This report focuses on implementation of changes to governance and planning under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014. 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.

Some key findings in the report include the following: State board respondents reported that WIOA requirements resulted in both more strategic planning and more "administrative" tasks for workforce boards, and varying changes in the size of boards. Respondents also reported increased connections to education partners at the state and local level. Local board staff reported that the emphasis on career pathways at the state level encouraged local boards, and their staff, to strengthen the connections with the K-12 system and higher education.

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.