Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act
Chicago Region
October 15, 2014
Agenda
 Overview of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(WIOA)
 Key Implementation Dates
 Focused Discussions
 Governance and the One-Stop System
 Performance
 Youth
 Partnerships
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WIOA Overview
 President Barack Obama signed WIOA into law on July 22, 2014.
 Passed by Congress with wide bipartisan majority (the Senate
voted 93-5 and the House of Representatives voted 415-6).
 Broad vision of workforce programs: reaffirms ongoing role of
American Job Centers and also requires coordination and
alignment of key employment, education, and training programs.
 Promotes program alignment at the Federal, State, local, and
regional levels.
 Builds on proven practices such as sector strategies, career
pathways, regional economic approaches, work-based training.
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Six Broad Goals of WIOA
• (1) increasing access to and opportunities for the employment, education, training, and
support services that individuals, particularly those with barriers to employment;
• (2) supporting the alignment of workforce investment, education and economic
development systems in support of a comprehensive, accessible and high-quality
workforce development system;
• (3) improving the quality and labor market relevance of workforce investment, education
and economic development efforts;
• (4) promoting improvement in the structure and delivery of services;
• (5) increasing the prosperity of workers and employers; and
• (6) for purposes of title I, to provide workforce investment activities, through statewide
and local workforce development systems, that increase the employment, retention, and
earnings of participants, and increase attainment of recognized postsecondary
credentials by participants, and as a result, improve the quality of the workforce, reduce
welfare dependency, increase economic self-sufficiency, meet the skill requirements of
employers, and enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the Nation.
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Connecting the Job-Driven Agenda
Engaging Employers
Earn and Learn
Smart Choices
Measuring Matters
Stepping Stones
Opening Doors
Regional Partnerships
The
“Job-Driven
Checklist”
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Key implementation dates
• In general, the Act takes effect on July 1, 2015, the first full
program year after enactment, unless otherwise noted.
• Title IV, amendments to the Rehabilitation Act takes effect immediately.
• The State Unified Plans and Common Performance Accountability
provisions take effect July 1, 2016.
• Notices of Proposed Rulemaking must be published by January
18, 2015 (no more than 180 days after enactment).
• Final Rules must be published by January 22, 2016 (no more
than 18 months after enactment).
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Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
Governance &
the One-Stop System
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Streamlines and strengthens strategic
roles of workforce development boards
WIOA makes state /local boards more flexible and better-positioned to meet local and
regional employers’ workforce needs.
• Functions of the State/local boards are enhanced.
•
Must coordinate and align workforce programs to provide coordinated, complementary, and
consistent services to job seekers and employers.
•
Increase employer engagement
•
Implement career pathways, industry/sector partnerships
•
Disseminating proven and promising practices
•
Promote more effective use of technology
• State/local board membership is streamlined
• Mandatory AJC partners are no longer required board members.
• Registered Apprenticeship is a new required member.
• Requires members from institutions of higher education (including
community colleges).
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Fosters regional collaboration
WIOA promotes alignment of workforce development programs with regional
economic development strategies to meet the needs of local and regional employers.
 States are required to identify regions within their state, which
may consist of multiple local areas.
 Local areas in regions are required to conduct regional
planning, incorporating regional service delivery strategies,
regional labor market data, and a focus on in-demand industry
sectors .
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Improves American Job Center system
WIOA increases the quality and accessibility of services that job seekers and
employers receive at their local AJCs.
 AJC partner programs are required to dedicate funding for
infrastructure and other shared costs.
 WIOA requires One-Stop operators to be competitively bid.
 States are required to establish certification criteria for AJCs
at least every three years to ensure continuous improvement,
access to services, and integrated service delivery.
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Discussion Question
What opportunities do the new
State/local board membership
requirements present?
Challenges?
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Discussion Question
WIOA requires states to identify regions
within their state and for local areas in
regions to coordinate planning and service
delivery.
What are your ideas of specific guidance
that will support states/local areas in
carrying out these requirements?
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Discussion Question
The functions of State and local boards
are enhanced.
What opportunities does this present?
Which functions present the greatest
challenge(s) in terms of implementation?
