Navigating Public Job Training

The future of work depends on employees being able to acquire new skills that will allow them to enter new occupations. However, policymakers, economic developers, and workforce practitioners need more information about the use of federal dollars to support more robust job training. This report delves into the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the primary federal program that funds short-term, job-focused trainings for adults. It aims to better understand how well this system is performing relative to the goal of providing training services for in-demand jobs that boost participants’ earnings. Also, the report reviews state websites for all 50 states to understand how program information is presented to potential enrollees.