Narrative Analysis Tool
Instructions
The Narrative Report responses below can be further filtered by one or more states, as well as keywords.
For more information on Narrative Reports please see the technical assistance documents.
| State | Describe how the State eligible agency, as the entity responsible for meeting one-stop requirements under 34 CFR part 463, subpart J, carries out or delegates its required one-stop roles to eligible providers. Describe the applicable career services that are provided in the one-stop system. Describe how infrastructure costs are supported through State and local options. |
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| Alabama | The Alabama Community College System, Adult Education Division is responsible for the requirements under 34 CFR part 463, subpart J, and carries out this responsibility throughout the state in the designated one-stop comprehensive career centers. Adult education has fulfilled a vital part of the assessment and training role in the career centers. The relationship between the partners is one that fosters and demands collaborative teamwork. On-site basic skill assessment is provided to all our career center partners to determine WIOA eligibility for career center clients who want to enter workforce training programs. Career Pathway development, Short Certificate Training (such as Manufacturing Skills Standard Council Certified Production Technician Certification (MSSC, CPT), National Council for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Occupational Safety and Health Administration training, (OSHA 10) and ServSafe) and transitional counseling are also collaborative services provided through adult education for the Career Center partners. Infrastructure costs are directly charged to each partner based on square footage for those that are co-located. The state adult education office provides the financial support for each local program’s fair and equitable share of the infrastructure costs based on benefit received and as determined through the funding formula created by the Alabama Department of Labor. The local adult education provider is responsible for proportional sharing of the lease, communications, utilities and supplies which is adult education’s fair share each of the comprehensive career center costs where adult education has a presence. |
| Alaska | Required One-Stop Roles to Eligible Providers
Alaska’s Adult Education (AAE) program, Wagner-Peyser, and WIOA Title IB Adult and Dislocated Worker services are all housed in the department’s Division of Employment and Training Services, which provides a natural link between AAE, Title I and III services. The employment and training services provided through the Alaska Job Center Network (AJCN) are the foundation of the One-Stop delivery system in Alaska, providing universal access to labor exchange, career, and training services. The goal of universal access is that workers, job seekers, and employers may all obtain services under one roof from easy-to-find locations and distance delivery.
Alaska has an integrated Monitoring Information System (MIS), that houses Alaska’s online labor exchange, WIOA Title I, II, III, JVSG, Trade Adjustment Assistance, and Alaska’s state funded employment and training programs’ participant data management and reporting tools, as well as a Work Opportunity Tax Credit module. The system allows for federally required common participant performance reporting.
AlaskaJobs links each of the programs through common identifiers to provide data matching for performance indicators. The common reporting built into the system reduces the need to pool data, but rather has a data sharing component. The system is built as a federated system with common intake as well as data sharing. The interagency partnership offers joint accountability requirements between the Participant Individual Record Layout (PIRL) and National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS).
Local programs continue to integrate with job centers in their regions to provide wrap-around services to students. The following highlight successes and challenges:
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| American Samoa | INTEGRATION OF ONE-STOP PARTNERS AELEL has established standard operating procedures for each eligible provider to carry out its responsibility for meeting one-stop requirements under 34 CFR part 463, subpart J. Working with its WIOA core partners collaboratively in providing career services in the most needed area as indicated by the private sector survey and the data provided by the Human Resources Office Adult and Dislocated Worker. The core partners via a memorandum of understanding between agencies will share the cost of supporting the infrastructure of a one-stop center. We are in a cooperative effort with our WIOA core partners and the USDOL together with Guam MIS. Currently, we are working to have the Adult Education Program represented in the State Workforce Investment Board. Efforts in getting the WIOA board to partner with the Adult Education Literacy & Extended Learning hasn’t been forthcoming due to the fact that the WIOA board has been inactive for a while. This is due to the fact that the American Samoa Government Department of Human Resources new Director under the supervision of the new Governor has not yet decided on the fate of the WIOA board. With the passage of WIOA in July of 2014, AELEL was able to start dialogue with Title I and Title IV partners in reference to its implementation. The Governor has not decided yet on the composition of the Workforce Board but the partners under WIOA are continuing the conversation at the table. The WIOA compliance board hasn’t been established yet until the new Governor finalizes members and work is in progress. The Trades and Technology Division at the college will continue its agreement with AELEL in providing training for the local workforce for any prospective classes. In this agreement we will utilize the CASAS employability assessment to assess the participants and provide basic skills courses in English and mathematics. In addition, we will provide basic literacy courses in English and mathematics to the participants of their certification programs for auto mechanic, welding, electrician, and carpentry. AELEL will provide workplace literacy classes upon request from the government and private agencies. This will be the case with their recent apprenticeship program. These programs have been ongoing with our Trades and Technology division here at the college. We will pledge to work with the membership in the local WIOA board so that we can address the new mandates of WIOA and to better serve the people of American Samoa through a strong partnership to develop our local workforce. |
| Arkansas | The ADWS/AES delegates its required one-stop roles to its adult education-funded local providers. The designated local providers for each comprehensive one-stop were determined by the provider which services the area in which the one-stop is located. In addition, it is based on the locals’ needs and flexibility in having ample space and resource staff. By offering services through an aggressive referral system, ADWS/AES MOUs support the local option, especially where co-locating is unavailable. Each provider is responsible for carrying out its roles and responsibilities as assigned in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Infrastructure Funding Agreement (IFA). The State provided technical assistance in fulfilling the roles and responsibilities as one-stop partners. ADWS/AES can determine if the delegated provider is carrying out its role and meeting its obligations by reviewing the MOU and IFA and narrative reports during annual site visits and program reviews. The State Director reviews and signs off on all local workforce development areas’ MOU and IFAs, even if there are changes. Additionally, IFA costs are tracked within the line item of the federal grant award and, when necessary, under the state grant. The basic career services provided in the one-stop system are made available for adults, dislocated workers, and out-of-school youth by staff. Outreach, intake, and orientation to information and other services are made available to these groups, including TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and SNAP E&T (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training), through the one-stop delivery system. The initial assessment of skill levels, including literacy, numeracy, and English language proficiency, is recorded in the data management system. Labor exchange services, including job search and placement assistance, career counseling, recruitment, and other business services on behalf of employers, are provided by staff. The State offers guidance and technical assistance to local programs to ensure they meet the requirement. Some opportunities for specialized assistance are with adults with English language barriers, and digital literacy often accompanies those with low language skills. After the pandemic, it was evident that some adults may need higher levels of digital literacy, which may cause challenges when applying for employment benefits, completing work applications, or accessing other community and social services. By sharing data on these clients with various needs and additional client information, programs can ensure access to services such as SNAP and TANF. Therefore, no matter if the services are available at the local one-stop or the adult education center location, all partners constantly communicate services in monthly meetings. Lastly, the Adult Education Section of Arkansas works closely to support the talent pipeline by supporting direct and continuous career preparation and development, workforce career exploration, and pathways to careers of interest in demand. |
| California | The CDE, the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), and the EDD, in collaboration with other workforce development agencies, coordinate education and training programs to assist individuals with overcoming barriers to employment. The California WIOA, Title II Implementation Survey revealed some key points about the Title II perspective.
