ML20137U196
| ML20137U196 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 04/08/1997 |
| From: | Shirley Ann Jackson, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Gore A SENATE, PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9704160317 | |
| Download: ML20137U196 (9) | |
Text
.-
Md.
g o
UNITED STATES g
4 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 3 '-
4 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 0001 g
'e
\\*****/
April 8, 1997 l
i 3
CHAIAMAN i
Mr. Albert Gore, Jr.
~
lho Vice President CS Nai.ional Performance Review 750 17th St., N.W.
Washington, D.C.
20006
Dear Mr. Vice President:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is pleased to submit its plan addressing President Clinton's Welfare to Work initiative.
The NRC fully supports the President's initiative.
Our plan provides information on how we will implement this worthwhile endeavor.
j Should'your staff have any questions, the NRC's point of contact is Mr. Paul E. Bird, Director of the Office of Personnel.
Mr. Bird can be reached at 301-415-7516, or through e-mail at PEB@nrc. gov.
Sincerely, j
Enclosure:
As stated 4
i b;
g@*
160105 gvf f <a ' ;g%
D i
- M"e8aFs 7J82 S 9ppuppppppt M
CORRESPONDENCE PDR J
i l
t l
l U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION PLAN TO SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT'S WELFARE TO WORK INITIATIVE I.
Introduction The mission of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is to regulate the Nation's civilian use of byproduct, source, and special nuclear materials to ensure adequate protection of the public health and safety, to promote the common defense and security, and to protect the l
environment. The NRC's scope of responsibility includes regulation of com...ercial nuclear power reactors; non-power research, test, and training reactors; fuel cycle facilities; medical, academic, and indestrial uses of nuclear materials; and the transport, storage, and disposal of nuclear materials and wastes.
The NRC was created as an independent agency by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1914, which abolished the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and moved the AEC's regulatory fonction to the NRC. This act, along with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, provides the foundation for regulation of the nation's commercial nuclear power l
industry.
f Size and ~ Composition of Staff - The staff is small, totaling i
approximately 3,000 employees, and is divided into three primary areas:
l (1) technical, (2) administrative, and (3) legal. Of the total staff, l
i approximately sixty percent (60%) are highly specialized engineers, nuclear scientists, _ and attorneys.
In addition, professional positions constitute approximately twenty (20%) of the remaining positions.
Clerical and support positions are kept to a minimum to permit concentration of limited resources en technical and professional personnel. All NRC employees are iequired to obtain and maintain a l
security clearance, and many of our positions rquire initial and ongoing random drug testing.
j Survey of Availability of Positi >ns. - Cased on a survey of the availability of work at the NRC, the positions that would have the most likelihood of success in bridging welfare clients successfully into Federal employment are those in the Clerk-Typing, GG-322, and Miscellaneous Clerk and Assistant Series, GG-303.
Positions in these occupational series involve work in clerical or other areas and permit.
the acquisition of the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of higher graded, more responsible positions. We believe the most feasible positions for which first-line managers would be able to consider welfare applicants would be clerk-typing and mail and file i
clerk positions at the GG-2 and -3 levels.
The NRC's objective is to hire welfare clients into permanent positions.
l However, as a small agency with few (and currently no) available permanent administrative positions in these disciplines, and with further resource reductions to be achieved, the NRC plans to use temporary and term appointment authorities, such as those in a summer clerical employment program (with the possibility of re-hire during i
)
i
^ *.
2
~
holidays or peak periods), as well as permanent hiring authorities for this purpose. Terporary and L rm appointments will, at a minimum, i
provide welfare clients an introduction to Federal employment and the i
opportunity to learn good work habits and marketable work skills.
l To the extent that welfare recipients qualify for other NRC positions, our recruitment and staffing efforts will encompass their inclusion in our base of candidates.
II.
6nalYSiS i
Technology advancements, streamlining, out-sourcing and reduced budgets 3
j have led to a reduction in the agency's administrative support resource level. A small number of positions, permanent or temporary, in 1
administrative support activities in the targeted series may become available over time in the Washington, D.C., headquarters office and the regional offices in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas or at field locations in the San Franciscc and Chattanooga areas.
