Workforce Innovation And Opportunity Act (WIOA)
The North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board (NCWWDB) provides oversight, guidance and direction for the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth, Adult, and Dislocated Worker Programs in a nine-county region known as a Workforce Development Area (WDA). These nine counties include Adams, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida, Portage, Wood and Vilas.
The purpose of the WIOA Title I-B Youth program is to provide career awareness and employment information services to low-income youth. The goal is for program participants to increase their earnings and future employability.
WIOA Youth Eligibility:
In-School Youth
Aged 14-21
Low income (family income at or below 100% Federal Poverty Level or eligible to receive free or reduced school lunch), plus an additional condition:
- Basic skills deficient
- English Language Learner
- Offender status
- Homeless, a runaway, in foster care or aged out of the foster care system
- Pregnant or parenting
- An individual with a disability
- Requires additional assistance to enter or complete an educational progrma or to secure or hold employment
Out-of-school Youth
Aged 16-24 and one or more conditions:
- School dropout
- within age of compulsory school attendance, but has not attended school for at least the most recent complete school year calendar quarter
- Recipient of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent who is low-income and basic skills deficient or an English language learner
- Subject to the juvenile or adult justice system
- A homeless individual, a runaway, in foster care or has aged out of the foster care system, or in an out-of-home placement
- Pregnant or parenting
- An individual with a disability
- Low-income individual who requires additional assistance to enter or complete an educational program or to secure or hold employment
*All males over 18 months must be registered for Selective Service
The purpose of the WIOA Title I-B Adult program is to provide employment and training services to unemployed or underemployed adults, with priority given to Veterans and individuals with barriers. The goal is to help program participants find jobs, increase their skills and earnings, and escape poverty.
WIOA Adult Eligibility:
18 years of age or older;
Citizen or noncitizen authorized to work in the US and;
Service Priority for Individuals Career Services and Training Services is given on a priority basis to public assistance recipients, and/or low-income adults; and/or individuals who are basic skills deficient
*All males over 18 must be registered for Selective Services
The purpose of the WIOA Title I-B Dislocated Worker program is to provide rapid response services to workers who have lost their jobs due to plant closures and mass layoffs, and the goal is to help participants re-enter the workforce through a variety of employment and training services.
WIOA Dislocated Worker Eligibility:
Citizen or noncitizen authorized to work in the US; and
- The individual was determined to be terminated or laid off, or has received a notice of termination or layoff, from employment;
- The individual was self-employed, but is unemployed as a result of general economic conditions;
- The individual is a displaced homemaker;
- The individual is the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces on active duty, and has experienced a loss of employment as a direct result of relocation to accommodate a permanent change in duty;
- The individual is a separated service member with a discharge other than dishonorable, who has received a notice separation from the Department of Defense and is unlikely to return to a previous industry or occupation.
*All males over 18 must be registered for Selective Service
WIOA Service Delivery
The Workforce Development Boards and its’ contracted providers are expected to focus delivery of services through local job centers. Job centers are public/private ventures that combine the resources of multiple organizations into one-stop employment and training facility for job seekers, workers, and employers. The co-location and integration of employment and training services are essential to effective and efficient delivery of services. Allowable WIOA services include:
- Basic Career Services for the general public such as automated job search, information exchange, referral, registration, etc. These basic career services are designed to complement and enhance the traditional public labor exchange services for job seekers and employers.
- Individualized Career Services are made available if determined to be appropriate in order for an individual to obtain or retain employment.
- Training Services, which are generally considered “hard skills” involving training for a specific occupation or group of occupations. WIOA utilizes “Individual Training Accounts” (ITAs) as the method by which most training providers get paid, establishes statewide lists of “Eligible Training Providers” approved to provide Training Services, and creates statewide lists of approved training programs from which customers are able to choose. Under WIOA, training can also be provided in the way of on-the-job (OJTs), employer-driven short term training or Career Pathways, and Registered Apprenticeships.
To apply for one of the WIA Programs, contact a Job Center near you.