11:30 AM - 1:00 PM EDT

How to Mine More Value from VOS Sapphire 21: Discover New Tools and Hidden Gems

Paul Toomey, Geographic Solutions

VOS Sapphire was just the beginning. VOS Sapphire 21 is poised to sparkle with even more value. Hear from Paul Toomey as he debuts new functionality for job seekers, employers, and staff. Don't miss your chance to discover tools for virtual service delivery, including virtual job fairs and tours, VOS Meets, and Virtual Recruiter, as well as see additional tools that include brand new help center integration, ways to improve scores in the Résumé Builder, and reactive feedback.

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

VOS Sapphire 21 Preview, A Walk-Through of New Features

Dan Fitzgerald, John Marks, Chris Cekan, and Ron Fish, Geographic Solutions

At Geographic Solutions, we can't wait to share VOS Sapphire 21 with you. This session will explore what’s coming in the latest release of Virtual OneStop. The Training Team will focus on new Sapphire functionality for staff, individuals, and employers, including a review of new labor exchange tools designed for effective job searches and résumé development. We will also discuss case management tools that reflect the best in staff efficiency, as well as template designs that offer staff additional choices in documenting business practices. This training will give everyone a tantalizing taste of additional sessions taking place later on in the week, as our subject matter experts discuss these features in more detail.

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM EDT

Virtual Career Center: A Catalyst for Education and Workforce Partnerships to Create Positive Student Outcomes and Regional Talent Pipelines

Robert Smith, CareerSource South Florida; Chuck Johnson, Cynthia Portugal, and Brent Fredenrich, Geographic Solutions

Now is the time to leverage your Virtual OneStop system in new ways to create the talent pipeline your region needs! Employ the Virtual Career Center portal to strategically extend your reach to education and training partners in your region, their student bodies, and the general public seeking to reskill as the nation shifts into a stage of recovery. See firsthand how our latest online solution connects students with employment opportunities and academic administration with the critical skills desired by industries to ensure strong, career-ready talent pipelines for high-demand occupations.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT

Using Labor Trends to Align Post-Secondary Programs to Meet the Needs of a Post-COVID Job Market

Jim Winner and Phillip Sprehe, Geographic Solutions

For many people, the pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in their chosen industries and occupations, leading them to reconsider their career paths. For those affected, there is a new emphasis on upskilling, specialized training, and additional certifications or post-secondary degree attainment. At the state and local level, educational programs need detailed information regarding the skills, knowledge, and experience employers will demand. The Geographic Solutions software suite uses jobs data and education/training program enrollments to create a picture of which programs will help to close the skills gap in a post-COVID world. Join Geographic Solutions Economist Phillip Sprehe as he demonstrates how the predictive capabilities of job openings and applications can assist public administrators, labor market agencies, and educational institutions with developing and enhancing program offerings as a means to ensure their graduates thrive as they enter the workforce.

3:30 PM - 5:00 PM EDT

The Labor Market at Your Fingertips

Shannon Ramaeker and Levi Richards, Geographic Solutions

Join the Labor Market Information Team as they showcase updates and enhancements featured in Virtual LMI Sapphire 21. Learn how to use filters and data visualizations to analyze the labor market with just a few clicks. In addition to the Data Canvas, this session will explore new tools on the LMI dashboard, as well as discuss important Workforce Information Database (WID) and data changes that may impact how you load data in the future.

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM EDT

The Latest and Greatest on the Geographic Solutions Unemployment System

Eric Harvey and Jimmy Jones, Geographic Solutions

To put it lightly, 2020 was a big year for the Geographic Solutions Unemployment System (GUS). For starters, GUS was responsible for processing nearly $42 billion in benefits for millions of individuals during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as identifying and stopping over $11 billion in fraudulent payments to further preserve state trust funds during such a crucial time. Come hear about the most important year yet for GUS, as well as preview the latest functionality available in the system.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT

The Geographic Solutions Fraud Task Force: Preserving the Integrity and Depletion of State Trust Funds

Kris Goins, Arizona Department of Economic Security; Eric Harvey, Geographic Solutions

Geographic Solutions understands the great challenge states face when it comes to making sure UI claimants are paid in a timely and accurate manner. The Geographic Solutions Unemployment System (GUS) offers a host of UI integrity features to identify, investigate, manage, store, and report all potentially fraudulent activity. GUS was tested more than ever in 2020, and through a combination of internal fraud prevention and partnerships with third-party fraud mitigation giants, the system stopped over $11 billion in fraudulent unemployment insurance payments. Learn more about the multiple levels of security included in GUS that are stopping fraudsters in their tracks and saving billions in state trust funds.