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Discussion Question
WIOA now requires that State Boards focus on
continuous improvement of the One-Stop
delivery system and develop One-Stop
standards and a certification process.
What is your input in terms of guidance that will
support states in carrying out this mandatory
role?
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Discussion Question
WIOA includes provisions about the sharing of
One-Stop infrastructure and other common
costs related to the operation of the centers and
the provision of career services.
What challenges do you foresee in this area?
What can ETA do to facilitate the
implementation of these provisions?
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Discussion Question
WIOA requires One-Stop Operators to
be competitively bid.
What should the WIOA regulations say
about this provision?
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Discussion Question
If we are successful in implementing
WIOA, what does One Stop service
delivery look like two years from now?
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Discussion Question
Is there anything else you want
to share with us today?
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Youth Services
Makes key investments for
disconnected youth
WIOA prepares vulnerable youth for successful employment
through the increasing use of proven service models.
• Local areas must increase the percentage of youth formula
funds used to serve out-of-school youth to 75% from 30%
under WIA.
• Local areas must spend at least 20% of youth formula funds on
work experience activities, such as summer jobs, preapprenticeship, on-the-job training, and internships, so that
youth are prepared for employment.
• The Youth Council requirement is eliminated; allows for
standing local board committee to focus on strategic planning,
oversight and service delivery for youth programs.
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Makes key investments for
disconnected youth
• Eligibility criteria are changed for the youth formula program: in-school
youth aged 14-21, and out-of-school youth aged 16-24.
• Low income includes those eligible for free or reduced lunches, and out-ofschool youth living in a high poverty areas are automatically eligible.
• There are 5 new program elements to the youth formula program.
Additional allowable activities include:
–
Financial literacy education
–
Entrepreneurial skills training
–
Provision of LMI on in-demand industries, including career awareness and counseling
–
Education offered concurrently with workforce preparation for a specific occupation
–
Activities to prepare for transition to post-secondary education and training
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Discussion Questions
What opportunities do you
see for youth under WIOA?
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Discussion Question
What is challenging about
implementing the youthrelated provisions in WIOA?
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Discussion Question
What strategies will you use to
meet the increased Out-ofSchool Youth (OSY) expenditure
requirement?
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Discussion Question
What strategies might be
employed to match more youth
participants with work experience
activities including preapprenticeship and Registered
Apprenticeship?
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Discussion Question
What program structure and strategic
direction opportunities do you
envision for the local youth council?
Challenges?
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Discussion Question
With the OSY age range
expanded to age 24, what
considerations are being made
for increased service
integration/access in the AJC?
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Discussion Question
Are you concerned about
integrating any of the 5 new
program elements into the
program?
If so, which ones do you need
technical assistance to achieve?
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Discussion Question
Is there anything else you want
to share with us today?
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Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
PERFORMANCE
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Promotes accountability and transparency
WIOA ensures that Federal investments in employment and
training programs are evidence-based and data-driven, and
accountable to participants and tax-payers.
 Core programs and other authorized programs are required to
report on common performance indicators:
 Percentage of workers that entered employment
 Percentage of workers that retained employment
 Median wages of these workers
 Credential attainment of these workers
 Measurable skill gains of these workers.
 Effectiveness of services to employers.
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Promotes accountability and transparency
 The Departments of Labor and Education, with input from
stakeholders, will establish common performance accountability
system for core programs, including common reporting templates.
 Negotiated levels of performance for common indicators will be
adjusted based on statistical model that takes into account economic
conditions and participant characteristics.
 Performance reports for states, local areas, and eligible training
providers will be made publicly available.
 Eligible training providers are required to provide data on
performance outcomes for all students in a training program.
 States will be sanctioned 5 percent of Governor’s Reserve for
performance failure or failure to submit performance reports.
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Discussion Questions
WIOA increases accountability and
information for job seekers, employers,
and the public.
What challenges do the provisions of
section 116 on performance accountability
present for states and local areas?
New opportunities?
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Discussion Question
WIOA includes several new performance
measures and we’d like to get your input
on how we might define and measure
them, including:
• Measurable Skills gains
• Effectiveness in serving employers
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Discussion Question
What technical assistance will be most
useful to states and local to prepare for
successful implementation of:
• common performance measures?