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| Colorado | For WIOA Title II, the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) is the required one-stop partner responsible for administering or supervising policy for adult education and literacy activities in the State. As outlined in the jointly developed Colorado Policy Guidance Letter#: WIOA-2016-02, Change 2, published on May 11, 2017 by CDLE, CDE delegated its one-stop partner responsibilities to each of the AEFLA-funded local provider and set the expectation (through grant agreements) that each provider negotiate and sign an MOU that addresses the service delivery elements required by WIOA with the local workforce development boards (LWDB) in each local area in which adult education services are provided. Each required one-stop partner is responsible for identifying the career services that are relevant to their programs and making those services available through the comprehensive workforce center. In 21-22 AEI collected the Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) between local workforce development boards and grantees. These outline the infrastructure agreements with the centers, per the Colorado One-Stop System Policy Guidance Letter#: WIOA- 2016-03, Change 1 published on May 2, 2017. These MOU, including IFAs, were reviewed by AEI staff to check for adherence to the Policy Guidance Letter and to all WIOA requirements. |
| District of Columbia | OSSE AFE recognizes that relationships with WIOA partners are pivotal in delivering learner-centered integrated services to District residents. In FY22, the OSSE AFE continued its efforts to collaborate with the District’s WIC, America Works (the District’s One-Stop Operator), DOES, DHS, DDS/RSA, UDC-CC, and other partners to fulfill its one-stop responsibilities. This included working with partners to establish uniform intake, assessment, and program referral practices and working collaboratively to support learners’ academic achievement and success while engaged in workforce readiness, job training, and postsecondary education transition activities. Additionally, OSSE staff serve on the District’s WIC and attend WIOA Workgroup Meetings, and American Job Center/One-Stop Operator meetings to strategize ways to develop a more cohesive and collaborative workforce development/career pathways system in the District of Columbia that aligns with the mandates of WIOA and the District’s approved WIOA State Unified Plan. OSSE AFE has been partnering with DOES since 1998 to support the integration of adult education, career development, and employment and training activities for District residents. OSSE AFE continues to use its funding to support the one-stop system by providing DOES AJC staff and other WIOA partners with professional development (CASAS Implementation Training, CASAS eTest Coordinator and Proctor certification preparation training, and DC CASAS Remote Testing Training), technical assistance (DC CASAS State Trainers, OSSE AFE staff, and CASAS National Office) and resources (CASAS eTest units) to build AJC staff’s capacity to provide assessment and screening services to DC residents. Additionally, OSSE AFE providers are required to enroll all students in DC networks (the District’s Virtual One Stop System) and to serve District residents referred through the one-stop system. OSSE AFE entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the District’s WIC and DOES in FY17 that is modified annually. The MOU specifies the responsibilities that OSSE will fulfill as a one-stop partner. OSSE provides local funding via the MOU to DOES to support the one-stop infrastructure costs and activities. OSSE also contributes to the one-stop system by funding 12 OSSE AFE that offers Integrated Education and Training to District residents. Additionally, OSSE AFE provides CASAS Implementation, CASAS eTest Coordinator and Proctor, and DC CASAS Remote Testing Implementation training; CASAS web-test units to one-stop partners; and funding to the WIC to help offset the costs of hosting and maintaining the DC Data Vault, in collaboration with PAIRIN, for use by one-stop partners. |
| Georgia | Per 34 CFR § 463.415, GOAE delegated its required one-stop responsibilities to local providers. In Georgia, the 19 Local Workforce Delivery Areas (LWDAs) do not directly align with the service delivery areas of the state’s 30 adult education providers. Therefore, GOAE designated a primary adult education one-stop partner in each LWDA to fulfill one-stop partner responsibilities, including signing the MOU and paying infrastructure costs. Adult education programs that were not the primary one-stop partner were still required to engage with their local one-stop(s) by providing direct linkage to their services and participate in one-stop partner meetings. GOAE accomplished this delegation through two grant assurances – one related to negotiating infrastructure costs and another related to ensuring programs have direct linkage to the one-stops in the LWDAs where they serve students. Due to the ongoing effects of COVID-19, on-site services and staffing were impacted at the one-stop centers during much of the year. Most adult education programs provide career services opportunities through direct linkage and connected with one-stop clients and service partners through phone and virtual platforms. One-stop clients were provided intake and instruction for adult education programs through electronic platforms and, where available, they were offered the opportunity to engage in in-person instruction for HSE, ESL, and citizenship preparation. Three adult education programs were able to resume in-person services within the one-stop facilities during the year. GOAE ensures adult education programs are fulfilling one-stop partner responsibilities through both desktop and onsite monitoring. Onsite monitoring includes the review of one-stop MOU agreements and interviews with one-stop and LWDB representatives. In addition, GOAE annually collects and reviews information regarding infrastructure costs payments made by adult education programs. |
| Guam | SAO and the local program continued to work closely with GDOL one-stop, American Job Center. GDOL is developing an Infrastructure Funding Agreement (IFA) among mandated partners to fund their equitable or fair share of the costs. GDOL plans to develop a matrix of services and identify infrastructure costs necessary for the general operation of the AJC. The MOU is being updated with anticipation for submission to the Guam Workforce Development Board for consideration by the end of Program Year 2023. Furthermore, GDOL and AJC are relocating offices for upgrades, modernized layouts, and the availability of a Computer Resource Center to operate more efficiently Nevertheless, the partnerships strengthened and supported the program to assist individuals in gaining access to services and serve as a recruitment strategy. Moreover, it fostered alignment with Guam’s Combined State Plan. Thus far, there were four signed Memorandum of Understandings obtained. Planning continued for on-site classes to begin the next program year. |
| Hawaii | The state will designate the local service provider to carry out the required one-stop responsibilities through statements in the AEFLA adult education services competition application under the scope of work. Excerpt from the competition application Scope of Work: Partner with the local American Job Centers (AJCs), the online and in-person workforce development services network, commonly referred to as "One-Stop Centers" and/or the "one-stop delivery system." Contribute to the infrastructure/operating costs and certain additional costs of the one-stop delivery system based on their proportionate use of the system and relative benefit received. (Note: Typically, AEFLA agencies will be expected to contribute up to approximately 1.5% of their budget in cash and/or in-kind services to support AJCs.) The local service provider fulfills the role and responsibilities of the one-stop partner through an MOU with each one-stop in the state. The state has four one-stops on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii islands. Each island represents a county. The MOU is created by the workforce development board of each island and communicates the roles, responsibilities, and the Infrastructure Funding Agreement (IFA). In total, the local service provider has four MOUs. The MOUs are reviewed by the state office before the signing authority for the local service provider executes the MOU so that the state office is aware of the local service provider’s role and responsibilities for each one-stop. The state office does not directly monitor the local service provider in fulfilling its one-stop responsibilities. The local workforce development board and the local service provider work together to meet the requirements of the one-stop MOU. The local service provider attends all workforce development board meetings on each island. Any issues that cannot be resolved are brought to the state Workforce Development Council, which coordinates the WIOA for Hawaii. Career services are provided by the local service provider differently for the four one-stops in the state. On the island of Oahu, the local service provider has staff onsite at the one-stop. Access is through cross-training and direct linkage on the Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii islands. The career services made available by the local service provider through the one-stop system include intake and orientation information and an initial assessment of skill levels in numeracy and literacy. The most requested programs are adult basic education and high school equivalency. Many of the one-stop partners provide programs to clients that require a high school equivalency, and the local service provider is the only entity in Hawaii that provides this program. All partners negotiated the IFA as part of the MOU created by each local workforce development board for their one-stop center. The state Workforce Development Council issued a bulletin that provided guidance on the IFA and the use of the MOU to establish the terms of the IFA. The primary method to determine the proportionate share and relative benefit of the IFA is square footage for all one-stop centers. |
| Idaho | Idaho delegates its required one-stop roles to eligible providers. Typically, AE’s participation in the one-stop system is through a direct phone line or email, although some local providers utilize on-site integrated orientations with the Department of Labor (DOL) and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). Local AE directors serve on their local WIOA team and participate in quarterly training. These activities directly link to the Workforce Development Council (WDC) which the state director serves. Quarterly training provided the coordination of education and training programs to assist individuals with overcoming barriers to employment. In collaboration with the WDC, local programs entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with their local America’s Job Center. These MOUs address the deliverables from each core partner and contact information. Due to the DOL closing most of its offices and outreach areas, infrastructure costs for shared space dissolved. This year saw expanded cooperation and enhanced efforts to integrate AE and WIOA core partner services. This began with invitations to the state director to present on IETs and AE/GED topics at local and statewide workforce meetings. These meetings included members of the Idaho State Board of Education and one of Idaho’s Senators. Together, Idaho’s workforce system committees and AE agreed on all the touchpoints AE makes with the workforce deliverables. These meetings will continue in future program years.
Each quarter, workforce managers and AE directors, and AE staff engaged in talks about local collaborative efforts, challenges, and technical assistance needed. Together, WDC and AE created solutions to challenges. One such challenge identified involved an agreed-upon intake form. While some local programs may adjust to meet their specific data needs, AE has a unified intake form.
The collaboration resulted in expanded funding for participants for training in a specific career pathway. Additionally, AE participants benefited from the services that the Idaho Apprenticeship Coalition provides. The state director and local directors attended Next Steps Idaho and Launch Idaho meetings. These meetings resulted in funding to AE participants for career training. PY21 marked the first year where AE was included in all of Idaho’s workforce meetings where multiple informational sessions were held. Additionally, local directors presented at their local workforce partner agencies where unemployed individuals learned about the services available to them from Idaho’s AE education centers. This will continue in future program years.
Core partners and AE programs developed strategies for co-enrollment and agreed-upon processes for tracking student achievement and goal attainment. In the absence of navigators, core partner managers met to discuss the needs of each agency and program. AE participants gained access to free mental health counseling, free career planning and goal setting, and free academic tutoring at academic labs. Dual enrollment increased in the SNAP and TANF supportive programs as a result of regular meetings.
