The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was signed into law on July 22, 2014. WIOA is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy.
WIOA supersedes the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and amends the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, the Wagner-Peyser Act, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. WIOA brings together, in strategic coordination, the core programs of Federal investment in skill development: Employment and training services for adults, dislocated workers, and youth and Wagner-Peyser employment services administered by the U.S.
Department of Education. WIOA also authorizes programs for specific vulnerable populations, including the Job Corps, YouthBuild, Indian and Native Americans, and Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker programs as well as evaluation and multistate projects administered by DOL. In addition, WIOA authorizes other programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S.
WIOA ensures that employment and training services provided by the core programs are coordinated and complementary so that job seekers acquire skills and credentials that meet employers’ needs.
There are three main programs for WIOA:
- Dislocated Worker
- Adult Low Income
- WIOA Youth (ages 18 – 24)