U.S. Department of Labor Awards $1 Million to Maryland to Provide Technical Assistance to Implement Workforce Innovation Programs

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded a grant of $1,052,528 to the State of Maryland in a cooperative agreement to support Maryland’s Workforce Information Technology Support Center (WITSC).

The agreement between the Department’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and Maryland’s Department of Labor supports the delivery of technical assistance to states on technology implementation for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs for a two-year period of performance.

“The Workforce Information Technology Support Center unites state efforts to provide better services for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program participants by being responsive to the states’ needs and providing creative solutions to the workforce issues faced,” said Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training John Pallasch.

The WITSC has delivered technical assistance to states on the selection, procurement and implementation of automation and information technology solutions that support integration of WIOA services. A steering committee made of state representatives of all WIOA programs oversees the center.

Among its recent activity is a procurement portal to assist states in drafting workforce IT procurements, as well as detailed market scans of various vendors that deliver workforce technology solutions. These tools are designed to inform IT state procurement and implementation decisions. WITSC is currently designing online training to help workforce program officials with IT responsibilities in partnership with their state IT offices. These tools and more are available at https://www.naswa.org/witsc. 

The mission of the Department is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.