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| Illinois | The ICCB, the state-level entity responsible for Title II, is a member of the state Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) and is represented on all state-level major Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act workgroups and committees. Title II funded providers fulfill membership responsibilities on each Local Workforce Innovation Board (LWIB). A state-level Interagency Technical Assistance Team includes Title II representation and provides direct technical assistance to strengthen the Memorandum of Understanding process which includes negotiations of infrastructure costs and shared local one-stop delivery costs among partners. The Technical Assistance Team also develops regional and local plans within the twenty-two Local Workforce Investment Boards (LWIB). The ICCB continues to work with other partners around service integration to reduce duplication and ensure effective collaboration. Information is continually updated and made available on the Illinois WorkNet website at Illinoisworknet.com. Additionally, webinars are hosted regularly for all workforce partners (core and required), and state-level partners collaboratively send updates via email to respective partners. Finally, joint professional development for all ICCB funded programs is provided by the PDN, WIOA partners, and Career and Technical Education partners. The ICCB staff remained a core partner within the Comprehensive One-Stop Service Centers (COSC)/American Job Centers. Services delivered include outreach, intake, orientation, skills and supportive needs assessments, program coordination and referrals, training provider performance, cost information, information on the availability of supportive services and referrals, and classroom instruction. These services are offered either on-site or via a direct linkage to a site near the COSC. Additionally, Title II partners contribute infrastructure and shared delivery system costs related to meeting their partner responsibilities. Throughout PY21, the Illinois Department of Corrections, the PDN, and the ICCB worked with WIOA core partners to develop linkages to one stops in the correctional facilities. The Department of Corrections formed Re-Entry Resource Rooms within the facilities providing many one stop services. The Office of Adult Education and Vocational Services provided students support and in-classroom access to the resources provided in the Re-Entry Resource Rooms. Students are encouraged to utilize the resource rooms during open hours and request assistance through the clinical service department. |
| Indiana | IDWD implemented a consortium model for adult education services in 2011. Eleven adult education consortia were created (the Indianapolis metropolitan area two boards were combined for adult education services) that aligned with the state’s one-stop economic growth regions. Consortia included local adult education providers, as well as other entities with interest in adult education service provision. Local board staff or representatives have served on and partnered with adult education ever since. As a result of this structure, the required WIOA integration of adult education into the one-stops had already taken place. Indiana has 12 Workforce Development Boards (WDB) that are responsible for procurement of the one-stop operators and career services providers. Each adult education consortia chose a local provider to represent adult education on the WDB. At the state level the commissioner of IDWD served on the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet and represented adult education. (In August 2022, the state director of adult education, who serves as IDWD’s associate chief of workforce strategy and design, was named to the cabinet, and will serve through December 2023.) WDBs are responsible for overseeing and ensuring all applicable career services are provided within the one-stop system. Adult education students have access to these services through one-stop offices as well as through adult one-stop staff who work at adult education sites. Additionally, local adult education programs are required to have transition coaches who provide career services. AEFLA funded career services in Indiana included outreach, intake, and orientation including initial assessment. These assessments included TABE and TABE CLAS-E as well as Indiana Career Explorer. An online career and education planning tool, Indiana Career Explore was required along with TABE for enrollment. Additional AEFLA funded career services included referrals and coordination of activities with other programs and services as well as the provision of information on the availability of supportive services with appropriate referrals. AEFLA does not fund the Eligible Training Provider List; however, staff funded by AEFLA use this list with program participants to provide performance information and program costs of eligible training and workforce providers. A new vendor for Indiana Career Explorer was procured; the roll out was completed in PY 2020. Meanwhile, Indiana developed and implemented an infrastructure cost policy; local providers completed these negotiations. |
| Iowa | The Iowa Department of Education is the state-level entity responsible for Title II. The Department is a member of the SWDB and is represented on all state-level WIOA working groups and committees. Working in collaboration with core WIOA partners, the Iowa State Core Partner Working Group has been engaged in fulfilling the strategic goals of the Unified State Plan. The Working Group continues to work with other partners around service integration to reduce duplication and ensure effective collaboration.
Local AEL providers offer career services at one-stop centers and/or via direct linkages. These include outreach, intake, and orientation; skills and supportive services needs assessment; program coordination and referral; training provider performance and cost information; and information on the availability of supportive services and referrals. Some providers offer direct access to such services as workforce preparation and training at one-stops or nearby classes but have had services interrupted due to the pandemic and in-person restrictions. The applicable career services provided in the one-stop system are documented with WIOA partners and tracked locally to help identify duplication, streamlining efforts, and cost sharing information needed for the MOU. Title II providers have been able to implement remote assessment to determine basic skill needs and have pivoted many services to an online delivery for participants.
Infrastructure costs are not currently supported by local agreements. MOU guidance released in PY 2021-22 did not include Infrastructure Funding Agreement (IFA), as this is still under development and will be published at a later date. State agencies responsible for WIOA have been working together in recent months to develop IFA policy and guidance for local areas. The state AEL team has provided and will continue to offer technical assistance on WIOA laws and regulations.
Future Directions in PY 2022-2023
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| Kansas | As the entity responsible for meeting one-stop requirements under 34 CFR part 463, subpart J, the Kansas Board of Regents has delegated many of its required one-stop roles to the local providers in each area. Each of the five local workforce areas has a negotiated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Adult Education providers in the area, which includes an Infrastructure Funding Agreement (IFA) under the local funding model. These MOUs are shared with KBOR annually or, in the case of multi-year agreements, when MOUs are updated. Because of the geographic diversity in Kansas, which is mirrored in the makeup of the workforce regions, each area’s negotiations and agreements are distinct and designed to best serve students and workers in that area. All areas have a Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB) that meets regularly, with an Adult Education representative on each LWDB. All Adult Education centers provide outreach, intake, and orientation services, including initial skills assessments and, as applicable, assessment of progress in math, reading, listening, and/or language skills. Skills assessments are conducted using the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) 11/12 or the TABE Comprehensive Language Assessment System – English (CLAS-E). These assessments can be conducted at one of the Adult Education locations, at partner locations, or remotely. Partners engage in cross-recruitment and referrals, with those who are co-located escorting eligible participants to meet with partners who can offer services for other needs. All area MOUs, including for partners who are not co-located, include a written referral process, which generally includes the initial contact and follow up. During the Adult Education intake and orientation process, students are informed of services available through other partners, and the majority of programs invite partners to orientation sessions to speak about their services and meet with students who request more information. Local areas set their own schedules, with most convening quarterly and some as often as monthly. One Adult Education representative sits on each board, with that representative taking responsibility for communicating with fellow Adult Education directors in the region and bringing any of their concerns, questions, or ideas to the board. These meetings are an opportunity for each partner to provide updates or give presentations, share information about current services, note recent and upcoming changes, and maintain strong working relationships among the agency representatives. Area partnerships allow for increased services to co-enrolled participants, such as the partnership between one local Adult Education program and the area workforce agency that shared the costs for Integrated Education and Training (IET) classes for ESL students. Other programs partner with the area workforce agency to provide mock interviews for participants, while others offer job fairs, resume-writing workshops, and additional events to benefit participants of multiple one-stop entities. KBOR has a close relationship with the workforce and actively participates on the KansasWorks State Board. State coordinators for WIOA Titles I, II, III, and IV collaborate and communicate regularly, and KBOR representation contributes to multiple committees. The High School Equivalency State Administrator partners with regional workforce centers, meeting face-to-face, when possible, with staff and potential students to share information and resources. |
| Kentucky | The Office of Adult Education is committed to building community-benefiting bridges that will increase customer access to education and workforce development services. Local Provider Networks provided services to the one-stop centers within their local workforce services areas. Kentucky used the Local Funding Mechanism (LFM) to provide partners with the most flexibility in how they can leverage their resources and come to consensus on the infrastructure budget and partner contributions.
The Office of Adult Education has delegated the authority to the local providers to negotiate MOUs in some instances across the 10 Local Workforce Areas in Kentucky. Currently there are 10 Comprehensive Kentucky Career Centers (KCC)/One-Stops that the Education and Labor Cabinet (ELC) has designated as locations where all WIOA partners will dedicate personnel to meet the needs of Kentuckians across all titles of WIOA. Based on this model, the ELC negotiates MOUs and IFAs as it relates to shared costs and the metrics associated with determining those costs for the 10 Comprehensive KCCs. Currently the ELC does not coordinate with affiliate KCCs and thus local providers, under the direction of the OAE, have been given limited authority to begin discussions with One-Stops under local (city/county) control as a bridging strategy until the full ELC plan is socialized across the WIOA network and approved by ELC leadership.
