This fact sheet from the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services gives a brief summary of each of the five final rules documents that were made available on June 30, 2016. The final rules provide the foundation upon which services to individuals and businesses can be strengthened and improved over time under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

The Department of Labor issued this Final Rule to implement Titles I and III of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Through these regulations, the Department reforms and modernizes our nation’s workforce development system. The rule provides the framework for changes for statewide and local workforce development systems to increase the employment, retention, earnings, and occupational skill attainment of U.S. workers, particularly those individuals with barriers to employment, so they can move into good jobs and careers and provide businesses with the skilled workforce needed to make the United States more competitive in the 21st Century global economy. 

The Departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL) issued this Joint Final Rule to implement jointly administered activities authorized by Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) that was signed into law on July 22, 2014. Through these regulations, the Departments implement workforce education and employment system reforms and strengthen the nation’s public workforce development system to provide increased economic opportunity and make the United States more competitive in the 21st century evolving labor market. This Joint WIOA Final Rule provides guidance for State and local workforce development systems that increase the skill and credential attainment, employment, retention, and earnings of participants, especially those with significant barriers to employment, thereby improving the quality of the workforce, reducing dependency on public benefits, increasing economic opportunity, and enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of the nation.

The purpose of this Training and Employment Notice (TEN) is to announce the advance posting of the WIOA final regulations, specifically:

• Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act; Joint Rule for Unified and Combined State Plans, Performance Accountability, and the One-Stop System Joint Provisions; Final Rule.
• Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act; Department of Labor-Only; Final Rule.
• Programs and Activities Authorized by the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act); Final Rule.
• State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program; State Supported Employment Services Program; Limitations on Use of Subminimum Wage; Final Rule.
• Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Miscellaneous Program Changes; Final Rule. 

This TEN also announces two information collections to implement WIOA, and align performance accountability and information reporting for WIOA and additional Department of Labor programs. Further, the DOL established Information Collections for all programs authorized by WIOA title I and additional DOL administered programs. These information collections are as follows:

• Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Common Performance Reporting; OMB Control No. 1205-0526.
• DOL-Only Performance Accountability, Information, and Reporting System; OMB Control No. 1205-0521.

This paper from the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) 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.

This memorandum describes the criteria and procedures the U.S. Department of Education (ED), Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) will use when considering a State’s expected levels of performance and negotiating adjusted levels of performance for Program Year (PY) 2016-17 and PY 2017-18 for the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) program. These levels are required under section 116(b)(3)(A)(iii) and (iv)(I) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

This fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Education highlights ways in which adult education systems can help Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs integrate technology as part of workforce preparation activities. The fact sheet includes information on allowable activities under WIOA, covers the scope of workforce preparation activities, explains what states must consider in funding adult education programs, and provides links to resources to help with the integration of technology.

The Office of Family Assistance held a webinar on “Creating Tribal TANF and WIOA Partnerships to Connect Tribal Families to Employment” on July 20, 2016, from 2:00-3:15 p.m. ET. This webinar provided an opportunity to hear about partnerships between Tribal TANF agencies and local Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) providers. Tribal employment and training agencies often face job placement challenges common to many remote and rural areas – namely, a small pool of employers, few job openings, and limited education and training opportunities in high demand labor areas. For these reasons, it is critical that Tribal TANF participants have the skills necessary to compete for jobs that already exist or are growing within the region. Local WIOA providers can help build the skills of Tribal TANF participants by providing job training and adult education services targeted to in-demand jobs in the region. Speakers from four organizations—Department of Labor, California Indian Manpower Consortium, Southern California Tribal Chairman’s Association, and Cankdeska Cikana Community College—discussed the innovative partnerships they have formed between Tribal TANF and WIOA to help move families toward self-sufficiency.

Speakers included:

• Athena Brown, Division Chief, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Indian and Native American Programs
• Yvette Yazzie, Pala Site Manager, Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association
• Christina Arzate, CIMC Workforce Development Coordinator III, California Indian Manpower Consortium
• Larry D. Anderson, Job Development Specialist, Cankdeska Cikana Community College

The WIOA Peer Learning Groups (PLGs) from WorkforceGPS are collaborative learning communities that involve individuals working together in groups to discuss key WIOA implementation concepts, share promising practices and find solutions to challenges. WIOA PLGs will convene via telephone (or virtually if appropriate) for 4-5 one-hour long calls from May through September 2016. Each PLG will be led by a trained SME and facilitator and will highlight one or two expert practitioners.

This document from the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) presents information in two columns to clearly identify differences between the statutory language of WIA and WIOA. It identifies provisions in WIA that were not included or repealed in WIOA, provisions that were added to WIOA that were not originally part of WIA, and areas where there are similarities between provisions in the two laws despite different statutory language.