A career pathway system is made up of multiple programs that span educational institutions, workforce entities and support service partners. These systems are oriented around a shared understanding of the needs of industries. Career pathway systems are one of many policy models states use to help connect education and workforce in the K-12,…

The Workforce Investment Act, enacted in 1998, aims to enhance the capacities of the national workforce and improve working conditions. The Act, which funds workforce education, career pathways programs, and other programs typically aimed at assisting low-income and other vulnerable populations, has not been reauthorized since its passage;…

On April 7, 2011, Jobs for the Future (JFF) Policy Vice President Raymond Uhalde testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies about the success of workforce development projects for youth and adults funded by the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and the importance of sustaining…

Recognizing that lasting change is possible when organizations form a partnership, public policy increasingly drives active sharing of resources and mutual commitment to accountability and heightened productivity. Legislation that emphasizes aligning and improving the educational system; supporting the transition from high school to college and…

This information brief examines use of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 to address the transition needs of youth with disabilities. WIA funds a range of training, career development, and job placement services for diverse clients in one-stop centers. WIA contains specific provisions that support the participation of youth with…

This study estimates the net impacts and private and social benefits and costs of 11 workforce development programs administered in Washington State. Six of the programs serve job-ready adults: Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Title I-B Adult programs, WIA Title I-B Dislocated Worker programs, Community and Technical College Job Preparatory…

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) requires Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) to establish Youth Councils as a sub-group focused on low-income youth at risk, ages 14-21, who face barriers to school completion. Youth Councils present an opportunity to develop a comprehensive employment and training system. The WIA's vision of a…

Since the introduction of one-stop employment systems, many states have attempted to merge traditional employment and training services to provide consolidated programs and easier customer access to services. The Workforce Investment Act (WIA), passed in 1998, requires the formation of locally based one-stop service delivery systems to deliver…

This monograph is comprised of 12 essays related to the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), each of which serves as a generic primer on a topic relevant to work force development staff and researchers nationwide. The essays are "Learning the Language of LMI (Labor Market Information): Basic Labor Market Information Terms and…

The Workforce Investment Act requires local areas receiving funding to establish one-stop centers where employment service providers in a local labor market are assembled in one location. Challenges facing center staff are the expected large volume of customers resulting from relaxed program eligibility rules and limited resources for assessment…

To prepare young people and adults for labor market success, career-technical education (CTE) practitioners must know how to find and use work force information. Recent federal legislation, including the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, underscores the importance of work force education. The nationwide work force information system makes data on…

As a result of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, new local institutions--youth councils--will assume responsibility for coordinating school-to-work with other youth programming and other labor force development planning and policies. They will also have responsibility for allocating resources for each labor market region. The National…

The Perkins Act and the Workforce Development Act (WIA) brought major changes to the arena of nontraditional employment and training. Perkins eliminated set-asides for displaced homemakers, single parents, and single pregnant women but mandated increased enrollment in high-wage nontraditional training. With the WIA, the Nontraditional Employment…

The 1998 Workforce Investment Act (WIA) consolidates more than 70 programs and gives states the flexibility to partner with local governments to develop streamlined services providing universal access. Because adult education and postsecondary vocational education are required partners in the one-stop systems being established through Title I of…

This handbook is designed to help Maine's citizens and business persons understand why work force development is important in Maine and how Maine's new work force development system will be organized to enable the state to implement the Workforce Investment Act. The following are among the topics discussed throughout the handbook: (1) the…