Finally . . . WIOA!

Greetings Friends-

It was very exciting for us in the workforce development world in July because President Obama signed the new Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) into law. This new law replaces the Workforce Investment Act which was over 10 years overdue for reauthorization.  We thought we would share some of our favorite resources that we are referencing help us navigate and understand the changes to the workforce system as well as participate in dialogue with policy makers. Hope this helps you keep informed.

General Overview

• Easiest to read overview of the new WIAO overview is a five-page summary of produced by the DOLETA.
• The DOL created a frequently asked questions page about WIOA 

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Details

• The full congressional bill  and the WIO Act signed on July22 by President Obama 
• Last January during the State of the Union, the president asked Vice-President Biden to America's job training services in order to identify and implement steps to make these programs more “job-driven:”   to be responsive to  the needs of employer. Biden's report on Ready to Work:  Job-Driven Training and  American Opportunity was released this summer. 

Training and Stakeholder Engagement

• The WIOA Resource page is really useful. They offer stakeholder input and engagement opportunities through a  series of webinars to engage the public in implementation of WIOA.
• The California Workforce Association is offering a series of WIOA orientation workshops this fall throughout California. The workshops are  $150 for a six-hour training.
• A useful tool to stay up to date is the WIOA Twitter feed #WIOA

Other Resources:

• National Skills Coalition 
• Center for Law and Social Policy
• National Association of Workforce Boards
• Disability.gov

Implementation

In general, the Act takes effect on July 1, 2015, the first full program year after enactment, unless otherwise noted. For example, the amendments to the Rehabilitation Act in title IV take effect on the date of enactment. The WIOA state unified and local plans and the WIOA performance accountability provisions take effect on July 1, 2016. Check in with your local and state WIBs for WIOA implementation dates.

Please share your resources with our community. Thank you!

Best,

Amanda Gerrie and Kim Coulthurst, Partners

Pathways Consultants

510.325.6959

www.pathwaysconsultants.com

info@pathwaysconsultants.com