Implementing a job-driven workforce system

CLASSIFICATION
   EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION                  Job-Driven Workforce System
               ADVISORY SYSTEM                             CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
          U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                         OPDR
             Washington, D.C. 20210                        DATE
                                                            July 30, 2014


ADVISORY:        TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 3-14

TO:              STATE GOVERNORS
                 STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
                 STATE WORKFORCE ADMINISTRATORS
                 STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE BOARD CHAIRS AND DIRECTORS
                 STATE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DIRECTORS
                 STATE LABOR COMMISSIONERS
                 STATE LABOR MARKET INFORMATION DIRECTORS
                 STATE RAPID RESPONSE COORDINATORS
                 STATE APPRENTICESHIP AGENCY DIRECTORS
                 OFFICE OF APPRENTICESHIP STATE AND REGIONAL DIRECTORS
                 TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE LEADS
                 AMERICAN JOB CENTER DIRECTORS
                 ALL EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION GRANTEES

FROM:            PORTIA WU /s/
                 Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:         Implementing a Job-Driven Workforce System

1. Purpose. This Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) communicates the vision
   for an integrated, effective, job-driven workforce system. Further, it: shares the Vice
   President Joe Biden’s job-driven training report, the results of the Vice President’s review of
   Federal job training and education programs; describes the seven key elements of job-driven
   employment and training programs; provides informational resources; and encourages states
   and local workforce investment areas, DOL grantees, and strategic partners to integrate these
   elements in their strategic planning and program operations.

2. References.
   • Presidential Memo – Job-Driven Training for Workers, January 30, 2014
      (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/01/30/presidential-memorandum-job-
      driven-training-workers).
   • Vice President’s Job-Driven Training Report
      http://www.whitehouse.gov//sites/default/files/docs/skills_report.pdf
   • Workforce Investment Act of 1998
   • Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)


 RESCISSIONS                                              EXPIRATION DATE
 None                                                     Continuing

3. Background. In January 2014, in his State of the Union speech, President Barack Obama
   called upon Vice President Joe Biden to, “lead an across- the-board reform of America’s
   training programs.” President Barack Obama prioritized the need to ensure that job seekers
   and workers are equipped with the skills needed by employers and are matched to employers
   with good jobs. The President cited American Job Centers (AJC) as a proven resource for
   job seekers to obtain services and training to prepare for a new or better job. On January 30,
   2014, the President issued a memorandum commencing job-driven reform of Federal
   employment and training programs.

   The AJC system and key employment and training programs formerly authorized under the
   Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), comprise a significant component of the review
   and plan of action in the report.

   On July 22, 2014 President Barack Obama signed into law WIOA. WIOA was passed in
   Congress with significant bi-partisan support. It reauthorized the public workforce system
   and certain employment and training programs previously authorized under WIA. It also
   made statutory changes that support and advance job-driven training. The Departments of
   Labor (DOL), Education, and Health and Human Services (HHS), as well as other Federal
   departments will issue specific implementation guidance for WIOA separate from this
   guidance.

   Coinciding with the enactment of WIOA, the Vice President issued his job-driven training
   report on July 22, 2014. This plan of action and summary of steps already taken establishes a
   platform to create a more integrated, effective, job-driven workforce investment system. It
   looks across programs administered by the Departments of Labor, Commerce, Education,
   Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban
   Development, Interior, Justice, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs. Further, it leverages
   expertise from the Department of Treasury, National Science Foundation and Office of
   Personnel Management. The report identified several key components of an integrated,
   effective, job-driven workforce system.

   The Vice President’s job-driven training report recommendations and job-driven vision are
   intended to encompass the full array of federally-funded employment and training programs
   (including but not limited to those authorized under WIOA).

4. Vision for a Job-Driven Workforce System. A job-driven public workforce system
   contributes to a strong, growing economy by responding to the workforce needs of regional
   and local businesses and other employers to ensure positive employment outcomes for job
   seekers. The backbone of this system is the national network of more than 2,500 AJCs, and
   their governing bodies, the state and local workforce investment boards (WIBs), authorized
   by WIOA. Through this system, states and local workforce areas have the flexibility to
   integrate a variety of Federal, state, local, and private workforce development and job
   training funding streams to provide seamless, coordinated services to job seekers and
   employers. Strategic partners, such as community-based organizations, workforce
   intermediaries, and educational institutions, provide complementary employment and training


services and/or supportive services to vulnerable populations such as older workers,
disadvantaged youth, the long-term unemployed, ex-offenders, individuals with disabilities,
individuals who have limited English proficiency, migrant and seasonal farmworkers, and
Indian and Native Americans. Employers, industry associations, labor unions and economic
development organizations are critical partners that provide insight regarding workforce and
labor market needs of the local and regional economy.

State workforce agencies and state and local WIBs are well-positioned to lead and contribute
to a job-driven public workforce system by facilitating the alignment of workforce
development, education, and economic development systems and services at the state,
regional, and local levels. Community-based organizations, workforce intermediaries,
training providers, employers and industry associations, economic development
organizations, and other entities are important members and partners of a job-driven public
workforce system. They contribute their subject matter expertise, partnerships, and resources
to ensure that job seekers, including vulnerable populations, have the skills, credentials, and
supportive services required to gain and retain employment in good jobs that are in-demand
in the local and regional economy. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
recognizes the leadership and innovation taking place across the country to align the
workforce, education, and economic development systems, and to form public-private
partnerships to ensure that job seekers are acquiring skills needed to enter career pathways
that ensures employers’ workforce needs are being met. By continuing and expanding this
work, we support an integrated and effective public workforce system at the Federal, state,
regional, and local levels that achieves the following goals:

 The public workforce system convenes and leads industry-driven partnerships tailored to
  meet the needs of local and regional economies.

 Employers and economic development partners guide and participate in the development
  of workforce strategies to meet the needs of supply chains, including small and medium
  enterprises.

 Job seekers and workers have the skills and industry-recognized credentials needed to
  obtain jobs with family-sustaining wages and benefits in in-demand industries.

 Workforce system investments are strategically and operationally aligned to maximize the
  impact of workforce system and program investments.

Therefore, to realize fully the potential of the workforce system to meet the needs of job
seekers and employers, we strongly encourage you, as workforce system leaders and partners
to continue making progress to utilize the job-driven resources provided in this TEGL, and to
incorporate the job-driven elements into your leadership discussions and strategic planning,
partnership engagements, and program operations; and collaborate with partners to help all
federally-funded employment and training programs and the public workforce system across
the country, adopt and implement the elements.