Pursuant to WIOA Section 121(b)(1)(A), each local provider is required to enter into a MOU to include Partner Service Commitment (PSC) with their designated local Workforce Development Area (LWDA). To the extent possible based on the type of KCC and volume of citizen traffic, the PSC outlines the services provided by local providers either on-site where applicable or at an adult education center through the referral process. The career services provided either independently or jointly with other WIOA partners based on the totality of the circumstances in the LWDA include the below:
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| Louisiana | The LCTCS supported the integration of activities sponsored under the AEFLA in multiple areas relative to adult education, career development, and employment and training activities. Beginning with the 2017 competitive RFP and subsequent continuation applications, applicants were asked to describe the program’s service alignment with the local workforce plan and coordination of efforts between the core and non-core partners. WRU and One-Stop centers coordinated partnerships to provide shared unduplicated services. WRU partnered with each of the 15 Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) to have adult education supervisors serve as representatives on each board. This coordination and communication provided opportunities for Title II representatives to serve on the local workforce development boards and act as a conduit for the exchange of information. LCTCS leadership participated in all appropriate committee and board activities of the State agencies responsible for Workforce, Corrections, Higher Education, and Economic Development. In some local partnerships, adult education programs provide all assessment services, while others offer workforce preparation, digital literacy, and basic skills classes. All of our adult education programs use a statewide Unite Us platform for referrals and follow-up with WIOA services in our local one-stops. One program detailed the struggles faced during the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, which created multiple barriers to participation in existing partnerships and a temporary hiatus for expanding collaborative efforts. Specifically, a local One-Stop Center building remained unusable due to damage, and staff members were spread throughout a variety of other local agency facilities. They continued operations as best they could, but there was no centralized site for their activities. Partners’ meetings and WDB regional meetings did resume after January 2022, but limitations in client services remained throughout the rest of the fiscal year. As a core partner of the local Workforce Development System for the region, this program actively participated in this network. When operating in a “normal” situation, they cross-referred clients between the Business and Career Solutions Center and Louisiana Vocational Rehabilitation (LVR) services. An adult education staff member spent one morning per week at the One-Stop Center to help process our students and discuss possibilities for their clients. They also provided testing for their clients when needed. Several adult education students were also clients of LVR, and staff members were in contact with their representatives to cross-refer. The Business and Career Center funded adult education youth services and the Youth Work Experience program. This particular adult education program utilized the funding resources for students who were enrolled in the local college’s credit and non-credit activities and recruited for their youth work experience program. In accordance with WIOA regulations, shared infrastructure costs of the One-Stop Delivery System were accomplished through negotiation at the local level. The WorkReady U Adult Education comprehensive literacy center in each region collaborated with each LWDB comprehensive center to determine shared costs and MOUs. |
| Maryland | Local representation on workforce development boards and committees continues to provide an effective means to ensure alignment and provide opportunities to develop resources to mitigate barriers and assist common customers to meet education and career goals. As directed by the State, local plans address the implementation of WIOA required activities, including representation on the local workforce development board, career pathways, assessment practices, and data sharing for co-enrolled participants. The adult education local programs provide input for local workforce plans, MOUs, and Resource Sharing Agreements with WIOA partners. Beginning in PY 20, local adult education programs negotiated infrastructure costs with WIOA partners based for the most part on use of square footage in the American Job Centers. This seems to be working effectively without a of need for intervention by the State. Previously, infrastructure costs had been negotiated almost exclusively through the State Adult Education Office. Although some programs are co-located in the American Job Centers, onsite co-location is not always feasible. The AJCs are strictly daytime operations, which is unworkable for adult education programs. However, adult education staff regularly participate in orientation/information sessions providing a seamless “no wrong door” model and reducing co-enrollment barriers. Where possible, programs participate in joint intake activities including basic skills assessment, and assign specific staff to facilitate referrals between agencies. Staff are cross trained to understand eligibility requirements and identify students who are ready to benefit from referrals. Programs have begun to implement shared referral forms and community service data bases to streamline the intake processes and follow participant progress toward goals. For the greater part of PY21 local area partners continued to meet remotely. During periods of high infection, Job Centers were closed, and online services were available only by appointment. Customers without computer access or the ability to meet during daytime hours were limited in their ability to participate. The many closures and higher than usual staff turnover also slowed referrals and collaboration between partners agencies. |
| Michigan | LEO-WD has chosen to delegate its responsibility for meeting the one-stop requirements under 34 CFR Part 463, Subpart J to eligible providers via the competitive grant process. Information outlining the responsibilities was included in the Requests for Applications (RFAs) issued by LEO-WD in the Spring of 2020. The career services outlined at 34 CFR 463.425 and 34 CFR 463.430 are provided through Michigan’s one-stop system via the required and optional one-stop partners, as appropriate. All adult education participants in the state received the following career services from the delegated AEFLA providers – intake, orientation, and assessment of skill levels. Adult education providers were encouraged to partner with the local MWA to offer supportive services or referrals to the appropriate agency for these services if needed. Some providers have existing partnerships within the community to offer these services directly to participants. Many adult education providers have partnered with the local MWA to provide an overview during the adult education orientation of the MWA and services available, and individuals are co-enrolled in the core programs under the WIOA if and when appropriate. Infrastructure cost contributions to support the one-stop system for PY 2021 were all determined via the local funding option by the federally prescribed deadline. This option used a consistent methodology across the state. The agreed upon contributions are outlined in the executed IFAs and associated documents submitted to the State. It is important to note that there continue to be challenges related to the infrastructure costs and rising costs in some regions - generally rural areas with limited number of partners - that can make it cost prohibitive to be co-located in the one-stop. |
| Minnesota | The MDE Adult Education Leadership Team delegates its one-stop responsibilities to 39 consortia of eligible providers. There are 330 sites across the state that are funded to provide access to adult education and literacy programs and services. Access to career services takes different forms across the state. Several adult education consortia have at least one eligible provider who has placed staff at a CareerForce Center, whereas other consortia choose to train partner staff who are on site at the CareerForce Center. A few centers use technology to provide a direct link to program staff who can provide services. We had tried working on a referral system through the CareerForce website but that was not successful. We are working on more locally driven referrals. With the exception of the Department of Corrections, all adult education providers offer outreach. All providers offer intake, orientation, and can provide the career service function of initial assessment of skill levels in areas including literacy, numeracy, and English language proficiency. All adult education consortia have had training on workforce preparation and how to build those skills into every class. In addition, Northstar Digital Literacy modules are taught at some CareerForce Centers. The promotion of Bridge to Benefits (http://bridgetobenefits.org/Home2) by adult education programs connects learners to supportive services. Minnesota is a locally driven state and as such each one-stop operator negotiates infrastructure costs between CareerForce partners. Some adult education programs rent space at a CareerForce Center as their contribution, others provide additional trainings and services as their contribution, and still others cover all assessment costs as their contribution. Infrastructure costs have remained an area of confusion in Minnesota. Members of the Adult Education Leadership Team worked with counterparts at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) along with the Director of the Minnesota Association of Workforce Boards (MAWB) to review feedback from the federal Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOL-ETA). This work focused on aligning our efforts with DOL-ETA regulations pertaining to Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and, in particular, Infrastructure Agreements (IFAs). Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) were signed by July 1, 2020, for the 16 local workforce development areas (https://mn.gov/deed/assets/workforce-development-areas_tcm1045-264931.pdf). New MOUs are due December 30, 2022. Each local board has an adult education representative. This individual represents all the eligible adult education providers within the workforce development area. There are also adult education representatives on committees of some workforce development boards, such as the career pathways and youth committees. |
| Mississippi | Mississippi developed a career pathway model, Mississippi Works Smart Start Career Pathway Model, to outline specific steps and responsibilities with and between Combined Plan Core Partners in order to strengthen interagency partnerships. All Combined Plan Core Partners created and agreed upon a diagnostic questionnaire to assist with identifying eligible services in each core partner program and to provide wrap around resources addressing the individual’s barriers to employment/education. Based on an individual’s responses to the diagnostic questionnaire, services and resources are referred through an electronic referral process, the MS WIOA Hub. Data in the hub is exchanged between core partners ensuring all agencies are coordinated not only for the purpose of reporting and performance but also in the partner’s approach to individual case management. The OAE has aligned adult education and literacy activities with other core programs and one-stop partners as outlined in the State plan. A requirement of all OAE local programs’ core services is to provide the state’s workforce preparation course, Smart Start Pathway Course. The 45-hour course includes instruction and activities designed to assist an individual acquire a combination of academic, critical thinking, digital literacy, and workplace discipline in order for them to successfully transition into postsecondary education and/or training or employment. It is through Smart Start, individuals learn about the different workforce areas, job sector strategies, and economic development specific to MS workforce needs. All individuals are registered in the MS Works Labor Exchange and through created profiles utilize the system to research occupations and become more aware of Mississippi career pathways. To strengthen interagency partnerships, adult education provides a cross-trained adult education representative in the four (4) Comprehensive One-Stops (American Job Centers) as well as in several Affiliate One Stops throughout the state. Adult education assists programs with the coordination and delivery of key services within the one-stops and affiliate one stops delivery system, such as instruction, workshops, assessments, ACT WorkKeys Curriculum, ACT WorkKeys testing, Individual Training Accounts, and referral services. In partnership with Comprehensive One-Stop and Affiliate One-Stop centers, adult education remains up-to-date with