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Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

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Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

1.

In 2014, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) replaced the Workforce

Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 as the main federal workforce development law. While WIOA

retained some of the basic elements from its predecessor, there are some components that sets it

apart (US. Department of Labor, n.d.). One component that distinguishes WIOA from its

predecessor is the State and Local Plans. Under WIOA each state is supposed to have a single,

unified state plan encompassing all programs under the bill and the local plans have to be in line

with the state plan.

The second component that distinguishes WIOA from its predecessor is One-Stop Job

Centers. According to WIOA, state board are expected to set up a criterion for local boards to

evaluate effectiveness as well as accessibility of the job centers after every three years (OSOS,

2019). The legislation assists disadvantaged and unemployed people earn while learning via

support services and proper employment-based activities.

The third aspect that differentiates WIOA from its predecessor is the performance

metrics. Unlike the Workforce Investment Act which provided for multiple performance metrics,

under WIOA there is one set of common measures that is applied over all major programs

(OSOS, 2019). The common measures are a vital step for accountability and as the foundation

for engaging state and local partners in collective continuous initiatives to enhance participant

outcomes.

The fourth component that distinguishes WIOA from its predecessor is enhancement of

accountability and transparency. The legislation provides for key programs to report on common

performance indicators that give vital employment information including employment rate of
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participants upon completion of the program, whether they achieved a qualification, their media

mages as well as their measurable skill gains.

Another element that differentiates WIOA from WIA is the measurable skills gains.

Under WIOA measurable skills gain encompasses the number of people who are “attaining

measurable skills gain” towards a renown post-secondary employment and the total number of

people who are “in a training program” that leads towards employment or credential (Smith et

al., 2017).

2.

Examples of people targeted by WIOA include individuals from low-income

neighborhoods, homeless people, individuals living with disabilities, ex-offenders. It also seeks

to help young people who cannot be taken care under the foster care system, people with low

levels of literacy and people facing reasonable cultural barriers (US. Department of Labor, n.d..

The legislation also targets to help single parents and long-term unemployed people.

3.

The demand for technical skilled workers can be addressed by WIOA’s employment and

training services. The legislation provides for each state to set up a program for training an

employment targeting unemployed adults, the young, single mothers and individuals living with

disabilities (Smith et al., 2017). For instance, if there is a demand for technical skills in the

construction sector within a particular state, the governor can create a unified state plan focusing

on career pathways and apprenticeship geared towards the construction sector. Expanding career

pathways in construction related fields could serve as the primary model for skill and credential

with emphasis on addressing the demand for technical skills. WIOA also addressed the demand

for technical skills by allowing states to create specific sector strategies and stakeholder
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engagement (Smith et al., 2017). The key stakeholders in this case are the employers. Engaging

employers and other industry players such as regulators through innovative strategies helps to

enhance connection and responsiveness of workforce services in effort to address the labor

market demand, including training, recruitment as well as retention of talent.

With the focus on addressing the demand for technical skills in the labor market, the

delivery of WIOA services such as training and employment would require local stakeholders

such as the community-based organizations, human service agencies, the state workforce, the

youth and the adults. The community-based organizations and human service providers would be

required to engage workforce programs to improve the services being delivered to the

individuals (Smith et al., 2017). The state and county officials work together through the

Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) to come up with policies for the local workforce

system and establish workforce and economic development goals (National Association of

Counties, 2019). At the local level, the local WDBs implement the strategic goals and create

plans to integrate educational and workforce initiatives within communities. WIOA services such

as adult service program, youth services program and Wagner-Peyser are delivered by the local

WDBS through the implementation of American Job Centers. Moreover, the state and WDBs

have the flexibility to customize WIOA’s requirement to the needs of local jobseekers and

employers. As such, in case of a demand for technical skills, the WDBs can customize the

services to address the demand.

4.

State plans highlight how WIOA collaborates with other federal programs such as

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to promote the state’s workforce

goal’s and the community’s economic wellbeing (National Association of Counties, 2019).
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WIOA collaborates with such separate federal programs to provide multifaceted services to

people from low-income neighborhoods.

WIOA services can be integrated with a federal program such as Job Corps to help

develop workers knowledge and skills. Blending the WIOA’s youth service program with Job

Corps could help to develop workers’ knowledge and skills, thereby enabling them to take on

technical skill-based jobs.

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References

National Association of Counties. (2019). Counties and the Workforce Innovation and

Opportunity Act. https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/documents/WIOA%20101%2C

%2007.09.2019%20vb%20final.pdf

OSOS. (2019). WIOA Primary Indicators of Performance and Outcomes OSOS Guide.

https://labor.ny.gov/workforcenypartners/osos/WIOA-Performance-Measures-and-

Outcomes-Guide.pdf

Smith, T. J., Dillahunt-Aspillaga, C. J., & Kenney, R. M. (2017). Implementation of customized

employment provisions of the workforce innovation and opportunity act within

vocational rehabilitation systems. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 27(4), 195-202.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1044207316644412

US. Department of Labor. (n.d.). Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/wioa