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 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 brief from the Education Commission of the States examines how to increase coordination between community colleges and local workforce boards under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). It specifically discusses how states can utilize federal investments to improve these partnerships.

This website, created by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) program, consists of open source educational resources to train adults for occupations in 16 high-demand fields such as manufacturing, energy, healthcare, and information technology.

This issue brief, published by Mathematica Policy Research, Social Policy Research Associates, and the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration, describes the business services provided by 28 randomly selected local Workforce Investment Boards (LWIBs). These LWIBs participated in the Workforce Investment Act Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs Gold Standard Evaluation. The study measured how LWIBs met local business needs.

The U.S. Department of Education wrote this blog post about five key parts of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Notably, WIOA will provide improved services for approximately 20 million people each year.

This recently released memo from CLASP serves as a reference guide on the WIOA adult program’s priority of service for “recipients of public assistance, other low- income individuals, and individuals who are basic skills deficient.” The guide includes text and citations from the statute, the final rules, guidance, planning requirements, and data collection, as well as recommendations for implementation.

This webinar from July 7, 2016, hosted by the National Skills Coalition, highlighted key points from a selection of state plans. It was intended to help a broad set of stakeholders reflect on their state plan’s strategies and critical implementation issues, as well as think about potential improvements and next steps.