Southern 14 Labor Workforce Investment Board, Inc

Services

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Career Services

Section 134 (c) (2) CAREER SERVICES PROVIDED.— WIOA Title I Funds shall be used to provide career services, which shall be available to individuals who are adults or dislocated workers through the one-stop delivery system and shall, at a minimum, include:

determinations of whether the individuals are eligible to receive assistance under this subtitle;
outreach, intake (which may include worker profiling), and orientation to the information and other services available through the one-stop delivery system;
initial assessment of skill levels (including literacy, numeracy, and English language proficiency), aptitudes, abilities (including skills gaps), and supportive service needs;
labor exchange services, including—

job search and placement assistance and, in appropriate cases, career counseling, including—
provision of information on in-demand industry sectors and occupations; and
provision of information on nontraditional employment; and
appropriate recruitment and other business services on behalf of employers, including small employers, in the local area, which services may include services described in this subsection, such as providing information and referral to specialized business services not traditionally offered through the one-stop delivery system

5. provision of referrals to and coordination of activities with other programs and services, including programs and services within the one-stop delivery system and, in appropriate cases, other workforce development programs;

6. provision of workforce and labor market employment statistics information, including the provision of accurate information relating to local, regional, and national labor market areas, including—

job vacancy listings in such labor market areas;
information on job skills necessary to obtain the jobs described in subclause (I); and
information relating to local occupations in demand and the earnings, skill requirements, and opportunities for advancement for such occupations; and

7. provision of performance information and program cost information on eligible providers of training services as described in section 122, provided by program, and eligible providers of youth workforce investment activities described in section 123, providers of adult education described in title II, providers of career and technical education activities at the postsecondary level, and career and technical education activities available to school dropouts, under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.), and providers of vocational rehabilitation services described in title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 720 et seq.);

8. provision of information, in formats that are usable by and understandable to one-stop center customers, regarding how the local area is performing on the local performance accountability measures described in section 116(c) and any additional performance information with respect to the one-stop delivery system in the local area;

9. (I) provision of information, in formats that are usable by and understandable to one-stop center customers, relating to the availability of supportive services or assistance, including child care, child support, medical or child health assistance under title XIX or XXI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq. and 1397aa et seq.), benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), assistance through the earned income tax credit under section 32 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and assistance under a State program for temporary assistance for needy families funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and other supportive services and transportation provided through funds made available under such part, available in the local area; and (II) referral to the services or assistance described in subclause (I), as appropriate;

10. provision of information and assistance regarding filing claims for unemployment compensation;

11. assistance in establishing eligibility for programs of financial aid assistance for training and education programs that are not funded under this Act;

12. services, if determined to be appropriate in order for an individual to obtain or retain employment, that consist of—
(I) comprehensive and specialized assessments of the skill levels and service needs of adults and dislocated workers, which may include—
(aa) diagnostic testing and use of other assessment tools; and
(bb) in-depth interviewing and evaluation to identify employment barriers and appropriate employment goals;

(II) development of an individual employment plan, to identify the employment goals, appropriate achievement objectives, and appropriate combination of services for the participant to achieve the employment goals, including providing information on eligible providers of training services pursuant to paragraph (3)(F)(ii), and career pathways to attain career objectives;

(III) group counseling;

(IV) individual counseling;

(V) career planning;

(VI) short-term prevocational services, including development of learning skills, communication skills, interviewing skills, punctuality, personal maintenance skills, and professional conduct, to prepare individuals for unsubsidized employment or training;

(VII) internships and work experiences that are linked to careers;

(VIII) workforce preparation activities;

IX) financial literacy services, such as the activities described in section 129(b)(2)(D);

(X) out-of-area job search assistance and relocation assistance; or

(XI) English language acquisition and integrated education and training programs; and

13. Followup services, including counseling regarding the workplace, for participants in workforce investment activities authorized under this subtitle who are placed in unsubsidized employment, for not less than 12 months after the first day of the employment, as appropriate.

Training Services

Section 134 (D) Training Services

Training services may include:

occupational skills training, including training for nontraditional employment;
on-the-job training;
incumbent worker training in accordance with subsection (d)(4);
programs that combine workplace training with related instruction, which may include cooperative education programs;
training programs operated by the private sector;
skill upgrading and retraining;
entrepreneurial training;
transitional jobs in accordance with subsection (d)(5);
job readiness training provided in combination with services described in any of clauses (i) through (viii);
adult education and literacy activities, including activities of English language acquisition and integrated education and training programs, provided concurrently or in combination with services described in any of clauses (i) through (vii); and
customized training conducted with a commitment by an employer or group of employers to employ an individual upon successful completion of the training.

