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The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 included multiple provisions to strengthen service quality, access, accountability, and coordination across many programs. The report focuses on implementation of WIOA’s changes to various aspects of performance accountability and in other data-driven areas under the law, as related to the “core” workforce programs for Titles I and III. The report explores reactions to regulations and guidance related to not only performance accountability, but also on eligible training providers (ETPs), labor market information (LMI), and evaluation.

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Key Takeaways

• Respondents from six states and four local areas reported that credential attainment was a familiar indicator and thus relatively easy to implement; respondents from five other states and 19 local areas described some challenges in implementing it.
• States and local areas reported having many questions about the range of ways to assess and record measurable skill gains (MSGs).
• Effectiveness in serving employers, a new indicator for all six core programs, was viewed by respondents as particularly challenging to measure fairly.
• Respondents described updating state administrative data systems to meet the requirements of the Participant Individual Record Layout (PIRL) and the Workforce Integrated Performance System (WIPS) as challenging, especially given the timing of changes.
• Respondents from five states expressed concerns about the amount of new data required from some customers in order for the state to submit complete records, and four states made efforts to collect data via other sources.
• Some core programs used shared management information systems (MISs).
• States initiated some efforts to start or increase data sharing across the core programs.
• Many respondents reported that, from their perspectives, training providers’ inability to provide the required data caused the number of programs on their eligible training providers (ETP) lists to decrease.
• States pursued approaches to administering ETP requirements that limited burden on providers.
• Under WIOA, state and local access to and use of labor market information (LMI) expanded.
• Use of LMI by WIOA Titles II and IV increased somewhat under WIOA.
• States were still in the preliminary stages of meeting WIOA’s evaluation requirement.
• States reported several challenges in conducting evaluations.

Research Gaps

• In this chapter, we identify some of the broader takeaways from our discussions of these changes and suggest where additional guidance and technical assistance might support further progress in the workforce system. Future efforts could build on DOL-issued guidance and technical assistance provided since the time of the site visits. (See Appendix A for a list of DOL guidance and associated technical assistance.) (page 35)

Citation

Mack, M., Dunham, K. (2020). Social Policy Research. Performance Accountability, Eligible Training Providers, Labor Market Information, and Evaluation Requirements Under WIOA. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

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The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy and CEO’s research development process.