changing industry needs and measures the outcomes to realize the potential of the state’s workforce programs and delivery systems while participating in system-wide efforts to increase awareness of the Mississippi workforce system among employers and job seekers. Adult education providers, along with other workforce area service providers, align available resources in order to achieve the strategic vision and goals of the Mississippi Works Smart Start Career Pathway Model. Participants in need of the most intensive services to become job ready are referred to adult education’s Smart Start Program. Upon completion of Smart Start and other educational/career goals, participants may transition into a career-technical/workforce training or directly into unsubsidized employment, often with assistance from the coordinating One-Stop Center. In the 2021-2022 fiscal year, 23% of adult education students received WIOA services through the One-Stop Center. Mississippi’s vision of cooperation between workforce stakeholders is to ensure all state resources would be marshalled to improve workforce participation, meet recruitment needs of business and industry, and connect job seekers in real time with resources necessary for success. In 2021, Mississippi appointed a new state workforce agency, Accelerate MS (www.acceleratems.gov), with the responsibility to organize a platform designed to propel a unified workforce system aligning educational, training, and economic opportunities for the state’s citizens. To educate students on the identified high-demand careers and appropriate training programs in Mississippi, the OAE embedded Accelerate MS’ MS Pathfinder into the Smart Start Pathway Course. MS Pathfinder is somewhat like a one-stop online shop for finding high-demand programs outlining training needed, location of training, employment opportunities, and potential wages. Mississippi has four (4) Local Workforce Development Areas (LWDAs) that house at least one Comprehensive One-Stop Center and several Affiliate One-Stop Centers. Comprehensive One-Stop Centers staff a member from each of the WIOA Combined Plan Partners, who can provide fully assisted services to all participants, whether it’s registering in Mississippi Works Labor Exchange; providing knowledge about individual programs; assisting with virtual, self-service access to workforce and employment resources; or providing access to education and training opportunities. Additional services are provided if determined appropriate for the participant, such as individualized career planning and counseling; internships and work experience; workforce preparation activities; adult education and literacy activities; financial literacy training; and English language classes. The LWDAs and the local adult education programs establish MOUs and infrastructure funding agreements for the region in which they oversee services. Unlike the Comprehensive One-Stop Centers, Affiliate One-Stop Centers do not require a staff representative from all of the WIOA Combined Plan Partners; however, the Affiliate must include at least two Combined Plan Partner Programs, which for a majority, an adult education program is on-site. Below are examples of services provided in each LWDA: Delta Region Training services are available through the One-Stop Centers in the Delta area, one in particular specialized training, such as electrical utility lineman training. Mississippi Delta Community College (MDCC) adult participants are eligible to enroll in the electrical utility lineman training while working on their high school equivalency at the same time. MDCC has adult education classes in the One-Stop Center as well as promotes opportunities for education and training through initiatives such as the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s financial assistance for low-income and working families. Mississippi Partnership Northeast Mississippi Community College (NEMCC) is the One-Stop Operator for five counties providing convenient and easy access to services in areas such as employment, education, training, human services, and economic development. NEMCC created the new department, Division of Workforce Training and Economic Development, combining partners, Adult Education, Workforce Development, the One-Stop Center, and Continuing Education, in order to align services and resources to better connect adult learners to careers. For example, NEMCC's short-term Structural Welding course is an approved training on the Eligible Training Provider's List (ETPL) with the One-Stop Center and adult learners have the opportunity to apply for financial assistance once selected to the training. The Structural Welding course is designed to provide specific industry training and stacked credentials required at all manufacturers in NEMCC's district. Twin Districts Region COVID required programs to provide innovative ways to introduce students to various training opportunities that align to industry standards. Through Online Workforce College (OWC) (https://onlineworkforcecollege.com/), local adult education provider, Jones College, embedded specific career pathway opportunities into the Smart Start class that align to specific industry needs of one of the LWDA’s largest employers. OWC allows students, of all educational levels, to gain work ready skills and digital badges, in a self-paced, online-format, designed by industry leaders. Southcentral Mississippi Works Region Hinds Community College’s Adult Education program, overseeing the WIOA program in three (3) local One-Stop Centers, provides employment training for adults, dislocated workers, and youth. The One-Stop Center provides federal aid to support an Individual Training Account (ITA) to qualifying adult education students attending approved Career-Technical Programs at Hinds Community College. Programs such as Banking and Finance; Diesel Equipment; Industrial Maintenance; Computer Network; Healthcare Data; and many others can be found on the One-Stop Center’s website at https://etpl.mdes.ms.gov/FrmSearchHome.aspx. |
| Nebraska | As Nebraska Adult Education continued to improve as a statewide team of AEFLA providers with a strong focus on high-quality instruction, Nebraska Adult Education still faced challenges in WIOA partnerships. With Title II serving as the only dedicated education partner focused on ESL, ABE and ASE, providers encountered barriers to partnerships with other WIOA programs due to the length of time adult education programs work with participants. With assessment of academic ability and measurement of education functioning levels being the forefront of our service to adult learners, students can often be enrolled in adult education for months and even years. Many WIOA partner programs expected quick turnaround as a contingency for co-enrollment or partnerships. This box-checking approach is understandable when considering employers, especially large-scale national employers, criticized adult education and the use, value and benefit of assessment in the classroom. Nebraska Adult Education was aware that most assessment criticism was due to an absence of instructional experience by employers, a lack of understanding in how academic assessment benefits the adult leaner and an underappreciation for the prioritization of educational development and advancement over short-term job placement. This sentiment has transcended the employer, job training and employment service focused partners. It became a priority in Program Year 2021-2022 to make available information and resources outlining the benefits of adult education to providers while ensuring our adult education providers fully supported the learning needs and goals of students. Regardless, Nebraska Adult Education remained committed to providing quality adult education services to the people of Nebraska and were open to working with WIOA partners who valued adult education and what it brings to the workforce and economy of the state. It was discovered that both the Greater Lincoln and Greater Omaha workforce areas had established strong partnerships with non-AEFLA funded, non-Title II adult education programs, creating customized training partnerships that included ESL classes for non-native English speakers. Given the federal requirement for Title II to pay infrastructure funding to the comprehensive one-stops in these areas, these partnerships are perceived a concerning conflict of interest. In Greater Lincoln, the workforce administrator is a member of the board for the local literacy agency, which is not a subrecipient of AEFLA funding, again adding to the apparent conflict of interest under WIOA. To date, this workforce area has not been successful in establishing viable partnerships with their Title II provider. Our local Title II provider has offered, on numerous occasions, to provide classes at the one-stops as needed by adult learners, however these classes are now provided on site by the non-Title II literacy programs. These actions greatly emphasized the deficiencies of the forced partnerships identified in the Statute and illustrated that despite joint federal regulations and guidance, local workforce areas shy away from partnering with Title II in Nebraska, opting for more quick turn around partners who do not have comprehensive assessment requirements in place. Nebraska Adult Education fully supports the use of assessment as a measurement of progress for adult learners and will continue to do so. As Nebraska Adult Education focused on high-quality and high-level service of adults entering our classrooms, performance outcomes and student success continued to rise. Adult education’s positive performance truly equaled student success. The State Office of Nebraska Adult Education continued to encourage partnerships with WIOA programs when feasible and beneficial to the students served, however the realization that focusing more and more attention on improving direct services under Title II for adult learners and preparing them for the workforce was the real priority. As more adults earned their high school equivalency in our State, more adults were ready for postsecondary education and higher paying jobs in their respective local communities. Responsibilities to meet one-stop requirements under the federal regulations were overseen by the State Office but delegated to the local providers to ensure maximum outcomes, whenever possible. Nebraska Title II was finally successful in placing local Title II provider representatives on the workforce development boards in Greater Lincoln and Greater Omaha towards the end of the program year. Both local areas attempted to thwart these efforts citing various reasons Title II could not be directly represented on the local board. Information was received that Greater Omaha even contacted Nebraska Department of Labor to inquire as to what authority they had to deny the appointment request form the Title II State Office. Fortunately, the placement of Title II in all three local workforce areas in Nebraska towards the end of the program year revealed some additional challenges and concerns with the delivery of one-stop services. These issues can now be addressed directly at the local level and our expectation in PY22-23 is that many of these will be remedied. All subrecipient providers receiving AEFLA funding received training and directives on required career services. Auditing outreach and onboarding efforts was a priority during the 2020-2021 program year. Providers were asked to improve processes in these areas to ensure services were focused on understanding the needs of adult learners and prioritized outreach to those most in need of adult education. All students completed an enrollment form which provided preliminary information to help inform on eligibility. All adults entering Nebraska Adult Education were assessed with an NRS approved assessment to determine educational functioning level. The onboarding process also helped providers determine if WIOA partner services would benefit the individual with appropriate referrals made at that time. Nebraska Adult Education also required local programs to conduct a career pathways interview with each adult learner to better understand the students’ goal(s). This process helped ensure that educational activities were focusing on the transitional needs and long-term goals identified by the student. In select locations, youth provider staff conducted information sessions in adult education classes. The work conducted through partnerships during onboarding was key to improving referrals between partners as the adult learner progresses through education. Nebraska Adult Education at the State level has retained all negotiating authority for Title II infrastructure costs and MOUs to ensure full compliance and best practices. Nebraska Adult Education is committed to policies and practices that best serve adult learners first, prioritizing those most in need across the State. Improving partnerships with other programs and agencies, while maximizing the use of tax dollars allocated to serve adult learners was also a priority. Local providers of adult education were delegated the authority to partner within their respective local workforce areas to develop and nurture partnerships through board meeting attendance and one stop partner meetings and regional workforce meetings. Two of the three workforce areas moved to utilizing FTE as the method to determine IFA allocations to each partner. Although this appears less confusing that using referral numbers (or use of the one-stop), it was necessary to determine the amount of time adult education spent on one-stop related referrals. In continuing to track and document partner referrals and more specifically one-stop referrals to Title II as well as use of the one-stop by Title II participants, it was revealed that the method used to determine costs was irrelevant as the number of direct referrals to adult education and use of the one-stop by Title II and participants was consistently minimal. Title II remained committed to paying a fair share of IFA costs based on proportionate use of the one-stop and relative benefit received, as identified in the law. A State option has not been triggered in Nebraska, and with continued information sharing and communication, the process of determining costs for each partner has improved overall. |