5. Job-Driven Elements. As part of the review, the Vice President; the Departments of Labor,
   Commerce, and Education; and other Federal Departments and Agencies identified seven
   elements that characterize job-driven workforce programs. These elements are best and
   promising practices that have been identified through research and evaluations or affirmed
   through peer reviews. The President directed all Federal Departments and Agencies to
   integrate the job-driven elements into the program administration and service delivery
   strategies of their employment and training programs to the extent practicable and feasible
   within the law and the program’s mission. Federal agencies across government are
   communicating a consistent and aligned message about the critical characteristics of effective
   job-driven workforce programs.

   Below is a brief description of each job-driven training element. Attachment A “Checklist
   for Job-Driven Training” includes detailed descriptions and operational examples of each
   element.

    Element 1 – Work up-front with employers to determine local or regional hiring needs
     and design training programs that are responsive to those needs.

    Element 2 – Offer work-based learning opportunities with employers—including on-the-
     job training, internships, and pre-apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeship as
     training paths to employment.

    Element 3 – Make better use of data to drive accountability, inform what programs are
     offered and what is taught, and offer user-friendly information for job seekers to choose
     what programs and pathways work for them and are likely to result in jobs.

    Element 4 – Measure and evaluate employment and earnings outcomes.

    Element 5 – Promote a seamless progression from one educational stepping stone to
     another, and across work-based training and education, so individuals’ efforts result in
     progress.

    Element 6 – Break down barriers to accessing job-driven training and hiring for any
     American who is willing to work, including access to supportive services and relevant
     guidance.

    Element 7 – Create regional collaborations among American Job Centers, education
     institutions, labor, and non-profits.

   At the Federal level, DOL has assessed its formula and competitive employment and training
   programs against these elements and acknowledges that the public workforce system is
   designed to promote and implement the job-driven workforce elements. For example, the
   public workforce system has extensive experience engaging employers in the development of
   data-driven training programs, partnering with other Federal and community-based programs
   to leverage resources and offer supportive services, implementing career pathways and work-


   based learning and training programs, and making scorecards on training providers available
   to the public.

   Additionally, WIOA enacted several statutory changes that align with the job-driven vision.
   For example, it:

            •   improves program coordination by requiring unified strategic planning across
                some programs;
            •   increases accountability and transparency, such as by aligning outcome measures
                across programs;
            •   promotes linkages to Registered Apprenticeship and other work-based learning
                strategies including on-the-job training;
            •   underscores the importance of sector strategies and career pathways;
            •   strengthens services to employers, for example by requiring an outcome measure
                on services to employers; and
            •   requires third party evaluations of authorized programs.

   The job-driven elements will help guide the Department’s implementation of WIOA,
   consistent with the legislation.

6. Call to Action. State workforce agencies, state and local WIBs, locally elected officials,
   AJC directors, state agency apprenticeship directors, community-based organizations,
   educational institutions, and other DOL grantees have pivotal roles in supporting local and
   regional economic growth. As workforce leaders, you convene and lead partnerships with
   employers, the education and economic development systems, labor and labor management
   organizations, and other community partners such as philanthropy and community- and faith-
   based organizations. Through AJCs, you provide a common access point to a wide range of
   Federal, state, local, and privately funded workforce and training services to job seekers,
   including disadvantaged and vulnerable populations, and employers. ETA is committed to
   supporting your new and ongoing efforts at the state, regional and local levels to incorporate
   and strengthen the objectives of the job driven elements in the partnerships and strategies you
   develop, and in the services you provide, and calls upon workforce system leaders to continue
   to advance the workforce system.

7. Resources.

       a.       Vice President’s Job-Driven Training Report. The Vice President, in
            coordination with the Departments of Labor, Commerce, and Education, and other
            Federal agencies completed a review of Federal employment and training programs.
            This review was informed by consultation with key stakeholders including industry
            representatives, employers and industry associations, State and local leaders,
            economic development organizations, worker representatives, education and training
            providers, workforce leaders, philanthropic organizations, and relevant nonprofit
            organizations. The results of the Vice President’s review can be accessed at
            http://www.whitehouse.gov//sites/default/files/docs/skills_report.pdf.


       b.       Job-Driven Checklist. The Checklist for Job-Driven Training (Attachment A)
            was developed to assist Federal Departments and Agencies in assessing their
            employment and training programs and identifying steps to better integrate the job-
            driven elements into those programs. The Checklist includes a full description of and
            operational examples for each job-driven element. The Checklist is a tool to aid in a
            deeper understanding of the job-driven elements.

       c.       Job-Driven Elements in Action. The Job-Driven Elements in Action
            (Attachment B) provides five examples of the job-driven elements in the workforce
            system at the state and local levels.

       d.       Job-Driven Training Letter to Governors and Mayors. The joint Federal
            interagency letter to governors and to mayors (Attachment C), requests continued
            leadership in supporting a job-driven approach to training.

       e.       Technical Assistance. Within the next several months, DOL will provide
            technical assistance and disseminate additional tools and resources to assist state and
            local workforce leaders with incorporating the job-driven elements into your strategic
            planning activities and program operations.

8. Inquiries. Please direct all inquiries to the appropriate ETA Regional Office.

9. Attachments.        Attachment A – Checklist for Job-Driven Training
                       Attachment B – Job Driven Elements in Action
                       Attachment C – Letter to Governors and Letter to Mayors

Attachment 1: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2014/TEGL_3-14_Attachment_A_Acc.pdf

ATTACHMENT A

CHECKLIST FOR JOB-DRIVEN TRAINING

                       CHECKLIST FOR JOB-DRIVEN TRAINING


  design
   Work up-front with employers to determine local or regional hiring needs and
          training programs that are responsive to those needs

Engaging employers, employer associations, and labor organizations in the design and delivery
of education and training can help ensure that such programs meet current and future hiring
needs and will likely result in employment for participating job seekers.

Concrete examples include:
   • Providing industry with a leadership role, for example through an employer-led
      workforce investment board or other coordinating board, such as an industry association,
      to set strategic direction and to help coordinate and connect programs and program
      activities.
   • Engaging business and industry to identify skills, define skills and competencies, design
      programs, and develop curriculum.
          o May take the form of consulting directly with businesses or with associations or
               other intermediaries (possibly organized by sector) that have the active
               involvement of businesses and expertise in training.
   • Securing employer commitments that will add value to the program, such as:
          o Providing work-based learning opportunities—for example, through on-the-job
               training or Registered Apprenticeships.
          o Providing up-to-date, accessible equipment and technology as well as the
               instructors to help participants with various learning styles master the required
               new skills.
          o Making commitments to hire graduates from training programs.
   • Collaborating with employers and credentialing agencies in developing industry-
      recognized credentials and validating their labor market value.


