Workforce Investment Act (WIA)

The Workforce Invest Act (WIA), the first major reform of the nation's job training system in over 15 years, was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 7, 1998 and went into effect July 1, 2000.

The purposes of WIA are to give American workers the chance to equip themselves with the skills and information needed to compete in the new economy and to help workers take responsibility for building a better future for themselves and their families.

To accomplish the goals of this new legislation, a new workforce investment system was built on the following key principles:

• Streamlined Services through a One-Stop delivery system which integrates a variety of programs at the street level to make their services more accessible for both individuals and businesses.
• Empowering Individuals through
  • Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) so that they may obtain training at qualified institutions.
  • Information on the performance of training providers through a Consumer Report Card System (CRCS). This information is essential to ensuring informed training choices and is available to all One-Stop customers.
  • Labor market information, advice, guidance, and support available through the One-Stop System and its partners.
• Universal Access to services that allows all individuals to access certain core employment-related services such as information about job openings, career options, how to conduct job searches, resume writing, and employment interviews.
• A Strategic Role for Local Boards and the Private Sector through business-led Local Workforce Investment Boards (LWIBs) that are focused on strategic planning, policy development, and oversight. The active involvement of business and labor is critical to understanding what skills are in demand, what jobs are available, what career fields are expanding, and what types of training programs will best meet local employer needs.
• State and Local Flexibility by allowing States and local communities to build on existing reforms and to implement innovative, comprehensive workforce investment systems tailored to meet the particular needs of regional and local labor markets.
• Improved Youth Programs that tie activities and services more closely to labor market needs, strengthen the connection between academic and occupational learning, and provide activities geared specifically toward youth development. Emphasis is on the coordination of youth activities and the creation of a comprehensive network of youth programs administered by a variety of agencies. Each LWIB has a Youth Council that is tasked with the improvement of coordination among youth-serving programs and organizations, strategic planning for youth programs, the identification of eligible providers for youth services, and the oversight of youth programs.

Customer Choice

The underlying principle of the provision of training services under WIA is customer choice. One-Stop Centers will provide access to the consumer information in the the Kumu A'o CRCS which describes WIA eligible training providers that can assist individuals in gaining relevant skills - including information about the performance of such providers in placing graduates in employment. The State must compile a list of eligible training providers that meet performance levels as set by the State and the LWIBs. Individuals will be able to choose any provider from the list of eligible training providers.

If you would like more information about WIA, see Contacts or go to www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/

Last updated: June 30, 2004