The Act mandates that training services be provided in a manner that allows for maximum customer choice in the selection of a service provider. A list of eligible services providers is maintained and provided to the client. Training service providers make the determination as to which of their programs they wish to submit to the Local Workforce Investment Board for approval.

Once a program as offered by a provider has been approved by any one of the 22 Local Workforce Investment Boards, it goes on the statewide list and becomes approved training for a client located anywhere in the state. Less common but still allowable is the submission of a program by an out-of-state training provider. These programs may be submitted in multiple WIA areas and when approved by one area the program becomes available statewide. The controlling criteria becomes that the program must be in a demand occupation with the area where the client makes application. Many Community colleges offer out-of-district waivers for students wishing to receive training in areas not offered by the local college or for which the local college has elected not to submit their program for approval.

Youth Services

Youth services are not provided through the one-stop system. Youth services are provided by an agency or agencies, competitively bid through an RFP process and recommended by the Youth Council to the full workforce board. Youth are determined to be either in-school or out-of-school. Services to out-of-school youth are provided directly by one of the competitively bid youth service providers. Services to in-school youth are provided the two Educational Services Regional in the area through a contract between themselves and one or more of the Youth Services Providers. Goals for participants in the program are the provision of effective and comprehensive activities to improve educational and occupational activities to improve educational and occupational competencies. Activities include opportunities for training supportive services, incentives for recognition and achievement and leadership opportunities. Based on a comprehensive assessment of needs, youth may receive a mix of services which include tutoring, alternative secondary school offerings, summer employment, work experience, occupational skills training, supportive services, leadership opportunities and follow-up services.

The Clients

Adult - To be an eligible adult in the adult and dislocated worker program an individual must be 18 years of ages or older. Adults who receive services other than those considered self access or informational activities must be registered and determined eligible. Youth over the age of 18 may also be considered an adult for the provision of services through the one-stop system.

Dislocated Worker - A Dislocated Worker is an eligible adult who has been terminated or laid off or received a notice of lay-off from employment and is unlikely to return to a previous industry or occupation. These individuals, by definition, are eligible for or have exhausted entitlement to unemployment compensation. Dislocated Worker also includes self employed individuals who are unemployed as a result of general economic conditions in the community in which the individual resides or because of natural disasters.

Youth - A youth is an individual who is not less than age 14 and not more than age 21. To be eligible for the youth program, a youth will be a low income individual and have one or more of the following: deficient in basic literacy skills, school dropout, homeless, runaway or foster child, pregnant or a parent, an offender, requires additional assistance to complete an educational program or to secure and hold employment.

Training Services Providers

The Training Services providers are those educational institutions, public and private, who have submitted courses of study and have had those courses approved by one of the 26 Local Workforce Investment Boards in Illinois. The institution itself is not approved, only the curriculum. Once a course of study, administered by a particular institution, has been approved by one of the 26 LWIB's it goes on the state's list which is a compilation of all approved training for the state of Illinois. Educational institutions outside Illinois may also apply to one of the 26 Illinois LWIB's and, if approved, be placed on the state list. The state list is posted at each one-stop location and made available to the client by the Title - 1 service providers. The choice of training curriculum and educational institution is the prerogative of the client; however, the client must show that they have the resources to complete the curriculum if the cost exceeds the amount set by the LWIB for similar duration training.

Title - 1 B Service Providers

These agencies were designated by the LWIB in the Five Year Plan to be the agencies that provide Workforce Investment Act services and support to clients and employers in Area # 26. They are considered one of the local partners in the one-stop delivery system. Services are funded by contractual arrangement between the Workforce Board and the Title - 1 providers. Agencies named are Wabash Area Development for the counties of Wayne, White, Wabash and Edwards; Shawnee Development Council for the counties of Alexander, Union, Massac, Johnson and Pulaski and; Mid - 5 Employment and Training for the counties of Saline, Gallatin, Hamilton, Pope and Hardin. Services include case management, eligibility determination, training authorization, transportation, child care and fiscal management of the one-stop centers.