Unraveling Measurable Skills Gains: How to Simplify WIOA Performance Reporting
Measurable Skills Gains (MSGs) are a fundamental aspect of evaluating participant progression in WIOA-funded programs and constitute a significant...
[Updated Dec 2023]
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act expired in 2020, and workforce development agencies have been running on fumes ever since. Even the bigger picture is bleak: over the past 20 years, federal funding for workforce programs has declined by 45%. WIOA reauthorization is desperately needed to support our nation’s workforce as we recover from the pandemic and continue to move through global economic uncertainty.
In May 2022, the House passed WIOA of 2022 (H.R.7309), which would have reauthorized and fully funded WIOA programs with nearly $80 billion over the next six years. Unfortunately, it did not achieve the bipartisan support it needed to move forward in the Senate.
Over a year and a half later, House Education and the Workforce Committee leaders have delivered another attempt at reauthorization: H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act.
“An effective workforce development system is critical to ensuring a strong economy and a skilled workforce. This bipartisan bill provides crucial updates to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act that will help employees compete in today’s workforce, close the skills gap, provide accountability, and most importantly, facilitate the success of American workers,” said Chairwoman Foxx.
Ranking Member Scott added, “For far too long, we have left our workforce development system without the resources and tools it needs to connect workers with good-paying job opportunities and help employers access a pipeline of talented workers. The bill makes an array of key improvements to Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs, such as expanding and improving the quality of skills development, strengthening services for disconnected youth, and codifying grants to help individuals released from incarceration transition back to employment and sustainable careers.”
As of December 12, the bill had been approved by the House Education and Workforce Committee and was headed to the House floor for a vote.
Here are some key takeaways from the proposed bill:
A longstanding challenge in WIOA reauthorization has been getting both sides to agree on the next best steps for improving workforce development in the U.S. Some think more funding is the key to a greater impact, while others want to see more demonstrated impacts before allocating more funding. The bipartisan flavor of the latest bill is underpinned by commitments to both perspectives. If the bill is passed, a modernized WIOA will necessitate a modernized approach to WIOA management. With additional compliance requirements and more stringent performance measures, WIOA-funded agencies will need the technological infrastructure to collect, track, and report on participant data. Clearly demonstrating their impact will allow agencies to stay compliant and fully funded.
Measurable Skills Gains (MSGs) are a fundamental aspect of evaluating participant progression in WIOA-funded programs and constitute a significant...
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was signed into law in 2014 to replace its predecessor, the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The...
The U.S. Department of Labor recently released a new Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL), TEGL 03:23, to provide workforce agencies and...