| Nevada | The State has delegated its required One-Stop role to eligible providers. Nevada has only funded seven local providers in the last two competitions. Applicants are required to provide a response in the narrative of the application as to how they will integrate with the One-Stop system. Designations have been made in two ways, one being primarily geographical and the other based on previous work in developing satellite sites with space provided by a funded Title II provider. The One-Stop in the northern part of the state was staffed by one of the local providers and the director of a second program sits on the local workforce board. In the southern area, a partnership between a Title II provider, the Las Vegas Clark County Library District, and the local board has resulted in satellite One-Stop centers in multiple library locations with adult education classes and staffing co-located. Another southern local program provided office space for One-Stop operations to be conducted onsite, laying the foundation to increase partner activities and referrals. Intake and orientation are provided to all Title II prospective students, including those referred from partner agencies. Title II providers conduct initial intake services within the One-Stop and schedule assessment and orientation for prospective students entering through the One-Stop. At this time, assessment is not typically conducted at the One-Stop location. The State Director has provided TA on local programs fulfilling this requirement through direct communications and participation in quarterly partner meetings. Program monitoring includes required responses to how the local program is fulfilling this requirement. Title II, at both the state level and local programs, join in cross-training and the local programs participate in referrals between agencies and the One-Stop and affiliate sites. Therefore, resources will be spent by Title II to share in One-Stop infrastructure costs. The infrastructure costs will be covered using the local option with programs that have been designated to fulfill the One-Stop role. Both workforce areas have Infrastructure Cost Agreements in place with Title II providers co-located with Title I, III, and IV partners. Infrastructure costs are determined by co-location and staffing FTE. Along with the core partners, the Title II State Director was involved in the negotiations and has reviewed both agreements. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the northern local area is signed directly by the local program designated as the entity responsible for meeting One-Stop requirements. The southern local area MOU is signed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the Nevada Department of Education. The MOUs are handled differently because the portion of the southern local area infrastructure costs for Title II are covered by in-kind expenses and not charged directly to the designated Title II program. In addition to detailing how the program will address workforce system integration in all funding applications, either competitive or continuation, local programs are also required to address integration in an annual narrative report. |
| New Jersey | The NJDOL OAL continues to encourage partnership within local workforce areas and Title II providers. The State Director attends the State Employment and Training Commission meetings whenever they are held to ensure Title II is fairly and objectively represented. The State Director in 2021 began to join a working group within NJDOL to revise the MOU/IFA state guidelines since NJDOL was cited by USDOL. The State Director will continue to ensure the MOU/IFAs are a true partner agreement by providing training to Title II directors and communicating concerns/ideas to local boards and OSCCs. The OSCCs continue to make referrals to the Title II partners who are for the most part, housed at a different site away from the OSCC. All OSCC managers and local boards receive Title II training information on intake, CASAS testing, the Title II directory of contacts, and barriers by way of intake forms. The State Director continues to help lead the modernization effort of the main client database utilized in each OSCC with the DOL goal of obtaining a new system that can interface with the required NRS Title II data collection system called LACES. |
| New Mexico | With the addition of one FTE dedicated partly to partnership-building, since 2018 NMHED-AE has made cultivating increasingly strong and productive relationships with core WIOA partners and providers in New Mexico a top priority. As the state’s eligible AEFLA entity, this program year we continued to operate on two levels to address this priority and to meet our legislative requirements, including one-stop requirements: (1) On the state level, working with the Department of Workforce Solutions (DWS), one-stop leadership, and other state agency core partners as part of New Mexico’s WIOA leadership team, largely responsible for creating the Combined State Plan and centrally supporting its implementation, and (2) On the internal and local levels, supporting our local AEFLA subgrantee providers in their workforce region-based WIOA partnership efforts, including the creation and implementation of Local Area Plans and actively collaborating to fulfill our collective one-stop obligations. Title II has strong workforce board and committee membership on both levels. In PY 21/22, NMHED-AE continued to delegate the responsibility of negotiating appropriate one-stop infrastructure costs to local Adult Education subgrantee programs, with our office providing guidance and additional support with the MOU process as requested or needed. Providing enhanced coaching on building stronger WIOA partnerships at the local level--including working with local one-stop providers--was among the key priorities which shaped our final year of the longitudinal Career Pathway Initiative. While all local Adult Education programs have now built basic career exploration and navigation into their service delivery models, programs rely on partnerships with Title I and one-stops to provide complimentary and more extensive career services and training. Without an interoperable data system, smooth referrals and program participant tracking continued to be a primary challenge for all partners (especially since Title II is typically not co-located in our state’s one-stops), but the state’s Longitudinal Data Project, co-led by NMHED, is in development and on track to address this pressing need. In addition, NMHED-AE’s launch of a new online student intake portal, accessible by all partners, helped to reduce this service barrier. The COVID pandemic continued to be a large operational factor in PY 21/22. However, our local AE programs and one-stops were increasingly able to resume at least some of the in-person career, education, and training services that had been frozen or significantly disrupted in the prior year. |
| North Carolina | Title II works with the NC Council of Workforce Development Board Directors to promote better integration of services at NC Works centers. In previous program years, training was offered to Title II providers on ways to coordinate services with local NC Works. The NC Community College system office retains its emphasis on the integration of services through webinars and trainings. The NC Community College System office continues to offer access to webinars on demand that define ways for Title II providers to utilize local one-stop partners to increase enrollment such as “Reaching Hard to Reach Students” and “Enrollment Support Roundtable”. The “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) Training was created to aid providers in understanding the agreement between NC Works One-Stop partners and Title II providers, identifying required partners, and working with partners in the MOU negotiation process. Roughly 90% of Title II programs have participated in this training. Title II providers also continue to have access to NC Works Training Center’s webinars “Integrated Service Delivery”, “WIOA and the One Stop Center”, and “WIOA Partner Agencies & Organizations” via the NC Works Training Center site. Additionally, providers can attend the Labor Market Information (LMI) webinars sponsored by North Carolina Department of Commerce (Title III) every first and third Tuesday of the month. These webinars connect workforce, economic development, and education system partners. To aid in fostering relationships and ensure continuous interactions, Gilda Rubio-Festa, State Director of Title II, delegated authority to local providers to negotiate and sign the MOU between (American Job Centers) NC Works One-Stop partners and local Title ll providers. This practice allows for greater coordination among Title II, workforce development boards, WIOA required partners, and area partners essential in the success of the local one-stop centers. Furthermore, workforce development board directors have been added to Title II’s College & Career Readiness newsletter mailing list. This two-way effort allows workforce development board directors to stay informed of Title II programs with an option of submitting relevant material for inclusion in the bi-monthly newsletter. Title II maintains a working relationship with one-stop partners concerning infrastructure cost allocation. An infrastructure cost allocation formula is utilized that reflects proportionate cost to benefits received. The infrastructure costs for local NC Works were negotiated by NC Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Solutions and NC Community College System Office, Title II State Director. The IFA allocation is based on allocation per participant who received staff assisted services. IFAs are reviewed and signed by the Title II State Director annually. |
| Northern Mariana Islands | The NMI is currently transitioning to have a one-stop center. Labor/ Workforce Investment Agency (WIA), Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), and the Adult Education State Office are still working with Guam’s DOL to develop a Virtual Online System to satisfy one-stop requirements. The state core partners attended training for the VOS and had been starting the process when the pandemic happened. The VOS training will continue in the Fall of 2022 and we hope to be able to start using the system to streamline services for shared clients. In the meantime, the office works closely with WIA. They continue to refer clients to be assessed and in doing so found several to need our program services. The clients that enter our program lack basic skills and need further instruction. The clients/students also work with WIA to be placed for employment. The office continues to work closely with them and hopes to soon be able to gather more employment data to improve our reporting counts. We continue to refer students to OVR for services when needed. Our office also utilizes the Disabilities Coordinator at Northern Marianas College to assist us in offering accommodations, resources, and counseling for the students referred to our program. Most of our award under the program is used for the purpose of offering core subject instruction and integrating career skills into the curriculum. The students entering our program lists going to college and getting a job as their main goals in their applications. College and career training and activities are brought into the classrooms to accommodate the students’ schedules. We do our best to make sure students meet their goals in order to succeed in their life plans. Students regularly call in to speak with their advisors to ensure goals are being met and that they are receiving the services that they need from the program. |
