The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the One-Stop Delivery System

[Excerpt] The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA; P.L. 113-128), which succeeded the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220) as the primary federal workforce development legislation, was enacted in July 2014 to bring about increased coordination among federal workforce development and related programs. Most of WIOA’s provisions went into effect July 1, 2015. WIOA authorizes appropriations for each of FY2015 through FY2020 to carry out the programs and activities authorized in the legislation. Workforce development programs provide a combination of education and training services to prepare individuals for work and to help them improve their prospects in the labor market. They may include activities such as job search assistance, career counseling, occupational skill training, classroom training, or on-the-job training. The federal government provides workforce development activities through WIOA’s programs and other programs designed to increase the employment and earnings of workers. WIOA includes five titles: Workforce Development Activities (Title I), Adult Education and Literacy (Title II), Amendments to the Wagner-Peyser Act (Title III), Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Title IV), and General Provisions (Title V). Title I, whose programs are primarily administered through the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), includes three state formula grant programs, multiple national programs, and Job Corps. Title II, whose programs are administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), includes a state formula grant program and National Leadership activities. Title III amends the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933, which authorizes the Employment Service (ES). Title IV amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which authorizes vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities. Title V includes provisions for the administration of WIOA. The WIOA system provides central points of service via its system of around 3,000 One-Stop centers nationwide, through which state and local WIOA employment and training activities are provided and certain partner programs must be coordinated. This system is supposed to provide employment and training services that are responsive to the demands of local area employers. Administration of the One-Stop system occurs through Workforce Development Boards (WDBs), a majority of whose members must be representatives of business and which are authorized to determine the mix of service provision, eligible providers, and types of training programs, among other decisions. WIOA provides universal access (i.e., an adult age 18 or older does not need to meet any qualifying characteristics) to its career services, including a priority of service for low- income adults. WIOA also requires Unified State Plans (USPs) that outline the workforce strategies for the six core WIOA programs—adult, dislocated worker, and youth programs (Title I of WIOA), the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA; Title II of WIOA), the Employment Service program (amended by Title III of WIOA), and the Vocational Rehabilitation State Grant Program (amended by Title IV of WIOA). Finally, WIOA adopts the same six “primary indicators of performance” across most of the programs authorized in the law. This report provides details of WIOA Title I state formula program structure, services, allotment formulas, and performance accountability. In addition, it provides a program overview for national grant programs. It also offers a brief overview of the Employment Service (ES), which is authorized by separate legislation but is an integral part of the One-Stop system created by WIOA

Elements of State and Local Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Plans

Under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) statute, local and state WIOA boards much develop and submit four-year strategic and operational plans to guide their implementation of WIOA. Here is a snapshot of the items that must be included in local and state WIOA plans, including Combined State Plans

Functions of State and Local Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Boards

Under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) statute, state and local WIOA boards arerequired to perform several functions with regard to setting priorities for the public workforce system,governance, and allocating resources. Here is a snapshot of the functions of state and local WIOA boards

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014: A Preliminary Analysis

A preliminary analysis of provisions contained in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 related to employment, training, education, supports, and prioritization of workforce services for adults and youth with barriers to employment

Individual Training Accounts and Nonstandard Work Arrangements

This paper was commissioned by the Organisation for Economic and Co-operative Development (OECD) to describe the use of Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and under its predecessor the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Particular interest is in the use of ITAs by WIOA participants from nonstandard work arrangements. The study provides detailed information about the use of ITAs by participants of the two adult programs under WIOA, Disadvantaged Adult Programs and Dislocated Worker Programs, and in two states, Michigan and Washington. Information for the WIOA programs is gathered and analyzed from the public-use version of the WIOA Participant Individual Record Layout (PIRL). One of the unique features of the ITAs is the use of an informed choice model, in which participants, once determined eligible for training, have final say as to the training program they choose, but they must consult with WIOA counselors and standard information available through WIOA about the programs before making that choice. The study finds that even between the two states, the use of training and ITAs varies widely across the two WIOA programs. That trend continued prior to WIOA when WIA was in effect. The study concludes that the two WIOA programs do not accommodate workers from nonstandard work arrangements, except for those who fit the eligibility criteria established by the WIOA Adult Program for low-income workers. The study points out that low-income workers are equally, if not more, likely to come from nonstandard work arrangements, such as self-employment, as from more traditional arrangements. However, both programs are geared to placing participants in standard work settings once they have completed the training or other services provided by the WIOA programs. The study informs current policy by pointing out the neglect of current public workforce programs to focus more on nonstandard work arrangements that exist within today’s workforce

Direct Federal Support of Individuals Pursuing Training and Education in Non-degree Programs

[Excerpt] This report provides an overview of existing federal programs and benefits that support individuals engaged in the pursuit of training and education in non-degree instructional and work-based learning programs. It informs consideration of additional or revised policy approaches aiming to support pursuit of training and education through non-degree programs. The report begins with a brief description of employer demand for individuals who have completed non-degree programs. This is followed by a discussion of the landscape and key characteristics of non-degree programs, from those offered through work-based learning to those offered through more formal instructional means. The report concludes with a detailed description of six federal programs and three tax benefits that currently provide direct financial support to students pursuing training and postsecondary education in non-degree instructional and work-based learning programs. Each program and benefit description highlights potential gaps and limitations in the scope and extent to which the program or benefit supports individuals pursuing non-degree programs, as well as student eligibility requirements and federal administration and oversight

Missing in Action: Job-Driven Educational Pathways for Unauthorized Youth and Adults

Policymakers in Washington, DC, and in the states have put forward proposals to make it easier for immigrants to fully contribute to the economy. Most federal immigration policy proposals -- whether administrative or congressional -- require immigrant applicants to attain credentials, thus facilitating their full economic integration. These educational requirements -- if supported by adequate policy infrastructure and investments -- increase the likelihood of positive economic outcomes for individual immigrants and our economy as a whole. It is well-documented that higher levels of education are associated with higher earnings and economic productivity. But some of these credential requirements have not lined up with what the labor market actually demands, and to date, no policy has included the investments or infrastructure needed to support job-driven educational pathways for unauthorized youth and adults. Reflecting on the DREAM Act, DAPA, and DACA today creates an opportunity to ensure that the current lack of access to job-driven educational pathways does not become a barrier to citizenship in the future when comprehensive immigration reform comes to pass

Two Generational Strategies to Improve Immigrant Family and Child Outcomes

Both the Two-Generational Strategies to Improve Immigrant Family and Child Outcomes roundtable and this brief explore policy and practice reforms that can improve opportunities for parents and children in immigrant families. To generate rich thinking about the possibilities, the roundtable brought together experts in the fields of early childhood education, workforce, two-generational policies, and immigrant rights. Participants included federal and state policymakers, community-based practitioners, researchers, advocates, and foundation leaders from all of these fields and from 10 states who came together for two days of discussion about opportunities, challenges, and action steps to better serve immigrant families. Several participants highlighted the extraordinary nature of this opportunity to connect across the different worlds, given how few opportunities they typically have to collaborate and be more intentional in meeting the needs of both parents and children in immigrant families. The goal of the discussion was to share information and perspectives from different areas of expertise across policy and practice and to generate a rich and practical set of action ideas, not necessarily to create consensus among participants