The American Institute for Full Employment (AIFE) has announced that the Utah Department of Workforce Services has received its 2012 Full Employment Best Practices Award. The award is given to a state agency that best exemplifies a commitment and dedication to reemployment of unemployment insurance (UI) claimants through proactive policies and innovative programs.

“You have not only successfully established a clear and identifiable vision within your agency regarding UI claimant reemployment; you have also developed unique and effective tools to do so,” said John W. Courtney, President of the American Institute for Full Employment. “These initiatives not only help promote full employment for Utah job seekers, they do so in a fiscally sustainable way.”

“This award is another example that our employee’s innovation and the Governor’s vision of creating jobs in Utah is working,” said DWS Acting Executive Director Jon Pierpont. “The creative thinking of our staff in developing new avenues for our customers to obtain reemployment and less time receiving Unemployment Insurance has once again been recognized on the national stage.”

Utah’s low duration rate for people receiving unemployment insurance has been consistently in the top ten of the 53 states and territories.

The mission of AIFE is the universal access to jobs with career potential for all who can work, so that they can avoid the poverties of unemployment.