         Offer work-based learning opportunities with employers—including on-the-job
        training, internships, and pre-apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeship as
         training paths to employment

Work-based learning enables participants to gain or enhance their skills while employed or while
engaged in an experience that is similar to employment. Work-based learning can result in
workers getting hired and earning a salary more quickly while receiving support for ongoing
educational and career advancement.

Concrete examples include:
   • Internships (paid) or other summer or year-round employment opportunities, and paid
      work experience.
   • On-the-job training, which is training conducted by an employer and occurs while an
      individual is engaged in productive work.

   •   Registered Apprenticeships (possibly combined with pre-apprenticeships), which are
       “earn while you learn” training models that combine job-related technical instruction
       with structured on-the-job learning experiences.
   •   Job shadowing experiences, which may occur even prior to training to ensure that the
       nature of the work and the work environment are a good fit for the prospective trainee.
   •   Incumbent worker programs, particularly those that provide training for current low-
       skilled or low-wage employees that give them access to more advanced positions.
   •   Transitional jobs, which provide short-term work experience along with appropriate
       supportive services for hard-to-employ individuals.
   •   Career academies, a school-within-a-high school model with strong employer
       partnerships that integrate academics with an occupational curriculum.


          Make better use of data to drive accountability, inform what programs are
         offered and what is taught, and offer user-friendly information for job seekers to
          choose what programs and pathways work for them and are likely to result in a
          job

Timely, reliable, and readily accessible labor market information, in conjunction with program
outcomes, should be used to inform the focus of programs and to guide jobseekers in choosing
the types of employment or fields of study, training, and credentials to pursue. Labor market
information includes current and projected local, regional, State, and national labor markets, such
as the number and types of available jobs, future demand, job characteristics, and training and
skills requirements, and the composition, characteristics, and skills of the labor supply.

Concrete examples include:
   • Using job openings and employment projections data to strategically identify employer
      partners.
   • Using job openings, projections, and wage data to tailor job training offerings.
   • Using labor market projections and characteristics of regional labor market or program
      participants to conduct skill gap analyses.
  • Providing information about current and projected job openings and wages to participants
      to inform their decisions about which programs to enter.
   • Informing small or medium-sized businesses about industry and occupational trends and
      wages.


  Measure and evaluate employment and earnings outcomes
Programs should measure employment and earnings outcomes and make sure they are easily
understood by prospective participants, employers, and other current or potential stakeholders.

Concrete examples include:
   • Providing outcome data for Federal programs to the public. For example, Department of
      Labor programs use a set of common employment-related measures, which include


       employment rates, earnings, and retention, and make the aggregate results available on
       the Department’s website.
   •   Making Federal performance data on education and training programs by provider
       publicly available to individuals and employers.
   •   Presenting data on outcomes by training provider to individuals as they review training
       options with career counselors.
   •   Using real-time data to continuously improve program outcomes.
   •   Evaluating a program to determine whether it is effective.


          Promote a seamless progression from one educational stepping stone to another,
         and across work-based training and education, so individuals’ efforts result in
          progress

Training programs should be part of a continuum of education and training leading to credential
attainment, good jobs, increased earnings, and career advancement.

Concrete examples include:
   • Implementing programs that fit on “career pathways” with a clear sequence of education
      and training that result in skills and credentials aligned with the needs of the industry
      sector, with multiple entry and exit points leading to good jobs and meaningful careers.
   • Aligning the program with and leveraging other public (Federal, State, or local) or private
      education and training program resources.
   • Integrating foundational skills education and training with occupational skills training,
      with an emphasis on contextualized learning.
   • Creating articulation agreements among high schools, community and technical colleges,
      and four year colleges, so that students can continue a program of study seamlessly.
   • Providing sector-specific training to high school students, either on-site or through an
      employer, coupled where possible with college credits from the local community college.
   • Enabling Registered Apprenticeship graduates to receive college credit for prior learning
      during the apprenticeship program.


          Break down barriers to accessing job-driven training and hiring for any
         American who is willing to work, including access to supportive services and
          relevant guidance

Programs should include career assistance and supportive services, consistent with the program’s
governing statute and appropriations authority, as needed to enable an individual to participate in
and complete education and training activities and secure employment.

Concrete examples include:
   • Career counseling and job coaching.
   • Transportation to/from training or work-based learning.
   • Assistance with finding and affording quality child care or family care.
   • Housing assistance.

   •   Providing people with disabilities with information on assistance services that are
       available to help them contribute in the workplace (e.g., readers for individuals who have
       low vision or are blind; interpreters for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing; note-
       takers for individuals with mobility disabilities, etc.).
   •   Workplace flexibility strategies (time, place, tasks) for individuals with multiple barriers
       to employment, including individuals with disabilities.
   •   Supported employment programs for individuals with significant disabilities.
   •   Other supportive services, including food assistance, services that help participants have
       criminal records expunged, and substance abuse and mental health treatment.


 
          Create regional collaborations among American Job Centers, education
          institutions, labor, and nonprofits

Effective programs often leverage a variety of resources, both financial and in-kind, from other
partners to deliver the best services possible and to expand the reach of those services to address
needs of both individuals and employers. This can be particularly valuable for programs that
serve individuals with multiple barriers to employment. To avoid duplication of effort and
identify potential sources of such leverage, training programs should consider partnerships with
or within the public workforce system (including the American Job Centers—formerly known as
One-Stop Career Centers—and State and local Workforce Investment Boards), vocational
rehabilitation agencies, human services agencies, higher education institutions, veterans service
organizations, labor organizations, philanthropic organizations, business-related and other non-
profit organizations, and community- and faith-based organizations. Any partnership and
leveraging of funds must be consistent with the program’s governing statute and appropriations
authority.

Concrete examples include:
   • Seeking input from an advisory or governing board made up of representatives from
      these entities that informs and makes decisions about training and training-related
      programs.
   • Identifying public and private funds or resources that can, where permissible, support the
      delivery of the program, including staff to coordinate with partnership organizations.
   • Coordinating wrap-around and supportive services for participants with other resources
      from public and privately-funded training, training-related, or social and community
      services programs.
   • Aligning the program with other public and private education and training program
      resources.