• new state and local performance reports?
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Discussion Question
WIOA makes available data on training providers’ performance
outcomes, based upon new reporting requirements for the Eligible
Training Provider List.
• What opportunities exist, and how can DOL, Education or other
Federal partners assist to realize those opportunities?
• What challenges do you anticipate to making such data available,
and how might DOL, Education or other Federal partners assist to
address those challenges?
• Have states developed similar consumer information or “scorecards”
that may provide examples or models that can be shared?
• What technical assistance would be useful for smaller training
providers to be able to comply with these new reporting
requirements?
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Discussion Question
The Departments of Labor and Education
are considering the definition of
performance failure and failure to report in
determining the application of sanctions.
What factors should be considered?
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Discussion Questions
Which provisions related to
performance accountability require
specific guidance or regulation to help
your program operations?
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Discussion Questions
Which provisions should be
left more flexible, and why?
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Discussion Questions
WIOA requires the Secretaries of Labor and
Education to provide guidelines on the
establishment and operation of a fiscal and
management accountability information system.
What might the Departments consider in the
development of these guidelines?
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Discussion Questions
What opportunities are there to one
integrated reporting layout?
What would facilitate the use of one
integrated report layout?
What would the challenges be to using one
integrated reporting layout?
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Discussion Questions
•What additional measures
might States use to assess
program success?
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Discussion Questions
Is there anything else you
want to share with us
today?
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Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
Partnerships
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Strategic alignment
 WIOA creates a core partner structure
 Expansion of One-Stop required partner
membership
 Wagner Peyer/Employment Service co-location
 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
 Re-integration of Ex-Offenders (RExO)- Adult program
 Strengthens employer/industry partnerships
 Industry/sector strategies
 Work-based strategies (incumbent worker training, registered
apprenticeship, transitional jobs, OJT, customized training)
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Strategic alignment
WIOA ensures that employment and training services provided by the core
programs are coordinated and complementary.
 Single Unified Strategic Plan - Every state will develop
and submit a four-year strategy for core programs:

DOL: Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth

DOL: Wagner-Peyser

ED: Adult Education and Literacy

ED: Vocational Rehabilitation
 Plans will discuss the State’s strategy to prepare an
educated and skilled workforce and meet the workforce
needs of employers.
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Strategic alignment
 Combined State Plan – States can include other key
partners, such as:
 Jobs for Veterans State Grant program
 Unemployment Insurance
 Trade Adjustment Assistance
 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
 Perkins career and technical education programs
 Integration of intake, case management, and reporting
systems.
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Discussion Questions
WIOA promotes the alignment of the workforce,
education, and economic development systems
in support of a comprehensive, accessible, and
high-quality workforce development system.
What opportunities or challenges do you see in
the implementation of this vision?
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Discussion Questions
WIOA adds new One-Stop required partners.
Employment services are required to be co-located with OneStops under WIOA.
TANF and Reintegration of Ex-Offenders (RExO) Adult program
are now required partners.
WIOA provides that UI services to be provided through the onestop delivery system include both information and assistance in
claims filing.
What issues should DOL consider in drafting the regs and
guidance to ensure the active involvement/participation from
these required partners?
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Discussion Questions
States are required to submit a single unified strategic
plan for the core programs or may submit a combined
state plan that covers the core programs plus one or
more One-Stop partner programs.
What policy guidance or technical assistance would be
helpful to you?
Do you have examples of integrated planning that you
would like to share?
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Discussion Questions
States and local areas are encouraged to
improve customer service and program
management by integrating intake, case
management, and reporting systems.
How can DOL support states and local
areas in these efforts?
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Discussion Questions
Is there anything else you want to
share with us today?
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Wrap Up
What TA do you need?
Is there anything else you would like to
share with us?
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Technical assistance tools and resources
 Department of Labor
 WIOA Resource Page (www.doleta.gov/WIOA)
 WIOA Dedicated Email (DOL.WIOA@dol.gov)
 Department of Education
 Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education’s WIOA Resource Page
(www.ed.gov/AEFLA)
 Rehabilitation Services Administration’s WIOA Resource Page
(http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/rsa/wioareauthorization.html)
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Thank you!
Please complete evaluation.
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