Welcome to Workforce 3 One The Workforce Innovation

Welcome to Workforce 3 One The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act U. S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Stakeholder Consultation Series: Services to Individuals with Disabilities 9 -2 -14

Agenda § Purpose and Session Flow § Overview of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) § Provisions Related to Services to Individuals with Disabilities § Discussion Questions § Technical Assistance Tools and Resources § Stakeholder Engagement – Webinar Series Schedule 2

Purpose This series of stakeholder consultation webinars is aimed to: § Gather input from state and local workforce leaders and practitioners, workforce system partners, customers, and other stakeholders on key implementation topics; § Inform development of regulations; and § Inform technical assistance strategies to support implementation. Please note that ETA is also planning to conduct a series of Town Halls this Fall to gather input from the field, and that you are always welcome to send comments and questions to DOL. WIOA@dol. gov Our Federal Partners (ED and HHS) are also collecting input, and we are working closely together on implementing the new legislation. 3

Session Flow § The Department of Labor is in a “listening” mode. § Submit your responses and input to the discussion questions through the chat feature. § Responses will be reviewed analyzed as we are developing draft regulations and planning future guidance issuance and technical assistance. 4

Overview of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act § President Barack Obama signed WIOA into law on July 22, 2014. § Passed by Congress with wide bipartisan majority (The Senate voted 93 -5 and the House of Representatives voted 415 -6). § Reaffirms ongoing role of American Job Centers. § Promotes program coordination and alignment of key employment, education, and training programs at the Federal, State, local, and regional levels. § Builds on proven practices such as sector strategies, career pathways, regional economic approaches, work-based training. § Complements and supports the President’s Job-Driven Workforce Vision. 5

Programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act § Supersedes the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and retains and amends the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, the Wagner. Peyser Act, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. § Identifies “core programs”: – Adults, Dislocated Workers, and Youth formula programs and Wagner-Peyser employment services administered by the Department of Labor; and – Adult education and literacy programs and Vocational Rehabilitation state grant programs that assist individuals with disabilities in obtaining employment administered by the Department of Education. – Authorizes the Job Corps, Youth. Build, Indian and Native Americans, and Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker programs, and evaluation and research activities conducted by DOL. 6

Highlights of Reforms to the Public Workforce System under the Act § Requires states to strategically align workforce development programs to support job seekers and employers. § Promotes accountability and transparency of programs. § Fosters regional collaboration to meet the needs of regional economies. § Streamlines and strengthens the strategic roles of workforce development boards. § Enhances services provided to job seekers and employers through the American Job Center system. § Improves services to employers and promotes work-based training. 7

Highlights of Reforms to the Public Workforce System under the Act § Provides access to high quality training § Enhances workforce services for the unemployed and other job seekers. § Improves services to individuals with disabilities. § Makes key investments in serving disconnected youth and other vulnerable populations, including Native Americans and Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers. § Increases the performance and quality of the Job Corps program. § Reinforces connections with Registered Apprenticeship. 8

Discussion Question What are your top three priorities for implementation of WIOA? 9

Provisions Related to Disability WIOA increases individuals with disabilities’ access to high quality workforce services and prepares them for competitive integrated employment. § One-Stop career centers will provide physical and programmatic accessibility to employment and training services for individuals with disabilities and implement new Section 188 (non-discrimination) requirements related to: – functions of the local boards. – local plan content. – certification, at least every three years, of the One-Stop career centers to include an assessment of physical and programmatic accessibility in accordance with Secton 188. 10

Provisions Related to Disability § The unified state plan must include all the core programs, including Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and Adult Education. Among the requirements for the unified state plan is to: – describe how the one-stop delivery system will comply with Section 188 (non-discrimination) regarding physical and programmatic accessibility of facilities, programs, services, technology, and materials for individuals with disabilities. § Youth with disabilities will receive extensive pre-employment transition services so they can successfully obtain competitive integrated employment. 11

Provisions Related to Disability § Supports disconnected youth, of which youth with disabilities comprise a high percent, by: – Requiring local areas to increase percentage of youth formula funds used to serve out of-school youth to 75% versus 30% under WIA. – Requiring local areas to spend at lest 20% of youth formula funds on work experience activities. – Providing additional allowable activities including financial literacy education and entrepreneurial training. 12

Provisions Related to Disability § State vocational rehabilitation agencies will set aside at least 15% of funding to provide transition services to youth with disabilities. § Local workforce development boards may designate a standing committee to: – provide information and assist with operational and other issues related to compliance with non-discrimination and applicable accessibility requirements. – provide input regarding appropriate training for staff on these issues. 13

Provisions Related to Disability § Establishes a committee to advise the Secretary of Labor on strategies to increase competitive integrated employment for individuals with disabilities. – Includes Office of Disability Employment Policy, Wage and Hour Division, and ETA. 14

Discussion Questions 1. What have been effective service delivery strategies for integrating customers with disabilities under WIA? 2. What regulations or supports would assist your workforce system to be more welcoming to job seekers with disabilities? 3. Under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) local boards may establish standing committees geared to individuals with disabilities, including issues regarding Section 188 compliance and applicable ADA provisions, for providing programmatic and physical access to the services, programs, and activities of the AJC Network, as well as appropriate staff training on providing supports for/ accommodations to, and finding employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. What suggestions or concerns do you have about the establishment of such committees? 15

Discussion Questions 4. One ongoing challenge has been that individuals with disabilities, especially non-visible disabilities, opt not to self-identify when using general service delivery systems such as the public workforce system. With all programs moving to common intake, what suggestions do you have to get more job seekers to disclose their disability? 5. What are effective strategies that you have implemented to facilitate collaborative service delivery between the public workforce partners, including Vocational Rehabilitation, to leverage funds to provide workforce services to adults and youth with disabilities? What strategies do you suggest to overcome any challenges? 16

Discussion Questions 6. What opportunities and specific strategies do you see for the public workforce system to partner with independent living centers and other disability-related organizations? 7. Is there anything else you want us to share with us today? 17

Technical Assistance Tools and Resources § Department of Labor – WIOA Resource Page (www. doleta. gov/WIOA) – WIOA Dedicated Email (DOL. WIOA@dol. gov) § Department of Education – Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education’s WIOA Resource Page (http: //www. ed. gov/AEFLA) – Rehabilitation Services Administration’s WIOA Resource Page (http: //www 2. ed. gov/about/offices/list/osers/rsa/wioareauthorization. html) 18

Stakeholder Engagement INFORMATION ON CURRENT AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE INPUT IS AVAILABLE AT WWW. DOLETA. GOV/WIOA. 9/5 - Services to Disconnected Youth 9/11 - Strategic Program Alignment and Unified Planning 9/12 - WIOA and Registered Apprenticeship 9/15 -The Indian and Native American Program 19

Thank You! Find resources for workforce system success at: www. workforce 3 one. org 20