| Ohio | All the Ohio one-stops, called OhioMeansJobs Centers, had local AEFLA program services accessible to their customers as part of their services menu. Career services that were provided in the one-stop system include outreach, intake and orientation, assessment of skill levels, referrals, provider performance and program cost information, and supportive services information. In PY 2021, Aspire programs located in Northwest Ohio began a working collaboration with one-stop centers within a couple of regions to create a partnership which worked on referrals of customers, recruitment of students for core partners, and creation of new IETs with possible braided funding, and the creation of a specific IET model for CCMEP customers. The Aspire programs enter an MOU on the operation of the one-stop where WIOA partners’ roles and responsibilities are identified, and cost contributions negotiated. Agreements were extended through June 2022. The local AEFLA administrators have gotten better about negotiating their fair share and asking for assistance from the state office, when needed. Each year, grantees are required to complete End-of-Year Financial Reports. Included in that report is the career services expenditures and the OhioMeansJobs Center (One-Stop) Infrastructure and Fair-Share Costs. The Aspire fair-share budget amount is determined by the local Workforce Development Board and is identified in the local JFS MOU. Some grantees may have a $0 fair-share infrastructure budget. In PY 21, 32 of the 52 AEFLA programs paid cash contributions totaling $179,891.43 to support the OhioMeansJobs Centers’ infrastructure costs, similar to the previous year’s contribution. The amount paid was approximately $25,000 less than the amount that each program budgeted. In PY 21, approximately 25 Aspire programs had some type of class held at a local one-stop center representing approximately 55 classes being offered at one-stop centers. Referrals from the one-stops and to the one-stops continue. Aspire programs may offer student assessments, in person or virtually, for partner programs. Some one-stop centers work with Aspire for the workforce preparation piece of the IET and may also assist with job fairs and employment opportunities as part of an in-kind agreement. |
| Oklahoma | To increase opportunities to assist Oklahomans with overcoming barriers to employment and to provide career service activities, Oklahoma AEFL has delegated its required one-stop responsibilities to eligible providers for each of the six local workforce areas. The basic career services provided in the one-stop system are made available for adults, dislocated workers, and out-of-school youth. Outreach, intake, and orientation and other services are made available to these groups, including TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), through the one-stop delivery system. AEFL providers entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the local areas with the workforce boards and other one-stop partners. The AEFL providers contributed to the infrastructure costs to support the one-stop delivery system. The providers worked with other partners to ensure co-enrollment of services when necessary, and to avoid duplication of services. Access to adult education programs took place primarily through a virtual presence; however, some programs have a physical presence in the one-stop center. Program referrals are provided to individuals when co-locating of services are not available. If an individual has been deemed eligible for AEFLA services, the individual will participate in an intake and orientation process. This process includes an overview of the AEFL program and other core partner services. Students are given an initial assessment to evaluate their literacy, numeracy, and English language proficiency. The state office of Adult Education and Family Literacy had two representatives that served on the System Oversight Subcommittee (SOS). The SOS is the working arm of the Workforce System Oversight Committee and is focused on developing the system-wide framework and policy documents necessary for compliance with WIOA legislations and federal regulations. The committee is also tasked with compliance review of the system, including the local Oklahoma Works Centers across the state. |
| Oregon | Oregon’s ABS programs have been actively engaged in integration with one-stop partners. This engagement occurs at the state level through membership and participation at the state Workforce System Executive Team which includes representation from all WIOA Titles, Department of Human Services Self-Sufficiency programs, and the Governor’s Office of Labor and Workforce Policy. This has included joint guidance and communication related to the pandemic and WorkSource Oregon (WSO) Centers. At the local level, Title II programs are engaged in the coordination of services, programs, and funding with WSO partners to ensure accountability and alignment in support of a seamless public system. This is achieved through local Title II provider participation in Local Workforce Boards and Local Leadership Teams. All programs are providing access through technology at their local comprehensive workforce centers and many provide on-site services including offering ABE classes. While Oregon still has many public buildings still closed and executive orders remain in place, Title II providers have been working with their local workforce providers to provide access to the workforce system and services. The State ABS Team has entered into Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with all nine of Oregon’s workforce areas on behalf of local Title II providers. These MOUs provide a baseline for access to Title II activities, including career services, and define cost-sharing responsibilities. Negotiations continue at the state level regarding the definition and payment for career-services. Due to continued state restrictions regarding COVID 19, negotiations regarding Career Services have been delayed. Infrastructure costs are supported via Infrastructure Cost Sharing Agreements which have been negotiated by the State ABS Director. For the 2020-21 year, each local area completed their cost sharing calculations, which were reviewed and approved by the ABS State Director and then if indicated, paid for at the local level with local level administrative funds. |
| Puerto Rico | During the program year the AEP continued executing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the OneStop Partners. The program participated in a joint process for reviewing infrastructure agreements (IFAs) among State workforce partners and was directly involved in the local level negotiation. The primary methods used to determine proportionate share and relative benefit was square footage of location space in the one-stop center, actual use, and staff involved. The negotiation process was a challenge and negotiations involved several months during the Program Year, but all parties reached an agreement and the MOUs were signed and are under implementation.
The AEP recruited and appointed three staff members as liaisons between the AEP and the 16 One Stop Centers with the task of visiting on a weekly schedule the OneStop centers to provide information and help in the initial needs assessment of Title II participants, including cross referrals to services in the partners agencies. A total of 402 participants were attended for screening and referrals to services.
The AEP has instructed eligible education services providers that, they must fulfill the required roles and responsibilities with one-stop partners. To determine that the delegated eligible provider is carrying out its roles and responsibilities, the AEP provides to each eligible service provider a copy of the MOU’s with the corresponding One Stop partners and review with them the MOU and infrastructure funding agreement. Also, the AEP program requires a narrative report to each service provider about the activities performed and has established a monitoring procedure that is implemented by the Federal Funds Division of the Department of Education. The federal funds division perform desk review monitoring on how local programs provide access to career services and the types of services provided through the one-stop system.
Describe the applicable career services that are provided in the one-stop system and how infrastructure costs are supported through State and local options.
The services provide in the AJC One Stop Centers in partnership between the AEP include the followings:
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| South Carolina | The Office of Adult Education delegates its required one-stop responsibility to local adult education providers. Within applications during the request for proposal that occurs every four years, local providers are asked to share how they planned to carry out one-stop responsibilities. Current services provided include TABE testing for potential adult education participants, and for job placement through the one-stop system. Other services provided by local adult education providers are as follows:
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| South Dakota | Integration of Activities The Department of Labor and Regulation considers Adult Education a key component to Workforce Development; therefore, DLR works to reinforce Title II’s efficacy by highlighting Adult Education services within its workforce and training programs such as National Career Readiness Certificate, Career Pathways, Registered Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships, Soft Skills Training, Job Search Assistance Program, Trade Adjustment Assistance, and the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program; through this integration, partnerships have been formed and nurtured to best serve residents of South Dakota. Because many of DLR’s clients have not been in school for years, they often need remediation or upskilling in Reading and Mathematics to have success in job training or postsecondary education. Local field offices and the Adult Education programs continue to work closely to meet the needs of our clients. The strong partnership between the One-Stop and Adult Education is especially evident with the Integrated Resource Teams (IRT) concept being promoted across WIOA Core Programs and required One-Stop partners. The IRT model functions at the administrative level whereby staff communicate, coordinate, and collaborate; this IRT model also operates at the participant-level whereby the client meets with staff from the pertinent, involved programs within the One-Stop system. Workforce Development Council The Workforce Development Council serves as South Dakota’s single-area statewide Workforce Investment Board. With the Council’s support, Adult Education issues are addressed, multiyear grant-applications are reviewed, and program initiatives are integrated or aligned with other statewide efforts. Labor and Regulation’s Director of Workforce Development often helps set the Council’s agenda, while the Cabinet Secretary serves the Council as DLR’s voting member. Within the Council’s statutory obligations, local offices provide assistance with job searches, employment guidance and counseling, as well as referrals to appropriate services which benefit individuals under all WIOA Titles. The local offices support not only those seeking jobs and training, but also businesses and industries. The One-Stop System of Delivery Furthermore, the Titles I – III Program Specialists [all as DLR employees] work together to coordinate professional development and training activities, communicate performance expectations and procedural understandings, and collaborate to best assist the mutual program participants. Regarding the applicable career services provided at the One-Stop, South Dakota’s core programs compiled a master reference of all [locally] available services and supports (including required One-Stop partners) to increase awareness, facilitate referrals, promote enrollments, reinforce shared case-management, identify training opportunities, and formalize programmatic documentation. Moreover, the One-Stop provides the Basic Career Services, Individualized Career Services, Supportive Services, Follow-Up Services, and Training as detailed in Program Memorandum OCTAE 17-2. Indirect costs from WIOA Titles I – III, and Title IV in some locales, help support the One-Stop system. Time is allocated according to function and an established percentage approved by DLR, as well as approved by the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education. As to WIOA infrastructure costs, the agency maintains a fee schedule [for co-location] based upon square-footage and shared utility costs as detailed in Appendix 2 of its Unified State Plan; this cost-sharing plan was informed by the federal Joint One-Stop Infrastructure Funding Guidance. Infrastructure costs include (but are not necessarily limited to) janitorial, electrical, garbage, sewer, water, heating, landscaping, and snow-removal costs. The co-located subrecipient also agrees to sign and comply with a Facilities Use Agreement Indemnification and an Insurance Clause. |
| Tennessee | Due to the lingering effects of COVID-19 , operations in the AJCs continued to be limited, and in many instances, centers had to close completely due to contact with COVID-positive individuals. However, at the state level, the partner programs worked to keep each other informed of the centers’ statuses. The Virtual American Job Center was available, where participants could continue services via virtual access and communicate via live chat feature with a referral process in place to ensure partner connections.
We continued to update “WIOA Partner Guidance”, assuring the most up-to-date and accurate information is included. The guidance is a comprehensive guide that includes “all things WIOA” related to AE in Tennessee, as well as links to resources and a glossary of terms related to WIOA.
