Recently signed into law by President Barack Obama, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is the first significant legislative reform of the nation’s job training system in 15 years. WIOA will make key improvements to the public workforce development system, help workers attain the essential skills for today’s jobs and promote a modern workforce to make American companies more competitive in the global economy. The new law emphasizes creating career pathway programs and improving the integration of education and job training services.
White House Administration is taking steps to lay a foundation for the transformation of adult learning in America. They have released the Ready to Work: Job-Driven Training and American Opportunity, a federal-wide effort introduced by Vice President Joe Biden to ensure that federal training programs are job-driven and working collaboratively to help people find good jobs and help employers find the skilled workers that they need.
The following checklist will be used to guide administrative reforms, ensuring that what is working best becomes what all Americans can expect from federally funded employment and training programs.
- Engage Employers – Work up-front with employers to determine local or regional hiring needs and design training programs that are responsive to those needs.
- Earn and Learn – Offer work-based learning opportunities with employers, including on-the-job training, internships and apprenticeships as training paths to employment for employees.
- Smart Choices – Make better use of data to drive accountability, inform what programs are offered and what is taught and offer user-friendly information for job seekers to choose programs and pathways that work for them and are likely to result in jobs.
- Measurement Matters – Measure and evaluate employment and earnings outcomes.
- Open Doors – Break down barriers to accessing job-driven training and hiring for any American who is willing and able to work, including access to job supports and relevant guidance.
- Regional Partnerships – Create regional collaborations among American Job Centers, higher education institutions, business and non-profits.
Transform Consulting Group understands that an organization’s programs and services are only as good as the people delivering them. Contact us today and learn how investing in your staff will help achieve a greater community impact.