Attachment 2: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2014/TEGL_3-14_Attachment_B_Acc.pdf

ATTACHMENT B

JOB DRIVEN ELEMENTS IN ACTION

                          JOB-DRIVEN ELEMENTS IN ACTION

Below are five examples of how partnerships between the public workforce system and
employers, the education system, economic development agencies, Registered Apprenticeship
programs, community- and faith-based organizations, and others reflect the job-driven elements
and lead to coordinated, seamless services for job seekers and employers. These examples
illustrate how efforts at the governance, policy, program management, and service delivery levels
all contribute to achieving a strong job-driven public workforce system.

   1) The Detroit Registered Apprenticeship Pilot Program (D-RAPP) is designed to
      recruit and prepare Detroit residents with marketable skills, allowing them to earn
      and learn in high-demand fields while positioning them on a sustainable career
      path. D-RAPP was created in early 2012 by a partnership comprised of the State of
      Michigan’s Workforce Development Agency, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Michigan
      Office of Apprenticeship, and the City of Detroit’s Workforce Development Board. The
      partnership developed training to assist residents in preparing to become apprentices.
      Some of the Registered Apprenticeship programs involved are Hart & Associates, CVS
      Caremark, Detroit Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC), National
      Electrical Contractors Association/International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
      (IBEW), Michigan Laborers JATC, Operating Engineers JATC, United Automobile
      Workers, and Detroit Carpenters JATC. Each employer agrees to register their
      apprenticeship program with the U.S. Department of Labor and provide apprenticeship
      opportunities for low-income Detroiters.

       Participants who qualify for the D-RAPP program attend a 60 hour pre-apprentice
       training program. This soft skill program provides participants with a $10.00 an hour
       stipend while in the classroom. When participants complete D-RAPP, they are eligible
       for registered apprenticeships with participating companies. For example, CVS provides
       participants with an apprenticeship as a Pharmacy Technician, the IBEW, Detroit
       Carpenters JATC, and Michigan Laborers JATC provides apprentices in the skilled trades
       an opportunity to work on Detroit infrastructure projects.

       For each Detroit resident placed into a registered apprenticeship program, the Michigan
       Workforce Development Agency and Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation provide
       an incentive of $5,000 to the apprenticeship program or employer which can be used to
       help provide classroom training and/or tools. As of June 1, 2014, there have been more
       than 100 City of Detroit residents placed into Registered Apprenticeship programs. Some
       of the keys to success of D-RAPP include interactive planning with coordinating
       agencies, partners, and sponsors; sponsor-driven criteria; effective testing and assessment
       tools; selection of qualified individuals; subsidized readiness training; and ongoing
       communication between all partners.

2) The Los Angeles Reconnections Career Academy (LARCA) aligns youth-serving
   programs, initiatives, services, and resources to provide education and career
   pathways programming to out-of-school youth ages 16 to 24 in order to address the
   youth dropout and unemployment challenges in the Los Angeles, California region.
   LARCA, which received a $12 million Workforce Innovation Grant in 2012, is a career
   development collaborative that operates as a consortium of LA City and County WIBs,
   City of LA Mayor’s Office, Community Development Department, and other workforce
   development, education, human services, and business partners.

   LARCA provides youth assessment and counseling, educational services to facilitate
   return to school, bridge training and work readiness training, occupational career training,
   and placement in education and employment. In addition, LARCA provides career
   pathways training in construction, green technology, and healthcare that lead to industry-
   recognized certificates. Services are targeted to two cohorts: out-of-school youth and
   young adults that are within 12 months of receiving their high school diploma or
   equivalency degree, and those that need more than 12 months to receive their diploma or
   high school equivalency.

   LARCA increases cooperation across funding streams to reduce program costs and
   promote system integration and alignment among workforce programs and services for
   out-of-school youth. LARCA “braids” or uses multiple funding streams to provide
   comprehensive services to its participants, while ensuring that funds are appropriately
   used according to their statute, such as the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth, Los
   Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Diploma Project, LA Community College
   District, and the LA City’s FamilySource Center funds to out-of school youth.
   Partnership activities include the following: the LARCA Employer Advisory Board
   provides feedback on training curricula and placement of youth in work opportunities.
   The Community Development Department and LAUSD have an information sharing
   agreement to target and serve out-of-school youth. LAUSD staff are co-located at
   schools and WIA Youth WorkSource Centers.

3) The Dallas, Tarrant County, and North Central Texas Workforce Development
   Boards (WDB) have a regional approach to implementing in-demand sector
   strategies to meet employer and job seeker needs. Sector strategies are partnerships of
   businesses within an industry that bring together government, workforce development,
   education, economic development, labor, and community organizations to focus on the
   needs of an industry within a region. Sector strategies can reduce employer recruitment
   and turnover costs, and increase job placements and provide career advancement
   opportunities for workers, including low-wage, low-skilled workers. For each of their
   regional sector strategies, the Dallas, Tarrant County, and North Central Texas WDBs
   have strong partnerships with leading employers in each sector, and regional economic
   development agencies, K-12 education system, and higher education institutions. The
   Dallas WDB has the lead for the healthcare and information technology sector strategies
   and is starting an infrastructure development sector strategy; the Tarrant County WDB


   leads regional efforts for the aerospace sector strategy; and the North Central Texas WDB
   leads the transportation, distribution, and logistics (TDL) sector strategy.

   For the TDL sector strategy, the North Central Texas WDB instituted an employer
   advisory board. Based on the board’s input regarding the skilled workforce needs of the
   industry, in 2011, the North Central Texas WDB leveraged WIA Adult and Dislocated
   Worker funds and a 2010 Community-Based Job Training Grant for $2.8 million to
   partner with the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council and four area colleges to
   develop and implement training programs for certified logistics technicians and certified
   logistics associates. The training programs have received high employer support: some
   employers only hire applicants with these credentials and many refer applicants to the
   program for training. The North Central Texas WDB expanded the program with a
   combination of WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker funds and a 2012 H1-B Technical
   Skills Training grant for nearly $5 million. As a result, due to its success placing
   participants in jobs and employer-demand, the strategy has been replicated in other states
   and in Canada and Mexico.

