This searchable database of WIOA-related activities from the National Conference of State Legislatures includes legislation enacted in state legislatures during the 2015 session. Issues related to WIOA implementation include sector strategies, career pathways, adult education, career and job training, work-based learning, pay for performance initiatives, state plan issues, and general workforce legislation.

The Department of Health and Human Services published the annual update of the HHS poverty guidelines “to account for last calendar year’s increases in prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index.”

Newly released joint guidance provides direction for the implementation of operational requirements under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) pertaining to the one-stop delivery system. Under WIOA, workforce development, education, and human services partners are encouraged to provide streamlined and efficient career services for all customers through the American Job Center Network. This webinar was the first in a series of technical assistance resources being provided to the workforce system. Staff from the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services provided a high level review of key components of the joint guidance to include: characteristics of the American Job Center Network and benefits of participating in the American Job Center Network. A review of upcoming one-stop technical assistance events was also provided during this event. The webinar was held on February 15, 2017, from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET.

The December issue of the SNAP to Skills Newsletter focuses on Michigan’s SNAP Employment & Training (SNAP E&T) program. Its own program, called Food Assistance Employment & Training, or FAE&T, is administered jointly by its Department of Health and Human Services and the Workforce Development Agency. In the future, Michigan plans to bring on additional partners, deepen the collaboration between agencies, and develop a Partner Handbook.

This paper from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Library examines the potential of work-based learning programs. These programs may provide a bridge into careers, and their benefits are especially notable for youth at risk, or those most likely to face obstacles in accessing jobs and educational opportunities. This paper highlights tools to help attract employers to work-based learning programs, with an emphasis on youth at risk.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Grantee Products is a virtual resource center designed to support the needs of workforce development practitioners. It is a curated collection of specialized products and materials that were developed from a wide range of ETA-funded sources.

The Youth Summer Jobs Community of Practice from WorkforceGPS provides an online platform for workforce professionals, employers, and other stakeholders to learn and share information about summer employment experiences and opportunities. The website includes blog posts, discussions, and a resource library.

This brief, published in November 2015, is one of a series in the Heartland Alliance’s National Initiatives on Poverty and Economic Opportunity’s WIOA Planning and Implementation Toolkit. WIOA prioritizes services to older and out-of-school youth, as these youth will likely face additional barriers to employment and have different services needs as compared to younger and in-school youth. As TANF agencies consider their role in summer jobs programming and other opportunities for youth, this brief provides lessons learned around practical program design and recommendations for serving this priority population in the context of WIOA.

The Innovation and Opportunity Network from WorkforceGPS released new focus areas identified by the Employment and Training Administration. The 11 focus areas include: All About WIOA; Financial Grants Management; One-stops and American Job Centers; Performance Accountability; Services to Adult Job Seekers and Workers; Services to Businesses and Employers; Services to Youth; State and Local Governance; System Alignment; Target Populations and National Programs; and Wagner-Peyser Employment Services and Unemployment Insurance.

This resource from Jobs for the Future (JFF) includes case studies that highlight effective work-based learning models. JFF identified seven principles that support low-skilled youth and adults seeking to enter and excel in a career. The principles include: supporting entry and advancement in a career track; providing meaningful job tasks that build career skills and knowledge; offering compensation; identifying target skills and how gains will be validated; rewarding skill development; supporting college entry, persistence, and completion; and providing comprehensive student supports.