Photo of the Month: July 2016
The Department of Labor, in coordination with the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, released the final rules for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) last month, shortly before the Act's second anniversary. The goal is to more effectively align the American workforce with market needs through training initiatives. These rules shape the WIOA's implementation and the Final Rules Fact Sheet states:
The WIOA Final Rules improve coordination between and among agencies so that workers and job seekers have more seamless access to a system of high-quality career services, education, and training through the one-stop service delivery system, known as the American Job Centers, and partners. The WIOA Final Rules also ensure the measurement and public reporting of the performance of education and training providers so that those seeking services can have access to provider performance information that will help them make informed choices about which training or education programs to pursue. Customers will also have information to better inform their choices when selecting training programs.
Over 20 million adult, youth and veteran workers are able to use the American Job Centers to help prepare for, search for and secure a job, especially through the Joint Final Rule's six core programs (Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth, Employment Service, Adult Education and Vocational Rehabilitation.) American Job Centers has both physical locations and the CareerOneStop site, which provides a breadth of resources for those seeking a job. HomeRoom, the Department of Education's blog, notes that:
WIOA improves access to job training and education opportunities for people who have traditionally faced barriers to employment, including individuals with disabilities, out-of-school and at-risk youth, youth in foster care or young adults who have aged out of foster care, formerly incarcerated individuals, and others. WIOA emphasizes pursuing and obtaining post-secondary education, training and other credentials as a foundation for improving career prospects for the long-term. The final rules will also help the approximately 1 million veterans, who use these services every year, better translate the skills they learned in the military into quality civilian careers.