This post does not reflect any policy position of the Delaware Workforce Investment Board (DWIB) or the Delaware Department of Labor (DOL). The ideas are my own and represent my musings on this topic and may change as I get more information and refine my thoughts.
The recent passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act provides the publicly funded workforce systems throughout the states to take a close look at processes, constituencies, and opportunities to improve the lives of job seekers and employers.
There is much yet to be learned about the legislation and what the next steps may be for the individual states. It appears that workforce boards will remain essentially the same although smaller.
It also appears states will now write unified five-year workforce plans and no longer have the option to submit integrated plans. This should allow for great coordination between arms of government and breakdown whatever existing silos remain.
My initial read of the legislation — admittedly there is a lot yet to wade through and I would be misleading you if I told you I understand it all — suggests that a reworking of reporting and data is in the offing. I believe workforce boards will now report the number of people receiving training and employment in the training they received. I am of the mind wage records will probably be insufficient to meet this task so some other methodology will be needed — there may need to be increased “stubby pencil” work or a newer more aligned data collection system. Who knows?
I will be traveling to Chicago next week to attend the Heartland Workforce Summit sponsored by the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB); the hot agenda item is WIOA. I intend to post this blog as we move through the stapes and stages of implementation.
It should be very exciting. I just wanted to let you all know that it is the very front of my mind.
Well More to follow.
Bill Potter
No comments:
Post a Comment