In July 2014, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)—passed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress—was signed into law by President Obama. WIOA is the first update to the nation’s core workforce training programs since the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) 16 years ago. But a lot has changed since 1998—and our workforce system hasn’t kept up. Low-income, lower-skilled workers face more barriers than ever to securing an education and getting a good job.
CLASP is committed to making WIOA work; that's why we're developing a WIOA Game Plan for Low-Income People. We'll break down what you need to know to implement the law and help low-income families and individuals climb the economic ladder.
CLASP'S WIOA GAME PLAN
Webinar Series on Implementing the Law
CLASP's webinar series addresses opportunities and challenges related to WIOA implementation for training providers, state and local government, and others.
NEW! Questions to Consider When Reviewing Draft State Plans
CLASP is offering a list of questions to consider when reviewing state plans. These questions will help strengthen the implementation of key provisions of WIOA that can improve economic and career success for low-income youth and adults.
NEW! Opportunities for Action
CLASP provides short, action-focused memos outlining how states, local areas, advocates, and service providers can leverage opportunities to serve low-income youth and adults through state and local plans, policies and guidance, and budget choices.
NEW! WIOA State Plans: Proposed Requirements and Opportunities for Action
As part of WIOA implementation, the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL), together with three other federal agencies, released a formal Information Collection Request that contains proposed required elements of states plans.
CLASP Submits Comments on WIOA Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRMs)
CLASP submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on three Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRMs).
Promoting Economic and Career Success for Low-Income Youth and Adults: A Preview of the Proposed WIOA Regulations
This paper summarizes several key priority topics in the proposed WIOA regulations to help state and local policymakers, advocates, and practitioners leverage opportunities.
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Draft Regulations Released
Draft regulations to implement the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) were posted to the Federal Register website. The draft regulations mark an important milestone in WIOA implementation. They come in five parts, known as Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRMs).
“Priority of Service” Provision in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act: Targeting Funding to Serve More High-Need Adults
This paper discusses the priority of service provision in the WIOA statute, briefly analyzes the recently released draft regulations, and makes six policy recommendations.
Two-page Alliance for Quality Career Pathways Executive Summary
An Alliance for Quality Career Pathways/WIOA career pathways summary document for stakeholders to bring to their state and local career pathway planning conversations.
Funding Career Pathways: A Federal Funding Toolkit for State and Local/Regional Career Pathway Partnerships
CLASP's career pathways funding toolkit is designed to help interagency state teams identify and use federal resources to support these models. The latest edition includes program profiles reflecting WIOA legislative and administrative changes to key federal programs.
New Opportunities to Improve Economic and Career Success for Low-Income Youth and Adults
CLASP's WIOA summary focuses on opportunities for improving services to low-income youth and adults under Title I and Title II.
Shared Accountability in WIOA and Career Pathways
CLASP's paper provides a framework for understanding the full scope of shared accountability and is intended to promote discussion of how WIOA performance accountability provisions could be aligned to integrate service delivery for low-income, lower-skilled individuals.
Using “Measurable Skill Gains” to Best Serve Low-Income, Lower-Skilled Individuals
CLASP’s paper discusses a new interim measure of progress included in WIOA. The common measure offers an opportunity to ensure WIOA funds are used to provide services for participants with initially low basic skills, as well as promote unified planning and shared accountability.
Side by Side: Alliance for Quality Career Pathways Framework 1.0 & the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA)
This side-by-side analysis demonstrates the alignment of Shared Vision, Strong Systems: The Alliance for Quality Career Pathways Framework Version 1.0—a consensus framework on quality criteria for career pathway systems—with WIOA’s career pathway definition and system-building elements (WIOA Bill Public Law No: 113-128).
Relationship between WIOA Performance Measures and Alliance for Quality Career Pathway Metrics
This table provides a side-by-side comparison between the new WIOA common measures and the Alliance for Quality Career Pathway (Alliance) participant metrics.
WIOA: What Human Service Agencies and Advocates Need to Know
CLASP's paper provides a background of opportunities for human service providers and advocates to engage workforce programs to improve the services available to their customers.
Many of the resources below highlight promising state and local strategies and models that align WIOA's goals and help create pathways to postsecondary and economic success for low-skilled workers, youth, and adults. These resources can serve as a guide for state and local leaders and advocates implementing and expanding workforce programs through WIOA. Grounded in research and highlighting lessons learned through experience, our resources will help you improve the education and employability of low-income people, especially youth and adults who could benefit most from tailored services and a more efficient system.
"Reforming the Supply Side of Sector Strategies: Innovations in Community Colleges" In Connecting People to Work: Workforce Intermediaries and Sector Strategies, edited by Maureen Conway and Robert P. Giloth, The Aspen Institute, 2014.
This chapter focuses on systemic reforms that community colleges have undertaken to improve the relevance of their education and training offerings to priorities in their regional economics and to more effectively bridge "silos" in education, training and human-services delivery systems as a means of better serving a diverse student body.
This explainer provides an overview of the key features and functions of career pathways and describes the growing support for the career pathway approach that helps individuals with limited skills access and succeed in education and training leading to employment in occupations and industries that are in high demand.
The explainer can be a good starting place for career pathway unified and/or combined planning teams consolidating a shared career pathway vision and strategy. The PowerPoint version is customizable for use.
In addition, the 2014 Farm Bill authorized the FNS to grant $200 million for the creation and evaluation of three-year pilot projects testing innovative SNAP E&T) strategies in up to 10 states. The SNAP E&T Resources page lists relevant resources.