4) Oregon Credentials, Acceleration, and Support for Employment (CASE)
   Consortium is enhancing career pathways programs, reducing barriers to student
   completion of education and training programs through using career coaches, and
   expanding credit for prior learning to accelerate student progress and support
   program. In 2011, the Clackamas Community College received a Trade Adjustment
   Assistance Community College and Career Training grant for $18.68 million to fund
   CASE. CASE members and partners include all of Oregon’s 17 community colleges,
   Work Source Centers (American Job Centers), employers, and community partners. To
   ensure alignment with other statewide initiatives, the CASE management team includes
   the state Career Pathways Director and a staff liaison from the Community Colleges and
   Workforce Development office, which is responsible for oversight of Oregon’s
   community colleges. CASE has close collaboration with the public workforce system
   that includes:

       •   establishment of intergovernmental agreements between CASE community
           colleges and the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program to improve
           services to TAA-eligible students on community college campuses and increase
           these students’ awareness of their TAA program eligibility and benefits;
       •   referrals of CASE students to Work Source Centers for appropriate employment
           services and co-location of some CASE career coaches at Work Source Centers;
       •   provision of regular updates to the state WIB; and
       •   provision of employment and earnings data for grant reporting and data analysis
           by the Oregon Employment Department to CASE.

   Also, most CASE community colleges serve as the regional training provider for their
   local WIB. The Oregon Career Pathways initiative provides technical assistance to
   CASE community colleges and helps recruit CASE participants. CASE created a
   Community of Participation for Credit for Prior Learning and contributed to a state-level


   workgroup that developed new statewide CPL guidelines which were adopted in Spring
   2014. Additionally, employers are integral partners: Each community college is required
   to develop an employer engagement plan that is appropriate for its regional economy and
   to report quarterly on the plan’s outcomes. Employers contribute to curriculum planning;
   provide on-the-job training, internship sites, job-shadowing opportunities, and mentoring;
   participate in industry tours, job fairs, classroom presentations, networking events, and
   mock interviews; and donate equipment, lab and learning space, and supplies.

5) The State of Louisiana uses labor market information and intelligence to provide
   job seekers with information about the availability of “star jobs” – jobs that are in-
   demand – in the state. Recognizing changes in the workforce needs of employers in the
   state, the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) partnered with the state Workforce
   Investment Council and the Louisiana State University to identify the industries and
   occupations projected to drive the states’ future economy. In 2011 and 2012, the LWC
   convened employers through a series of working sessions across the state to develop a
   “star system” by which to rate jobs.

   In November 2012, the LWC introduced Louisiana Star Jobs, a web-based job search and
   career exploration tool that allows job seekers and workers to find and apply for star-rated
   jobs in Louisiana. The tool ranks jobs based on four criteria: projected demand,
   projected percentage job growth, the number of advertised job openings in the past year
   and wages. The stronger the demand and growth of a particular job and the higher the
   pay, the more stars it is assigned. The system also factors potential economic impact in
   rating a job. For example, a 5-star job is in demand now and in the near future and is
   expected to have additional economic impact by attracting or creating more jobs; a 4-star
   job is in demand now and in the near future, but may not create additional jobs. The tool
   filters search results based on the job seeker’s specific occupation or career interests,
   educational background, and income requirements. It connects job seekers directly to the
   job posting or links them to education and training institutions near their location that
   offer the credentials needed to qualify for those jobs.

   The LWC continues to collaborate with the Governor’s Office, the Louisiana Economic
   Development agency, the Louisiana Department of Education, state legislature, and local
   WIBs to align the state’s education and workforce programs prepare the state’s residents
   for jobs with the most stars. For example, local WIBs focus their career advisement and
   training funds on 4- and 5-star jobs. Also, in June 2014, the Louisiana state legislature
   passed and Governor Jindal signed House Bill 1033, Workforce and Innovation for a
   Stronger Economy Fund (WISE Fund), which will provide $40 million to incentivize
   innovation in education and training for in-demand industries and occupations based on
   the star system.

Attachment 3: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2014/TEGL_3-14_Attachment_C_Acc.pdf

ATTACHMENT C

LETTER TO GOVERNORS and LETTER TO MAYORS

                                           July 24, 2014

Dear Governor:

We are encouraged by the consistent pace of job gains and strong evidence of economic
recovery. Despite recent employment growth, too many individuals are out of work for too long,
some individuals who do have a job are having difficulty advancing, and many businesses are
faced with a shortage of workers with the right skills applying for the jobs that they want to fill.
Our Federally funded job training and education programs play an important role in bridging
gaps between the current skills in the workforce and those needed for available jobs. To help
more Americans acquire the skills they need to find a pathway into middle class jobs, we
continue to work with a sense of urgency to improve the Federal training and education system
and begin implementation of the new Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act.

Taking the first step to ensure that Federal training and education program resources are
effectively aligned to help workers advance and enable businesses to hire skilled workers, the
Vice President of the United States, together with our Departments, has carried out a
Government-wide review of Federal job training and education programs. This review led to the
development of a job-driven checklist to apply strategies for job-driven training consistently
across Federal programs. The checklist consists of seven elements that were identified from
evidence-based and promising practices for strengthening the workforce to meet the needs of
employers and connecting workers with good jobs. Each Federal agency has used the checklist
to review its competitive and formula job training grants and related programs, and identified
initial steps they will take to better integrate the elements in the checklist into their competitive
and formula grants. We will also be incorporating the experience of the review into our thinking
and planning as we work with the states and localities on implementing the new law.

To the maximum extent possible, elements of the checklist will be incorporated into our
competitive grant programs in the coming year, and we hope that this sparks training programs
across the country to become more job-driven. Each of our Departments is prioritizing the
promotion and implementation of the job-driven training elements in other ways.

For example, a central job-driven training element is employer engagement; the Departments of
Labor and Education will begin working with employer-led workforce investment boards and
other stakeholders to identify an approach to measuring business engagement. Measuring
business engagement and taking steps to improve business services will increase satisfaction
among business customers and help workforce investment boards to develop training programs
that better serve job seekers. The Department of Commerce is integrating the job-driven
checklist into its new guidelines for Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies that are

developed by regional economic development organizations. The Department of Education will
leverage its grants to train vocational rehabilitation counselors, encouraging universities to offer
courses that help counselors develop better relationships with employers.

Additionally, in an effort to help states and localities better link and coordinate education and
training services in ways that enable workers to attain industry-recognized credentials, and
ultimately, employment, the Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services
have joined together around a common definition and framework of career pathways. A national
meeting will be convened this September to further inform strategic technical assistance and
investments that encourage public-private partnerships to expand state-level career pathways.

Together, we believe these seven elements support a more integrated, effective, and job-driven
workforce and training system and work in conjunction with the vision of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act to promote and invest in effective training and education
opportunities. We recognize that many states, local areas, and tribal communities already
implement training strategies that reflect many or all of these elements. We applaud those efforts
and your future actions to continue to drive what works. We strongly encourage you to use the
attached checklist when implementing workforce and training programs in your state, and hope
that reviewing this checklist can spark some new ideas and approaches to implementing job-
driven programs.

