-Stop.
• The Rapid Response Team's referral function is formalized and automated. The initial screen is transmitted either to all One-Stops in the local area or to the One-Stop selected by the customer. When feasible, Rapid Response Teams could also have the capability of electronically scheduling appointments for customers.
• Ensure that the One-Stops conduct outreach to all dislocated workers that the Rapid Response Team identifies as needing intensive and/or training services.
• Ensure that the Rapid Response Teams inform the One-Stops if a particular layoff requires special capacity (such as special language skills on the part of the counseling staff).
• Formalize the agreement about how the handoff from the Rapid Response Team to the One-Stops will occur. This could be a Memorandum of Agreement, a contract, or a policy.

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