III. Recruitino and Hirino Welfare ReciDients The NRC is committed to supporting the President's initiative.
In so doing, we will supplement our recruitment efforts in the following ways in order to ensure that welfare recipients have ample opportunity to apply for the jobs for which they may qualify.
i 1.
Standard Vacancy Advertisement Methods Standard advertisement methods employed by NRC include the i
following:
a.
Listing en our job hotline (Smartline at 301-415-8550 or 1-800-952-9578);
b.
Inclusion in the Federa: Career Opportunities publication; c.
Inclusion in other publications; d.
Newspaper advertisements; Standard mailings to local and out-of-area colleges and e.
universities; and f.
Standard mailings to state employment offices.
2.
Standard Recruitment Activities The NRC recruits candidates through the following activities:
Regular visits to colleges and universities; a.
b.
Participation in career fairs; Applicant referral from colleges and universities; c.
d.
Applicant referral from state employment offices; and Applicant referral from social service agencies.
e.
J
l I
3 i
i 3.
Specific Methods for Recruitina and Hirina Welfare ReciDients
]
\\
The following methods are designed to seek out and identify welfare recipients qualified for the particular positions j
identified by our agency in Part II of this plan:
i 1
a.
Coordination with state and local employment and social i
service agencies; b.
Participation with other agencies in hosting job fairs specifically for welfare recipients; i
c.
Community outreach programs; and d.
Establishing referral lists and/or applicant supply files with state and local employment agencies.
Employees hired under this program will be hired in accordance with the NRC's existing merit process, and with due regard for the requirements of the Veterans' Preference Act and NRC's applicable management direct ves (including those on empleyment, recruitment, and special employment programs).
In order to facilitate coordination between the state and local agencies and the NRC, we hav? designated a recruitment point of contact (P0C) for each geographic area in which we are located. The P0Cs, who will carry out these activities under the direction of a senior manager in the headquarters Office of Personnel, are the regional personnel officers.
The senior manager in OP will serve as the P0C for headquarters offices.
The P0Cs will work with local Federal Executive Boards, the Office of Personnel Management,. Federal Executive Associations, and private industry in order to identify and hire qualified welfare recipients.
Our effort will be an evolving process, and we will consolidate resources with other Federal agencies in our locality in order to fully implement the President's plan.
IV.
Assistance in the Transition from W31 fare to Work A.
General - It is well recognized that there is more to helping an individual make the transition from welfare to work than just providing a job.
It is essential that persons hired under this initiative be given the assittance needed after they report for work, in order to help ensure that the transition from welfare to work is successful. We are committed to providing support for the people hired under this initiative by using fully the family friendly workplace initiatiscs in place at the NRC.
B.
Assessments - NRC will utilize the resources of the local Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF), as well as the agency's Employee Assistance Program (EAP), to assess the needs of each individual.
Included in this assessment are issues such as transportation to and from work, childcare, Earned Income J
4 Tax Credit (EITC), basic education, specific job-related training, and customer service concepts.
C.
Individualized Assistance Plan - Using the results of the individual assessments, each employee hired under this initiative will be given an Individual Assistance Plan (IAP). The IAP will provide for the following components as required:
1.
Information and assistance in completing application for the EITC; 2.
The maximum transit fare subsidy allowed by regulation; 3.
Assistance in locating feacible transportation to and from work (car / van pool, public transportation, affordable parking,etc.);
4.
An Individual Development Plan (IDP) which will serve as the educational / training component of the IAP. The IDP will address such areas as training in language skills, computer skills, and customer servi e, and ase dance toward the GED, if applicable.
It is designed to he y tne employee improve immediate performance, as well as develop marketable skills and abilities to increase future potential and opportunities for advancement; and j
5.
A mentor to provide practical advice and other help needed for success in the workplace.
]
D.