As a valued partner in efforts to help Americans secure a place in the middle class, we ask for
your continued leadership in supporting a job-driven approach to training. Moving forward, we
will continue to strengthen the role of these job-driven elements in the Federal workforce and
training system. To support you in implementing the job-driven checklist, our agencies will be
issuing guidance shortly that will include suggestions on how to increase the presence of these
elements in the design and delivery of programming. We look forward to working with you and
other state partners to advance a job-driven training approach that expands job opportunities for
every American.

Sincerely,


Thomas E. Perez /s/                                           Penny Pritzker /s/
Secretary of Labor                                            Secretary of Commerce


Sylvia M. Burwell /s/                                         Arne Duncan /s/
Secretary of Health and Human Services                        Secretary of Education


Enclosure: Job-Driven Training Checklist

                       CHECKLIST FOR JOB-DRIVEN TRAINING


  design
   Work up-front with employers to determine local or regional hiring needs and
          training programs that are responsive to those needs

Engaging employers, employer associations, and labor organizations in the design and delivery
of education and training can help ensure that such programs meet current and future hiring
needs and will likely result in employment for participating job seekers.

Concrete examples include:
   • Providing industry with a leadership role, for example through an employer-led
      workforce investment board or other coordinating board, such as an industry association,
      to set strategic direction and to help coordinate and connect programs and program
      activities.
   • Engaging business and industry to identify skills, define skills and competencies, design
      programs, and develop curriculum.
          o May take the form of consulting directly with businesses or with associations or
               other intermediaries (possibly organized by sector) that have the active
               involvement of businesses and expertise in training.
   • Securing employer commitments that will add value to the program, such as:
          o Providing work-based learning opportunities—for example, through on-the-job
               training or Registered Apprenticeships.
          o Providing up-to-date, accessible equipment and technology as well as the
               instructors to help participants with various learning styles master the required
               new skills.
          o Making commitments to hire graduates from training programs.
   • Collaborating with employers and credentialing agencies in developing industry-
      recognized credentials and validating their labor market value.


         Offer work-based learning opportunities with employers—including on-the-job
        training, internships, and pre-apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeship as
         training paths to employment

Work-based learning enables participants to gain or enhance their skills while employed or while
engaged in an experience that is similar to employment. Work-based learning can result in
workers getting hired and earning a salary more quickly while receiving support for ongoing
educational and career advancement.

Concrete examples include:
   • Internships (paid) or other summer or year-round employment opportunities, and paid
      work experience.
   • On-the-job training, which is training conducted by an employer and occurs while an
      individual is engaged in productive work.

   •   Registered Apprenticeships (possibly combined with pre-apprenticeships), which are
       “earn while you learn” training models that combine job-related technical instruction
       with structured on-the-job learning experiences.
   •   Job shadowing experiences, which may occur even prior to training to ensure that the
       nature of the work and the work environment are a good fit for the prospective trainee.
   •   Incumbent worker programs, particularly those that provide training for current low-
       skilled or low-wage employees that give them access to more advanced positions.
   •   Transitional jobs, which provide short-term work experience along with appropriate
       supportive services for hard-to-employ individuals.
   •   Career academies, a school-within-a-high school model with strong employer
       partnerships that integrate academics with an occupational curriculum.


          Make better use of data to drive accountability, inform what programs are
         offered and what is taught, and offer user-friendly information for job seekers to
          choose what programs and pathways work for them and are likely to result in a
          job

Timely, reliable, and readily accessible labor market information, in conjunction with program
outcomes, should be used to inform the focus of programs and to guide jobseekers in choosing
the types of employment or fields of study, training, and credentials to pursue. Labor market
information includes current and projected local, regional, State, and national labor markets, such
as the number and types of available jobs, future demand, job characteristics, and training and
skills requirements, and the composition, characteristics, and skills of the labor supply.

Concrete examples include:
   • Using job openings and employment projections data to strategically identify employer
      partners.
   • Using job openings, projections, and wage data to tailor job training offerings.
   • Using labor market projections and characteristics of regional labor market or program
      participants to conduct skill gap analyses.
  • Providing information about current and projected job openings and wages to participants
      to inform their decisions about which programs to enter.
   • Informing small or medium-sized businesses about industry and occupational trends and
      wages.


  Measure and evaluate employment and earnings outcomes
Programs should measure employment and earnings outcomes and make sure they are easily
understood by prospective participants, employers, and other current or potential stakeholders.

Concrete examples include:
   • Providing outcome data for Federal programs to the public. For example, Department of
      Labor programs use a set of common employment-related measures, which include


       employment rates, earnings, and retention, and make the aggregate results available on
       the Department’s website.
   •   Making Federal performance data on education and training programs by provider
       publicly available to individuals and employers.
   •   Presenting data on outcomes by training provider to individuals as they review training
       options with career counselors.
   •   Using real-time data to continuously improve program outcomes.
   •   Evaluating a program to determine whether it is effective.


          Promote a seamless progression from one educational stepping stone to another,
         and across work-based training and education, so individuals’ efforts result in
          progress

Training programs should be part of a continuum of education and training leading to credential
attainment, good jobs, increased earnings, and career advancement.

Concrete examples include:
   • Implementing programs that fit on “career pathways” with a clear sequence of education
      and training that result in skills and credentials aligned with the needs of the industry
      sector, with multiple entry and exit points leading to good jobs and meaningful careers.
   • Aligning the program with and leveraging other public (Federal, State, or local) or private
      education and training program resources.
   • Integrating foundational skills education and training with occupational skills training,
      with an emphasis on contextualized learning.
   • Creating articulation agreements among high schools, community and technical colleges,
      and four year colleges, so that students can continue a program of study seamlessly.
   • Providing sector-specific training to high school students, either on-site or through an
      employer, coupled where possible with college credits from the local community college.
   • Enabling Registered Apprenticeship graduates to receive college credit for prior learning
      during the apprenticeship program.


          Break down barriers to accessing job-driven training and hiring for any
         American who is willing to work, including access to supportive services and
          relevant guidance

Programs should include career assistance and supportive services, consistent with the program’s
governing statute and appropriations authority, as needed to enable an individual to participate in
and complete education and training activities and secure employment.

Concrete examples include:
   • Career counseling and job coaching.
   • Transportation to/from training or work-based learning.
   • Assistance with finding and affording quality child care or family care.
   • Housing assistance.

