This report focuses on implementation of changes to the local American Job Center (AJC) Systems under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014. The report focuses on changes in requirements for: (1) competitive procurement of One-Stop operators, (2) cost sharing and partnership agreements with multiple partner programs, and (3) certification (by state workforce agencies) of local AJC systems. Findings in the report are based primarily on site visit interviews conducted in early 2019 with administrators, workforce boards, and front-line staff in 14 states and 28 local areas.

Key findings are that, of the 28 local areas interviewed, 21 had competitively procured One-Stop operators as a result of the new requirement. Cost sharing, required under WIOA and codified through Memoranda of Understanding and Infrastructure Agreements, were reported to increase the number of partners making financial contributions to AJCs among the study sites, while also creating new challenges for cultivating new partners.

This report is one of a series of products from a larger study of WIOA implementation. The study focused on the core programs under WIOA Title I (Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Services) and Title III (Employment Services). The goals of the study were to (1) examine the variation in the approaches used to implement key WIOA provisions, (2) assess implementation progress, and (3) identify best practices and areas for possible additional guidance or technical assistance.