The TDLWD AE monitoring guide includes criteria related to one-stop partnerships. These criteria include:
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| Texas | TWC AEL grants require several key elements that support integration with WIOA core partners. Grant terms require AEL grantees to cooperate with the Boards in creating a memorandum of understanding(MOU) that includes an infrastructure cost agreement. TWC released joint guidance in partnership with Workforce Board policy in 2020 and hosted several webinars with both Board and AEL providers. The guidance supported the development of monitoring criteria used by TWC’s Sub Recipient Monitoring (SRM) department during on-site reviews. SRM includes a review of the MOU/IFA and implementation efforts. Mutual benefits received are discussed during on-site review interviews and while early implementation of WIOA revealed challenges, we are seeing more robust partnerships. Some MOU’s clearly outline the use of co-location of services, others have dedicated staff to support the exchange of program services and information to both potential AEL students and one-stop customers. A few AEL providers have incorporated mandatory registration in Texas’ state developed job search system, WorkInTexas (WIT), as part of initial intake and orientation. This registration creates an automatic review and referral potential since local Workforce Boards monitor new job seeker registrants through the WIT system daily. Other AEL providers utilize dedicated staff called Career Navigators to support AEL students’ connectivity to one-stop services. To further advance these cross-referral partnerships, TWC approved the Coenrollment Performance Quality Improvement Award, with the aim of increasing coenrollment between AEL and Workforce system partner programs. The award is based on a data-driven match between participant reporting systems. The data match looks for co-enrollment of AEL students into Board operated programs and activities, such as pre-employment and employment services, WIOA Title I training, and support services. We are looking for referral and coenrollment systems in which participants are benefitting through intentional alignment of services. In PY 22, three AEL/Board partnerships were recognized. One factor that hinders the state’s ability to detect strong partnerships through data matching is the lack of Social Security Numbers (SSN) being collected by AEL providers. The lower the percentage of SSN collection at the AEL provider level, the less likely that co-enrollment efforts can be captured. We are hoping that by acknowledging strong partnerships through data-matching, more robust efforts will be made to collect SSNs. While we updated our state policy and data system to require that AEL providers ask for an SSN during assessment, we do not require a SSN for participation in AEL services. The collection of SSNs will also support better performance outcomes through data matching for HSE and post-secondary credential attainment as well, and several TA events have showcased providers with strong practices to collect SSNs and the correlation to high performance. In PY 22-23, we began providing coenrollment data monthly to each AEL provider including the breakdown of services received at the AEL program and participant level so providers can analyze referral system effectiveness. Another key requirement in our AEL procurement, was that each AEL provider hire at least one Career Navigator to work closely with WIOA partners to ensure student success through referrals. While we do see some differentiated job duties within this one position, most Career Navigators have strong relationships with their Workforce Board counterparts. These relationships support student goals and objectives related to employment and entry into post-secondary and the development of career pathways for AEL students. Grant terms also require grantees to implement a comprehensive intake process for identifying any support services needs that an individual might have and to create referrals to other workforce system partners as appropriate. The TWC AEL data system, (TEAMS) allows grantees to provide details on career services, including outreach, intake, orientation, initial assessment, and referrals to other programs. During a recent review of Career Services documentation and reporting in TEAMS, we noticed that many programs were not properly reporting Career Services in TEAMS. In response, we are currently developing more explicit guidance on this topic and launching several TA events in Spring 2023. |
| Virgin Islands | Though the One-Stop Center had been inactive due to COVID-19 with continuous shutdowns in the community during this reporting period, VIDOL had virtual resources in place to assist workers and employers and continued to offer a full suite of online and telephone employment services through its One-Stop Center. The One-Stop Core Partners met virtually once a month to discuss partner activities and highlight current tools and resources available to support jobseekers. The One-Stop Core Partners successfully delivered a blended-learning model of professional development in the territory. All One-Stop Core Partners in collaboration with other stakeholders provided community resources to adult learners with a wide range of essential services, such as career guidance, education/training and support services. The One-Stop Core Partners focus is to work with area programs to serve adults and families who are often among the lowest income, least educated and most in need. Moreover, with the closure of the Lime Tree Oil Refinery on the island of St. Croix, the One-Stop Core Partners not only saw this as an opportunity to provide resources to connect people and other stakeholders within the community, but also to become a first stop for literacy resources during the pandemic. The activity provided access to quality products and services to assist families with online learning for adults. The State's Subgrantees are listed as service providers for referral for Literacy, GED prep and ESL services. |
| Washington | In Washington, for each of the 12 local workforce development regions, eligible providers were identified through the competitive RFA process. In 2021-22 providers included 34 community and technical colleges and, at the beginning of the year, six community-based organizations (one of these CBOs, Northwest Indian College chose to end Title II services in December 2021). These providers supported the local one-stops with a wide range of Title II programming and services in adult education, ELA, IET, and IELCE. All Title II provider continuations, and new RFA 2022-27 applications were approved for alignment with the local workforce plan by the local workforce board and detailed one-stop contributions, both financial and in-kind as agreed to in local Infrastructure Funding Agreements (IFA). Contributions are detailed in a state-level Shared Vision, Principles, and Goals of Collaboration Guidance document developed by and signed by the Washington Workforce Association (WWA) and SBCTC. The collaboration document details the support services and programming that are jointly provided including: case management, pathway development, education opportunities, job placement, vocational rehab, etc. The scope of these collaborative contributions are funded by both state and federal funding, including WIOA Title II and Perkins funds, included in WA State Combined plan. In the coming year both the Guidance document and State Plan will be reviewed and revised. Examples of these collaborative contributions include Green River College serving not only as a WorkSource Connection Site, but also offered collaborative workshops at the WDC Center in Auburn to assist WorkSource clients transition into Title II education services. Spokane Community College (SCC) and Spokane Workforce Council (SWC) jointly applied for a grant to allow them to offer education and employment opportunities to refugees and immigrants. SCC also provides instruction and case management at SWC NEXT Gen Zone center. Edmonds College works closely with Workforce Snohomish to provide WorkSource resources on campus as an affiliate site, and also by providing workshops and trainings at both the Lynnwood and Everett WorkSource locations to meet both student and client education and employment needs. |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin AEFLA providers are required to align and coordinate Title II services with local One-Stops. Details regarding One-Stop integration are outlined in the Wisconsin Job Center System Guidance that was jointly developed in 2017 among WIOA partners. This guidance has since been transformed into an interactive, web-based repository with policy guidance and templates to support local One-Stop negotiations and operations. The WTCS has contextualized this guidance and integrated it within the AEFLA grant competition process. As outlined in the Wisconsin AEFLA grant competition guidelines, funded providers must support the development of career pathways and provide access to career services through local One-Stops. This also includes contributing to the infrastructure costs of the One-Stop delivery system. These guidelines are also in alignment with the 13 considerations for funding eligible Title II providers. All organizations seeking AEFLA funding were required to provide a narrative on alignment with local Workforce Development Boards (WDB), including One-Stop coordination, which were scored during the review of applications. Executive staff at all Wisconsin WDBs were provided an opportunity to review and comment on key sections of every AEFLA grant application that overlapped any of their WDB’s service areas. The comments were reviewed and taken into consideration by the panel of scorers for all AEFLA grant categories. One-Stop activities funded by AEFLA are monitored through WTCS activities including the tri-annual grant reporting process and the grant continuation process. Access to career services through the one-stop delivery system occurs in various ways. In many cases, Adult Education staff from Wisconsin’s funded providers are physically present at comprehensive one-stop operator locations across the state. In addition, one-stop affiliate Job Centers are located onsite at some of Wisconsin’s technical college funded providers. Adult Education staff collaborate with the one-stop system to build awareness of the Adult Education program and the availability of career pathways to enhance client economic mobility. With a large number of IET and IELCE programs that are responsive to community needs, presence at the one-stop system provides an opportunity for Wisconsin’s Title II programs to recruit eligible clients and build awareness of career pathway programming among one-stop staff in support of future client referrals. One-stop collaboration is also valuable to co-enrollment between Title II and other WIOA partners, and results in benefits for Title II participants such as the use of WIOA Title I funds for occupational training through Wisconsin’s Eligible Training Provider List. During the 2020-21 program year, Wisconsin WIOA Title partners distributed annual operational guidelines supportive of continuously improving One-Stop operations. The purpose was to provide guidance to One-Stop Partners, in both comprehensive and affiliate job centers, on the classification of costs associated with the operation of the One-Stop System, and the process for obtaining required approvals on budget documents included as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Collectively, Title II-funded partners were bound by their signed MOU regarding implementing the roles and responsibilities as a required partner in the One-Stop delivery system. The establishment of an MOU required Title II providers to engage in discussions, planning, and operations with their One-Stop partners. The MOU review and approval process is collaborative among One-Stop partners and led by local WDBs. There is a total of 11 Wisconsin WDBs. After One-Stop negotiations are completed, WDB staff input negotiated cost methodologies and budgets into the state SOLAR platform. This platform stores all signed MOUs and One-Stop cost agreements. Agreements are reviewed and approved by WIOA partner leadership and shared back with WDB staff for distribution among regional WIOA partners. As a centralized repository for One-Stop supportive documentation, the SOLAR platform allows WIOA Title partners the ability to monitor local program participation, negotiations, and outcomes. During the reporting period, WTCS staff were invited to review and assess all 11 WDB four-year comprehensive plans. Areas of assessment included the communication and coordination of One-Stop operations with One-Stop partners. All 11 WDBs acknowledged Title II as a key partner in One-Stop operations with Title II local provider leadership serving on WDB steering teams. In support of improving the integration of partners in the One-Stop System, the WTCS will continue to engage in the previously described Wisconsin Job Center Task Force for Effective Program Coordination. Outcomes of this group, including professional development on strengthening One-Stop operations, will be provided to the field to enhance One-Stop integration. |
| Wyoming | Through the (re)application process, grantees are required to submit narrative responses to define how they intend to meet one-stop requirements. For FY 21/22 this included responses to the following:
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