Jones v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security Division

508 N.E.2d 1322, 1987 Ind. App. LEXIS 2754
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 15, 1987
DocketNo. 93A02-8611-EX-394
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 508 N.E.2d 1322 (Jones v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security Division) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jones v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security Division, 508 N.E.2d 1322, 1987 Ind. App. LEXIS 2754 (Ind. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinions

ROBERTSON, Judge.

Ronald Jones (Jones) seeks judicial review of the decision of the Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security Division (Review Board) denying his request for training under the Trade Act of 1974, 88 Stat.1978, 19 U.S.C. § 2101 et seq. (Act).

We reverse and remand.

Jones, a former employee of U.S. Steel for twenty-five years, is a worker adversely affected by competition from foreign imports. He has been certified by the Secretary of Labor to be eligible for benefits and training provided by the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program.1 Jones was working toward an Associate Degree in Public Affairs with a concentration in criminal justice at Indiana University in May of 1985. He applied for training in the area of criminal justice. A deputy with the Indiana Employment Security Division determined that paralegal training would be a viable alternative within the program and excluded other cccupations within the criminal justice occupational area which were of interest to Jones, for "lack of employment opportunities." Jones requested a hearing before an appeals referee, appeared pro se and presented evidence to rebut the deputy's determination. The appeals referee affirmed the denial of Jones's request for training, entering findings of fact and conclusions of law which the Review Board adopted. We remanded with instructions to the Review Board to enter findings and conclusions which would facilitate judicial review. 505 N.E.2d 881. The Review Board having entered specific findings of fact and conclusions of law in support of its decision, we must now consider whether Jones was denied training in accord with the Trade Act of 1974.

The Review Board made the following entry:

FINDINGS OF FACT:
1. Claimant is a former employee of U.S. Steel having worked for said employer for 25 years (1-22-60 to 5-83-85). (Division Exhibit #1 TR pg 7).
2. A request for determination of entitlement to TRA (Trade Readjustment Act) benefits by Claimant was initiated on April 4, 1986, and processed as petition number 14767 (Division Exhibit # 1 TR pg 7 & 8).
8. A determination of eligibility was completed by the Gary Employment Security office on July 24, 1986, based on Claimant's request for training which would lead to an associate degree in public affairs with concentration in criminal justice. (Division Exhibit #8 TR pg 11.)
4. Claimant's requested program of training was determined to be excluded "for lack of employment" opportunities (Division Exhibit #8 TR pg 11) and a "reasonable expectation of employment after training does not exist". (Id.)
5. Claimant completed a Combined Report on Disputed Claim form on August 1, 1986 and filed the same with the Gary employment service office on the same date. (Division Exhibit #4 TR pg 12)
6. A notice of appeals referee hearing was issued to all parties on August 8, 1986. (Division Exhibit #5 TR pg 183 & 14); and the appeals hearing was conducted on August 19, 1986, (see referee docket Division Exhibit #6 TR pg 15) at Gary, Indiana. (TR pg 15)
7. The position of the Gary employment service office was presented by Mr. Freeman Franks, an Employment Service Specialist, TRA (TR pg 16) and stated that one of the requirements for determining eligibility for a TRA training program is that "the person must have a reasonable expectancy of securing suit able employment in the occupation upon completion of training." (TR pg 19, lines 20-21); that the desired training pro[1324]*1324gram was within the possibilities of Claimant's abilities as evidenced by the result of Claimant's aptitude test scores (TR pg 16, lines 14-24), and that the training requested was part of the minimum requirements in obtaining a position in that field sought (TR pg 19, line 38, TR pg 20, line 10).
8. Claimant noted that he had enrolled in a college and was doing B-grade level work (TR pg 28, lines 1-2). That he was over "half-finished with this program" (TR pg 28, line 10); that he had one more year to complete in order to receive or be awarded a criminal justice degree (TR pg 28, line 12-14). Claimant further stated "there will be more jobs in security in the future and also criminal justice jobs outlook favorable today," (TR pg 24, lines 26-28). Claimant's Exhibit #1 and #2 (TR pg's 89-42) were offered to substantiate his contention that the potential for employment in the criminal justice field was favorable today; however, no correlation was shown between the course of training sought by Claimant at Indiana University in Gary, Indiana and the minimum requirements of jobs for guards, police officers, correction officers, juvenile correction officers, or any of the other positions detailed in related law enforcement areas in addition to others who work as judges, bailiffs, clerks, public defenders, prosecutors and investigators.
9. Claimant's pro-offered course list of classes at Indiana University, Gary, Indiana, was determined by the TRA Specialist to be an "over view type" of course, (TR pg 19, lines 1-7), which was not aimed or directed toward any specific or determinable class within the general classification of the criminal justice field; and a reasonable expectancy of employment at the completion of the training was not shown. Claimant's Exhibits 1 and 2 indicated an increase in employment possibilities within the broad spectrum of the "Criminal Justice" field, but showed not one bit of existing need for Claimant or others like him who may complete the course of study sought at Indiana University, Gary, Indiana.
The general field of criminal justice as presented by Claimant as evidenced by Claimant's exhibits 1 and 2 (TR pg's 39-42) shows a wide range of positions (i.e. from city police to judges and prosecutors) that vary in requirements from a high school diploma to college and law degrees. Claimant did narrow his stated desire of job attainment to insurance investigator (TR pg 28, lines 22-283) when he said at the appeals hearing, "I would like to do special investigator's work with insurance companies." However, there has been no showing by Claimant that such a position requires any skills or training program requirements beyond a high school diploma if that much, or that the course sought was programed for that position.
10. The TRA Specialist did conduct a survey, albeit not one of professional standards, of the local market regarding the general course of study for criminal justice associate degree sought by Claimant and found no need for persons so trained (TR pg 18, lines 7-81).
The TRA Specialist, in his discussion with Claimant, explained that most areas of law enforcement and correctional officers did not require training beyond a high school diploma; and that the specific police training beyond that was conducted in-house or at the state facility at Plainfield, Indiana. (TR pg 20, lines 1-10).
11. Claimant's request for TRA funding could be interpreted as a request to study and take courses in a very general field of employment possibilities whereas the TRA program was designed to approve training of a worker eligible for trade adjustment assistance; [see 19 U.S.C. See.

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508 N.E.2d 1322, 1987 Ind. App. LEXIS 2754, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-v-review-board-of-the-indiana-employment-security-division-indctapp-1987.