Reaular Review and Appraisal of Proaress (Feedback) - Each employee will be given a regular schedule for performance review and appraisal while he/she is completing the IDP activities. The-frequency of this review and appraisal will be tailored to the needs of the employee witt more frequent (weekly, monthly) reviews at the beginning, and less frequent reviews as may be appropriate over time. The review will be done by the supervisor and the mentor jointly. The Office of Personnel will be kept apprised of the results of the reviews and tSe progress made by the employee.
V.
Earned i nome Tax Credit Current employees who appear to meet the eligibility requirements for the Earned Income Tax credit will continue to b9 notified of their eligibility.
)
i 1
1 THE WHITE HOUSE l
WAS H I N GTO N March 8, 1997 l
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
SUBJECT:
Government Employment for Welfare Recipients 1
Since I signed the historic welfare reform law, I have urged businesses, nonprofit organizations, and religious groups across the Nation to help make its promise of opportunity real by offering jobs to welfare recipients.
We are making great progress, but there is more to do.
And today, I take action to ensure that the Federal Government, as the Nation's largest employer, contributes to the greatect extent possible to this national ef*. ort.
I therefore direct each of you,.as head of an agency or depart-ment, to use all available hiring authorities, consistent with statute and prior executive memoranda, to hire people off the i
welfare rolls into available job positions in the Government.
In particular, I direct you to expand the use of the Worker-Trainee Program and other excepted service hiring authorities.
.The Worker-Trainee program allows agencies to quickly and easily hire entry-level persons for up to 3 years, with the ability to converc the appolaLaent to career status if the employee has performed satisfactorily.
Thoug'c. recently underutilized, the program allows agencies to bypass complex Federal personnel hiring rules and procedures to bring people into the junior grades of the work force.
I further direct you, in recognition of,the different characteristics of the various agencies' work forces, to prepare an individualized plan for hiring welfare recipients and to submit that plan to me within 30 days.
This plan should have three principal components:
The plan should contain a survey indicating in which o
divisions and for which categories of positions your agency can most easily hire welfare recipients, both in the Washington, D.C.
area, and in the field.
The plan should describe in detail how the agency intends o
to recruit and' hire qualified welfare recipients.
This description should include a proposed local outreach and utilize Federal Executive Boards and Federal
- program, Executive Agencies to bring Federal job opportunities to
e 2
the attention of welfare offices, State and private employment offices, nonprofit organizations, and others that work with welfare recipients on a regular basis.
This program should build upon the Government's existing nationwide employment information systems.
The plan should describe in detail how the agency will o
assist welfare recipients, once hired, to perform well and to keep their jobs.
The agency should include in this aspect of the plan proposals for on-the-job training and/or mentoring programs.
I expect each agency head to report to me about his or her plan at a special cabinet meecing called for that purpose.
Following this me-ting, I also expect monthly reports on implementation.
To ensure deep and continuing involvement in this issue by the J
White House, I ask the Vice President to oversee this effort.
Based or his expertise in Federal workplace issues, he will assist all agencies in carrying out their commitments.
Finally, I direct aperopriate agencies to take three steps that will help bring welfare recipients into the Federal work force while assisting all other low-income Federal employees, o
I direct each agency head to notify all employees eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) of both their eligibility and their ability to receive EITC monies each month in their paychecks'.
Currently, not all agencies inform qualifying employees of their eligibility and options for payment.
To insure uniform implementation, I direct the secretary of th_ Treasury to issue to each agency within 15 days a statement of EITC eligibility rules which agencies can use to inform their employees.
o I dir;ct the General Services Administration (GSA) to issue within 30 days guidelines regarding use of the Federal Fare Subsidy Program.
These guidelines should address whether agencies may offer fare subsidies based employee income, which would enable more agencies on to participate in the Fare Subsidy Program.
o I direct the GSA, after consultation with all Federal agencies, to report back to me within 30 days on plans to assist low-income Federal workers in finding affordable child care.
This report shall include information on agency-sponsored child care centers and agency contracts with local child care resource and referral services, as well as recommendations on any appropriate expansion of these arrangements to provide assistance to low-income Federal workers.
A SO0ddJ~ v
_