   •   Providing people with disabilities with information on assistance services that are
       available to help them contribute in the workplace (e.g., readers for individuals who have
       low vision or are blind; interpreters for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing; note-
       takers for individuals with mobility disabilities, etc.).
   •   Workplace flexibility strategies (time, place, tasks) for individuals with multiple barriers
       to employment, including individuals with disabilities.
   •   Supported employment programs for individuals with significant disabilities.
   •   Other supportive services, including food assistance, services that help participants have
       criminal records expunged, and substance abuse and mental health treatment.


 
          Create regional collaborations among American Job Centers, education
          institutions, labor, and nonprofits

Effective programs often leverage a variety of resources, both financial and in-kind, from other
partners to deliver the best services possible and to expand the reach of those services to address
needs of both individuals and employers. This can be particularly valuable for programs that
serve individuals with multiple barriers to employment. To avoid duplication of effort and
identify potential sources of such leverage, training programs should consider partnerships with
or within the public workforce system (including the American Job Centers—formerly known as
One-Stop Career Centers—and State and local Workforce Investment Boards), vocational
rehabilitation agencies, human services agencies, higher education institutions, veterans service
organizations, labor organizations, philanthropic organizations, business-related and other non-
profit organizations, and community- and faith-based organizations. Any partnership and
leveraging of funds must be consistent with the program’s governing statute and appropriations
authority.

Concrete examples include:
   • Seeking input from an advisory or governing board made up of representatives from
      these entities that informs and makes decisions about training and training-related
      programs.
   • Identifying public and private funds or resources that can, where permissible, support the
      delivery of the program, including staff to coordinate with partnership organizations.
   • Coordinating wrap-around and supportive services for participants with other resources
      from public and privately-funded training, training-related, or social and community
      services programs.
   • Aligning the program with other public and private education and training program
      resources.


                                           July 24, 2014

Dear Mayor:

We are encouraged by the consistent pace of job gains and strong evidence of economic
recovery. Despite recent employment growth, too many individuals are out of work for too long,
some individuals who do have a job are having difficulty advancing, and many businesses are
faced with a shortage of workers with the right skills applying for the jobs that they want to fill.
Our Federally funded job training and education programs play an important role in bridging
gaps between the current skills in the workforce and those needed for available jobs. To help
more Americans acquire the skills they need to find a pathway into middle class jobs, we
continue to work with a sense of urgency to improve the Federal training and education system
and begin implementation of the new Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act.

Taking the first step to ensure that Federal training and education program resources are
effectively aligned to help workers advance and enable businesses to hire skilled workers, the
Vice President of the United States, together with our Departments, has carried out a
Government-wide review of Federal job training and education programs. This review led to the
development of a job-driven checklist to apply strategies for job-driven training consistently
across Federal programs. The checklist consists of seven elements that were identified from
evidence-based and promising practices for strengthening the workforce to meet the needs of
employers and connecting workers with good jobs. Each Federal agency has used the checklist
to review its competitive and formula job training grants and related programs, and identified
initial steps they will take to better integrate the elements in the checklist into their competitive
and formula grants. We will also be incorporating the experience of the review into our thinking
and planning as we work with the states and localities on implementing the new law.

To the maximum extent possible, elements of the checklist will be incorporated into our
competitive grant programs in the coming year, and we hope that this sparks training programs
across the country to become more job-driven. Each of our Departments is prioritizing the
promotion and implementation of the job-driven training elements in other ways.

For example, a central job-driven training element is employer engagement; the Departments of
Labor and Education will begin working with employer-led workforce investment boards and
other stakeholders to identify an approach to measuring business engagement. Measuring
business engagement and taking steps to improve business services will increase satisfaction
among business customers and help workforce investment boards to develop training programs
that better serve job seekers. The Department of Commerce is integrating the job-driven

checklist into its new guidelines for Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies that are
developed by regional economic development organizations. The Department of Education will
leverage its grants to train vocational rehabilitation counselors, encouraging universities to offer
courses that help counselors develop better relationships with employers.

Additionally, in an effort to help states and localities better link and coordinate education and
training services in ways that enable workers to attain industry-recognized credentials, and
ultimately, employment, the Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services
have joined together around a common definition and framework of career pathways. A national
meeting will be convened this September to further inform strategic technical assistance and
investments that encourage public-private partnerships to expand state-level career pathways.

Together, we believe these seven elements support a more integrated, effective, and job-driven
workforce and training system and work in conjunction with the vision of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act to promote and invest in effective training and education
opportunities. We recognize that many states, local areas, and tribal communities already
implement training strategies that reflect many or all of these elements. We applaud those efforts
and your future actions to continue to drive what works. We strongly encourage you to use the
attached checklist when implementing workforce and training programs in your state, and hope
that reviewing this checklist can spark some new ideas and approaches to implementing job-
driven programs.

As a valued partner in efforts to help Americans secure a place in the middle class, we ask for
your continued leadership in supporting a job-driven approach to training. Moving forward, we
will continue to strengthen the role of these job-driven elements in the Federal workforce and
training system. To support you in implementing the job-driven checklist, our agencies will be
issuing guidance shortly that will include suggestions on how to increase the presence of these
elements in the design and delivery of programming. We look forward to working with you and
other state partners to advance a job-driven training approach that expands job opportunities for
every American.

Sincerely,


Thomas E. Perez /s/                                           Penny Pritzker /s/
Secretary of Labor                                            Secretary of Commerce


Sylvia M. Burwell /s/                                         Arne Duncan /s/
Secretary of Health and Human Services                        Secretary of Education


Enclosure: Job-Driven Training Checklist

                       CHECKLIST FOR JOB-DRIVEN TRAINING


  design
   Work up-front with employers to determine local or regional hiring needs and
          training programs that are responsive to those needs

Engaging employers, employer associations, and labor organizations in the design and delivery
of education and training can help ensure that such programs meet current and future hiring
needs and will likely result in employment for participating job seekers.

Concrete examples include:
   • Providing industry with a leadership role, for example through an employer-led
      workforce investment board or other coordinating board, such as an industry association,
      to set strategic direction and to help coordinate and connect programs and program
      activities.
   • Engaging business and industry to identify skills, define skills and competencies, design
      programs, and develop curriculum.
          o May take the form of consulting directly with businesses or with associations or
               other intermediaries (possibly organized by sector) that have the active
               involvement of businesses and expertise in training.
   • Securing employer commitments that will add value to the program, such as:
          o Providing work-based learning opportunities—for example, through on-the-job
               training or Registered Apprenticeships.
          o Providing up-to-date, accessible equipment and technology as well as the
               instructors to help participants with various learning styles master the required
               new skills.
          o Making commitments to hire graduates from training programs.
   • Collaborating with employers and credentialing agencies in developing industry-
      recognized credentials and validating their labor market value.


