Concerns and Recommendations on Implementation of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 in Boston: Summary of the Policy Roundtable: Local Implementation of the Workforce Investment Act and its Impact on Latinos and other Communities

Abstract

The primary public funding vehicle for employment training and workforce education is in the midst of radical change. The transition from the Job Training Partnership Act of 1982 to the Workforce. Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) will have a dramatic impact on providers and clients alike. This impact is likely to be especially challenging for programs targeted to the hardest to serve populations. For example, many practitioners are worried that members of certain groups will be more likely to be lost and not receive needed services under the voucher system that will be the primary payment method under WIA. Linguistic minorities, a population requiring culturally competent, comprehensive services, are one diverse group that stands to fare poorly under WIA