Transcript Implementing the WIOA in California

IMPLEMENTING THE WIOA IN
CALIFORNIA - OPPORTUNITY
FOR CHANGE
Amy Wallace, Assistant Director for Workforce Innovation
California Workforce Investment Board
California’s Economy is Changing

Changes in labor market conditions require more
strategic investment in workforce and education
programs
Long term job stability is no longer guaranteed
 There is significant labor market turnover with some
estimates suggesting 30 to 40 percent labor market
turnover in any given year
 Competition from abroad requires greater skills attainment
and labor productivity at home
 Employers face projected shortages in many middle and
high skill occupations, especially in technical fields (e.g
health care and advanced manufacturing)

California’s Economy is Changing

At the same time there will be new opportunities for
job seekers
A
substantial number of replacement jobs will be
opening over the next ten years as a result of baby
boomer retirements
 Many of these jobs are middle skills jobs that require
some post-secondary education but not necessarily a
four year degree
 Access to these jobs can be facilitated through
community colleges CTE programs and other workforce
programs that are relatively low cost
Why is this relevant?

Employability, self-sufficiency, and upward mobility are
directly related to skills attainment
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Data show that the likelihood of being employed, staying
employed and earning more are all linked to one’s level of
skills attainment
Low skill, low wage women have consistently shown the
greatest income and employability gains from training
programs
Middle-skill jobs, those projected to have a significant
number of openings over the next decade, typically
lead to careers and middle class incomes
What We Know About
Workforce Investment Policy
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Training programs that link educational and workforce
training to employer needs and labor market trends
work better at placing people – particularly those with
barriers to employment- in jobs
Client success completing programs is linked to provision
of counseling and supportive services
Meeting employer needs for a skilled labor force while
ensuring access to good jobs for low income individuals
and/or persons with barriers to employment requires
policy coordination across a variety of programs
The Policy Context: From WIA to WIOA

Workforce Investment Act (1998 to 2014)

The policy emphasis under WIA was job placement
WIA was passed by the same Congress that did welfare “reform”
 WIA was typically implemented as a work-first program

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Services provided through one stops
One stops function primarily as labor exchanges
Sequence of services under WIA emphasized attempts to move
people into the labor market before providing access to resources
for training and skills upgrades
WIA performance metrics emphasized placement and encouraged
both cream-skimming and lower levels of service for hard to serve
populations
As a result job quality and long term earnings were not given
sufficient emphasis
The Policy Context: From WIA to WIOA

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (2015)
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Greater emphasis on market relevant skills attainment than with WIA
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Career pathways language (helping students navigate the system while
attaining a labor market relevant stackable credential)
sector strategies language (engaging employers in growth sectors to ensure
training investments are relevant to employer needs)
new performance measures under WIOA focus on measuring skills attainment
Greater emphasis on system alignment, working across funding streams
and programs
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Unified and Combined Plans and planning integration
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Required for core programs (Adult Ed, Voc. Rehab, Workforce Boards and EDD)
allows broader planning integration to include TANF, Community Colleges and
other programs
Greater access to services for those with barriers to employment

Statutory prohibition on limiting access to those with barriers to employment
California’s Current Policy Context

Workforce Development in Governor's Budget
 Governor’s
vision is consistent with WIOA’s emphasis on
skills attainment, system alignment, and access to
services
 Budget calls for targeted investments for training and
education to help all Californians access paths out of
poverty and promote income mobility
 Calls on agencies and departments to regionally align
49 WIBs, 72 CCC districts, +1,000 other LEAs, and
employment programs of 58 HHS agencies
California’s Current Policy Context

Current Efforts at Cross-Agency Collaboration are
taking place through the WIOA Workgroup
Governor has charged Labor Agency to align more
stakeholders, when appropriate, around a shared vision and
strategic plan
 CWIB, EDD, DOR, DSS, CCCO, DOE, ETP are meeting at the
department level to explore partnerships
 Learning about each other programs
 Identifying shared spaces for innovation and opportunity
 Partners recognize that program strategies will need to be
scaled to population needs
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Policy Strategies Under WIOA and
State Statute
Partnering in Sector
Strategies
Through employer-led public-private partnerships that
close skills gaps and increase regional prosperity
Building
Career Pathways
Around sector-based training and education
opportunities in regional economies
Utilizing
“Learn-and-Earn”
Training
To show the benefits of work-based learning,
apprenticeships, on-the-job training, subsidized and
transitional employment programs
Organizing
Regionally
By building mutually beneficial partnerships among
stakeholders, including service providers, employers,
educators, workforce professionals, and labor
Policy Strategies Under WIOA and
Relevant State Statutes
Providing
Supportive
Services
To better serve our client populations by matching
client needs with relevant services
Creating
Cross-System
Data Capacity
That bridges program data for purposes of
assessing common needs and ensuring
performance accountability
Integrating and
Braiding Federal
& State
Resources
To improve client success, attain shared goals, be
innovative and experiment, and create system
change
Adapting Program Strategies
for Clients
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It’s Not One Size Fits All
Different Population Groups, Different Needs
 Low-income
Adults, Dislocated Workers, Youth (WIOA
Title 1)
 Job Seekers (WIOA Title 3)
 Those in need of Basic Skills (WIOA Title 2)
 Disability Community (WIOA Title 4)
 TANF, CTE Students
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Different Funding Streams and Regulatory
Environments
Finding Common Ground

Although our programs sometimes serve different
populations, we all have common programs elements
that may allow us to strategically build partnerships
Client populations and client needs
 Local service delivery within regions
 State and federal regulatory and operational structures
 State and federal resources
 A repertoire of program best practices
 Client outcomes as measured by outcome metrics
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Why it makes sense to partner
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Employability and upward mobility are directly related to skills
attainment
Low skill, low wage women have consistently shown the greatest
income and employability gains from public training programs
CWIB and the Chancellor’s Office are working to implement
education and training policies that align career pathways with
growth sectors and middle class jobs
CWIB and EDD have access to and regularly engage in labor
market research relevant to successful job placement for job seekers
Local boards have a long history of helping place people in jobs
(Nearly 1/2 of local workforce boards are already partnering with
county social services or human services programs)
Ways To Get Involved
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Talk to your local Workforce Investment Board
Work with DSS to help identify areas of
collaboration with the WIOA state level workgroup
Apply for a Workforce Accelerator Grant (Spring
2015)