Under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the Governor of each state must submit a workforce State Plan to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education that outlines a four-year strategy for the state’s workforce development system. The State Plan serves as the state’s strategic workforce development plan and provides analyses of the state’s economic conditions, workforce characteristics, and workforce development activities.

The State Strategic Vision, Goals and Strategies for 2024-2027 were developed by modifying the previous State Plan’s Vision, Goals and Strategies in consultation with workforce program administrators, the Governor’s Workforce Development Board (GWDB), the Minnesota Association of Workforce Boards (MAWB), and the National Governors Association (NGA). The shift in Vision, Goals and Strategies represents a new strategic direction for workforce development in the state, one that is focused on breaking down silos across workforce partners and being more intentional and proactive about the delivery of programs and services to Minnesotans. These resources highlight One Minnesota Workforce Development’s WIOA strategic vision as well as state plan goals and strategies.

Maryland’s Combined Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State Plan partners worked collaboratively to bolster the workforce system. There are multiple entry points to services, and Maryland subscribes to a “no wrong door” philosophy for customer access to services. Weekly orientations, walk-ins, partner referrals, the Reemployment Opportunities Workshop, and the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment program are typical entry points for new customers. As Maryland seeks to strengthen and enhance its practices through the implementation of this revised State Plan, success will require a commitment to innovation and collaboration, and a cohesive approach among partners. In 2022, Maryland added the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) program as a Core Partner. Recognizing that no single entity can exclusively provide all services to a customer, this more inclusive approach will diversify services and invest in new, integrated practices that surpass the traditional expectations of a workforce system.

The Program Monitoring Guide is used to provide a consistent framework for conducting on-site, programmatic monitoring of local areas throughout Ohio. The guide ensures that the Office of Fiscal and Monitoring Services, Bureau of Monitoring and Consulting Services’ oversight and monitoring practices reinforce federal law and regulations as well as Ohio’s guidance and policies as they pertain to administrating workforce development at the local level.

In FY2022, states spent more than 44 percent of federal TANF and state funds on non-assistance services, including work, education, and training activities; childcare; and child welfare services. Questions have arisen about how states use and account for TANF funds, and as a result the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review TANF non-assistance spending. This GAO report, part of a series of reports reviewing TANF, examines how the seven selected states have used TANF non-assistance funds, non-assistance data collected and used by selected states, and any data challenges faced by selected states and the extent to which the Department of Health and Human Services provides support to address these challenges.

This American Enterprise Institute report emphasizes how Governors are leveraging the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and other policies to design, fund, and implement workforce development strategies in an evolving economic landscape.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and significantly shifted how state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies offered services to youths with disabilities, particularly to students. WIOA requires state VR agencies to offer preemployment transition services (pre-ETS) to students with disabilities and to reserve at least 15 percent of their federal program funds for that purpose. This Social Security Administration resource describes the extent to which WIOA and pre-ETS access affected employment-related outcomes for youths with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income payments.

Social Policy Research Associates (SPR) partnered with the Washington Employment Security Department to evaluate a workforce development model and poverty reduction initiative, the Economic Security for All (EcSA) initiative. EcSA provides increased skills development, supportive services, and coaching that helps low-income families move out of poverty, an approach that SPR termed “WIOA Plus.” This SPR resource highlights their findings, including that participants’ median quarterly wages increased by 71 percent after completing EcSA. Although the new program has not yet been rigorously studied, the evaluation of its first few years suggests that its model of increased service intensity and individualized case management is a promising approach to addressing the needs of low-wage workers that could be adopted elsewhere.

WorkforceGPS is hosting a virtual event on August 22, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET that will provide front facing resources to American Job Center (AJC) staff serving veterans. Participants will learn about the various roles AJC and public workforce system staff play in serving veterans. They will gain a refresher on services available to veterans through Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Wagner-Peyser, and Jobs for Veterans State Grants programs. Participants will also learn about resources available through the National Veterans’ Training Institute to improve service delivery to veterans.