         Offer work-based learning opportunities with employers—including on-the-job
        training, internships, and pre-apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeship as
         training paths to employment

Work-based learning enables participants to gain or enhance their skills while employed or while
engaged in an experience that is similar to employment. Work-based learning can result in
workers getting hired and earning a salary more quickly while receiving support for ongoing
educational and career advancement.

Concrete examples include:
   • Internships (paid) or other summer or year-round employment opportunities, and paid
      work experience.
   • On-the-job training, which is training conducted by an employer and occurs while an
      individual is engaged in productive work.

   •   Registered Apprenticeships (possibly combined with pre-apprenticeships), which are
       “earn while you learn” training models that combine job-related technical instruction
       with structured on-the-job learning experiences.
   •   Job shadowing experiences, which may occur even prior to training to ensure that the
       nature of the work and the work environment are a good fit for the prospective trainee.
   •   Incumbent worker programs, particularly those that provide training for current low-
       skilled or low-wage employees that give them access to more advanced positions.
   •   Transitional jobs, which provide short-term work experience along with appropriate
       supportive services for hard-to-employ individuals.
   •   Career academies, a school-within-a-high school model with strong employer
       partnerships that integrate academics with an occupational curriculum.


          Make better use of data to drive accountability, inform what programs are
         offered and what is taught, and offer user-friendly information for job seekers to
          choose what programs and pathways work for them and are likely to result in a
          job

Timely, reliable, and readily accessible labor market information, in conjunction with program
outcomes, should be used to inform the focus of programs and to guide jobseekers in choosing
the types of employment or fields of study, training, and credentials to pursue. Labor market
information includes current and projected local, regional, State, and national labor markets, such
as the number and types of available jobs, future demand, job characteristics, and training and
skills requirements, and the composition, characteristics, and skills of the labor supply.

Concrete examples include:
   • Using job openings and employment projections data to strategically identify employer
      partners.
   • Using job openings, projections, and wage data to tailor job training offerings.
   • Using labor market projections and characteristics of regional labor market or program
      participants to conduct skill gap analyses.
  • Providing information about current and projected job openings and wages to participants
      to inform their decisions about which programs to enter.
   • Informing small or medium-sized businesses about industry and occupational trends and
      wages.


  Measure and evaluate employment and earnings outcomes
Programs should measure employment and earnings outcomes and make sure they are easily
understood by prospective participants, employers, and other current or potential stakeholders.

Concrete examples include:
   • Providing outcome data for Federal programs to the public. For example, Department of
      Labor programs use a set of common employment-related measures, which include


       employment rates, earnings, and retention, and make the aggregate results available on
       the Department’s website.
   •   Making Federal performance data on education and training programs by provider
       publicly available to individuals and employers.
   •   Presenting data on outcomes by training provider to individuals as they review training
       options with career counselors.
   •   Using real-time data to continuously improve program outcomes.
   •   Evaluating a program to determine whether it is effective.


          Promote a seamless progression from one educational stepping stone to another,
         and across work-based training and education, so individuals’ efforts result in
          progress

Training programs should be part of a continuum of education and training leading to credential
attainment, good jobs, increased earnings, and career advancement.

Concrete examples include:
   • Implementing programs that fit on “career pathways” with a clear sequence of education
      and training that result in skills and credentials aligned with the needs of the industry
      sector, with multiple entry and exit points leading to good jobs and meaningful careers.
   • Aligning the program with and leveraging other public (Federal, State, or local) or private
      education and training program resources.
   • Integrating foundational skills education and training with occupational skills training,
      with an emphasis on contextualized learning.
   • Creating articulation agreements among high schools, community and technical colleges,
      and four year colleges, so that students can continue a program of study seamlessly.
   • Providing sector-specific training to high school students, either on-site or through an
      employer, coupled where possible with college credits from the local community college.
   • Enabling Registered Apprenticeship graduates to receive college credit for prior learning
      during the apprenticeship program.


          Break down barriers to accessing job-driven training and hiring for any
         American who is willing to work, including access to supportive services and
          relevant guidance

Programs should include career assistance and supportive services, consistent with the program’s
governing statute and appropriations authority, as needed to enable an individual to participate in
and complete education and training activities and secure employment.

Concrete examples include:
   • Career counseling and job coaching.
   • Transportation to/from training or work-based learning.
   • Assistance with finding and affording quality child care or family care.
   • Housing assistance.

   •   Providing people with disabilities with information on assistance services that are
       available to help them contribute in the workplace (e.g., readers for individuals who have
       low vision or are blind; interpreters for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing; note-
       takers for individuals with mobility disabilities, etc.).
   •   Workplace flexibility strategies (time, place, tasks) for individuals with multiple barriers
       to employment, including individuals with disabilities.
   •   Supported employment programs for individuals with significant disabilities.
   •   Other supportive services, including food assistance, services that help participants have
       criminal records expunged, and substance abuse and mental health treatment.


 
          Create regional collaborations among American Job Centers, education
          institutions, labor, and nonprofits

Effective programs often leverage a variety of resources, both financial and in-kind, from other
partners to deliver the best services possible and to expand the reach of those services to address
needs of both individuals and employers. This can be particularly valuable for programs that
serve individuals with multiple barriers to employment. To avoid duplication of effort and
identify potential sources of such leverage, training programs should consider partnerships with
or within the public workforce system (including the American Job Centers—formerly known as
One-Stop Career Centers—and State and local Workforce Investment Boards), vocational
rehabilitation agencies, human services agencies, higher education institutions, veterans service
organizations, labor organizations, philanthropic organizations, business-related and other non-
profit organizations, and community- and faith-based organizations. Any partnership and
leveraging of funds must be consistent with the program’s governing statute and appropriations
authority.

Concrete examples include:
   • Seeking input from an advisory or governing board made up of representatives from
      these entities that informs and makes decisions about training and training-related
      programs.
   • Identifying public and private funds or resources that can, where permissible, support the
      delivery of the program, including staff to coordinate with partnership organizations.
   • Coordinating wrap-around and supportive services for participants with other resources
      from public and privately-funded training, training-related, or social and community
      services programs.
   • Aligning the program with other public and private education and training program
      resources.