3:30 PM - 5:00 PM EDT

Bringing Anti-Recidivism Best Practices to the Table: A Discussion on How VOS REO Facilitates a Second Chance

Lisa Martinez, Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County; Ben Conarroe, PRO Mentors; Richard Boone and Perry Panagopoulos, Geographic Solutions

Justice-involved individuals often face significant barriers in securing employment post release. Studies have shown that inmates who find employment more quickly after being released from custody are less likely to face re-arrest. Virtual OneStop Reentry Employment Opportunities (VOS REO®) provides a comprehensive resource for job seekers both pre- and post-release. This system has been carefully designed on a secure platform, and gives justice-involved individuals a unique opportunity to identify skills, explore career pathways, and take part in proactive job search activity—all of which promote stability post-release. Through the use of the system's resources and job search functionality, justice-involved individuals are able to reduce barriers to employment and line up work with offender-friendly employers helping to break the cycle of recidivism. We will also discuss the entities who have implemented VOS REO to assist in their reentry efforts, and the effects seen in the statistical recidivism rates in those regions.

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM EDT

Case Management Tools and Best Practices in VOS Sapphire 21 (Part 1)

Pam Johnson and Kim Thomas, Geographic Solutions

Preview the recent updates in VOS Sapphire 21 that enhance staff efficiency and case management functionality. See the latest changes impacting federal workforce programs, including the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Wagner-Peyser, Trade, and more. Key enhancements to Eligibility Explorer, Trade Reversion changes under 2021 and Veteran Redesign to align with referral requirements and more.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT

Case Management Tools and Best Practices in VOS Sapphire 21 (Part 2)

Pam Johnson and Kim Thomas, Geographic Solutions

A continuation of Case Management Tools and Best Practices in VOS Sapphire 21.

3:30 PM - 5:00 PM EDT

Six Feet of Service Delivery: Creative Ways to Serve Clients at a Social Distance

Alex Andrei and Summer Lowery, Big Interview; Mac McCarthy, Geographic Solutions

Learn how many agencies across the country have implemented many of Geographic Solutions' staff efficiency and no-touch service delivery tools prior to and during the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. As many agencies were instructed to work from home, staff members have used these tools to successfully navigate these challenges by employing digital signatures, remote document uploading, live chat to serve an influx of individuals, and virtual interview tools. Hear how you can provide remote service delivery while maintaining high levels of business continuity and offer tools to better prepare job seekers.

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM EDT

Tracking Local Programs with the Agency-Defined Programs Module

Pam Johnson, Geographic Solutions

The Agency-Defined Programs Module (formerly known as the Generic Programs Module) enables workforce agencies to track state or local programs that do not require complex federal reporting. See some of the new features being released with VOS Sapphire 21 that will enhance the setup of these custom forms. In addition, hear an update on the next steps for future improvements to this module.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT

North Carolina ENCORE Makes Employment Accessible to All with the Vocational Rehabilitation Module

Sandi Bilbo and Janna Zwerner, Geographic Solutions

Vocational Rehabilitation supports individuals with disabilities on their career journey by providing counseling, services, assistive technology, training, and almost anything else necessary to reach their employment goal. The Vocational Rehabilitation Module in VOS Sapphire 21 supports staff who are assisting youth and adults with disabilities to meet their education and employment goals. The module has application components for both general and blind agencies and includes Pre-Employment Transition Services. Sapphire 21 also supports case management and reporting for Independent Living Programs. Tune in to see all of the great features this module has to offer for Case Management, as well as how the module adheres to federal requirements for compliance and reporting.

3:30 PM - 5:00 PM EDT

Providing Service Delivery Continuity for SNAP and TANF Recipients Throughout the Pandemic: A Case Study

Mary Mulholland, Leslie White and Michael Bartley, Connecticut Department of Labor; Belkis Marmol and Michael Griffin, Geographic Solutions

In this session, the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) will detail how they made it through the pandemic by offering virtual service delivery and outreach services to their Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) participants. To start, CTDOL will talk about how participants arrive at the Jobs First Employment Services (JFES) program and how they're introduced to available reemployment services and training opportunities through the state. Attendees will also hear about the recent success the department has had when partnering with other state and community agencies to provide programs for financial literacy, parent education, and employment barrier reduction. As an added bonus, CTDOL will also discuss their efforts to better serve regional refugees through the Refugee Resettlement Agency.