Purpose, Definitions and Eligibility: WIA


OK, I’ve been going through participant files as part of the Quality Assurance Reviews we’re doing.  I find it useful, now and again, to revisit what it is that the WIA can do and for whom.  I’ve used many different websites and policies online, picking information from sites which seem to summarize WIA purposes and definitions well. Still, it comes out pretty long.


What does the Workforce Investment Act do?

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) offers an integrated and comprehensive range of services consisting of workforce development activities benefiting job seekers—adults, dislocated workers, youth, incumbent workers, new entrants to the workforce, veterans, individuals with disabilities—and employers. WIA's objective is to meet employers' needs by increasing employment, job retention, earnings, and occupational skills among all job seeker populations.

Who is eligible for WIA services?

Job seekers must meet basic WIA eligibility requirements for WIA-funded services. To be eligible to participate in WIA Title I services, adults, dislocated workers, and youth must:

1. be 18 years of age or older (for adults - there is no specific age criterion for dislocated workers);
2. be between 14 and 21 years of age (youth);
3. be a citizen or noncitizen authorized to work in the U.S.; and
4. meet Military Selective Service registration requirements (males only).

Once basic eligibility requirements are met, an additional set of requirements must be met within each job seeker population to provide services with formula funds.

+ Adults must meet a low-income requirement unless the Local Workforce Development Board has declared unrestricted funds or established additional priority groups.

+ WIA dislocated worker services are designed to meet employer needs by helping job seekers upgrade skills, obtain employment, improve job retention, and increase earnings. The WIA dislocated worker program offers employment and training services for eligible workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own or have received an official layoff notice. To qualify for services as a dislocated worker, job seekers must satisfy the basic WIA eligibility requirements and fit in one of the following five dislocated worker categories:

1. The job seeker must meet all of the following criteria:

A. Terminated, laid off, or have received a notice of termination or layoff;
B. Unlikely to return to the previous occupation or industry; and
C. Either eligible for or have exhausted entitlement to UI compensation; or ineligible for UI compensation, but able to show an attachment to the workforce.

2. The job seeker must have been terminated, laid off, or received a notice of termination or layoff from employment as a result of:

A. Any permanent closure of a plant, facility, or enterprise;
B. A substantial layoff at a plant, facility, or enterprise.

3. The job seeker must have been self-employed (including employment as a farmer, rancher, or fisherman), and currently be unemployed as a result of:

A. General economic conditions in the community in which the job seeker lives; or
B. A natural disaster.

4. The job seeker must be employed at a facility where the employer made a public announcement that the facility will close within 180 days. The announcement must be made with both a:

A. Declaration of closure, which states a planned date of closure, to the media; and
B. documented verification to the State.

5. The job seeker must be classified as a displaced homemaker (male or female) who:

A. Provided unpaid services to family members in the home;
B. Has been dependent on the income of another family member but is no longer supported by that income; and
C. Is unemployed or underemployed and experiencing difficulty finding or upgrading employment.

+ Youth are required to meet the basic WIA eligibility requirements. Once the basic WIA eligibility requirements are met, additional requirements for WIA youth must be met. The job seeker must be:

- Between ages 14 through 21;

- A low-income individual; and

- Within one or more of the following categories:

a. Deficient in Basic Literacy Skills
b. School Dropout (youth who are homeschooled are not dropouts)
c. Homeless, Runaway, or Foster Youth
d. Pregnant or Parenting
e. Offender
f. Additional assistance needed to complete an educational program, or to secure and hold employment

Note: Male youth who turn 18 while enrolled in WIA must complete their military selective service registration 30 days prior to or 30 days after their 18th birthday to continue receiving WIA services.

In order to serve youth who do not meet the low-income requirement, up to 5 percent of youth enrolled each year may be enrolled based on one of the categories in the Special 5% Rule Eligibility Exemption for WIA youth. At Boards' discretion, youth who do not meet any of the low-income requirements may receive services under an eligibility exemption in one of the following categories:

a. School Dropout
b. Basic Skills Deficient
c. Behind Grade Level
d. Pregnant or Parenting
e. Disabled (includes learning disabilities)
f. Homeless or Runaway
g. Offender
h. Faces serious barriers to employment (as identified by Board policy)

 Federal money is being spent to provide services to these eligible WIA participants. On what is this money being spent?

To give an idea what services are available to WIA participants, I've summarized some examples of Service and Activities available for eligible dislocated workers (DW) in a National Emergency Grant (NEG):

Employment-based services:

One responsibility for WIA 1B Staff is to help NEG eligible dislocated workers (DW) look for employment opportunities.  Participants can access and use resource room materials, such as computers, faxes and telephones, to assist them in finding work.  Staff may help DW with job searches in many ways; they may help, for example, with referrals to job postings and assist and instruct on the use of job listing sites and job boards.  NEG registrants may attend Job Search Workshops that will help them write resumes and prepare for interviews as well as improve their ability to complete different types of applications and cover letters.  NEG registered job seekers also may be eligible for authorized support service activities that may include, but are not limited to, Child/Family Care, Transportation Assistance, Health/Medical Care and Housing/ Temporary Shelter.  Support services are provided only to those individuals that are unable to obtain support services through other programs providing such services.

Skills Development and Enhancement:

NEG registrants also may engage in activities designed to improve their basic job readiness and workforce skills.  Resources, instruction, workshops and/or assistance may be provided to eligible individuals in support of acquisition of additional occupational or basic academic and literacy skills necessary to secure, retain or advance in employment.  For example, participants who are preparing for testing for GED or HS Diploma receive instruction and encouragement.  There may be instruction in English language skills for limited English proficiency participants. Staff may assist participants with developing a work experience.  Work experiences are planned, structured learning experiences that take place in a workplace for a limited period of time and which may be paid or unpaid, as appropriate.  Staff may help them explore career goals, the labor market, job search enhancement and training opportunities.  Class, workshop and instruction topics may include, but are not be limited to, basic computer literacy, Excel, Word ACCESS, PowerPoint, keyboarding, basic academic skill literacy, math and reading, customer service, Food Handlers Permit, Flagging Certificate, First Aid–CPR Certification, etc. Eligible participants may receive an incentive payment, such as a gift card or cash, to recognize achievement.

Training Activities and Services:

NEG eligible DW registrants may engage in many types of training designed to prepare them with the skill and knowledge to enter employment in a specific occupation or group of occupations.  Training may be provided by community colleges, private career school or other postsecondary school, technical and vocational training organizations OR in training operated by the private sector, including those operated by labor organizations or by consortia of private sector employees.  On-the-Job training opportunities may be provided to a DW by an employer under contract.  On-the-Job training is skill specific, based on employer and occupational needs as outlined in a contract.  Some participants may find training that combines classroom training, related instruction and work-experience particularly useful toward gaining the skills, knowledge and abilities to enter employment in a specific occupation or group of occupations.  Other participants may find training that provides them with the knowledge and skills to start and grow a business may be most effective for employment.  WIA Title 1B may help participants with payments for books, licensing or testing fees, supplies or tuition necessary for participation in the training.  In some situations, needs related payments that provide financial assistance to participants for the purpose of enabling individuals to participate in training may be offered.

What are allowable expenses for these services?

WIA money is meant to keep people employed, to get people employed or to train people so that they may become employed.  There needs to be assurances in place to make certain services offered to WIA participants are useful and not wasteful. This is where we start talking about the terms "allowable," "reasonable" and "necessary."  Services must be reviewed and approved based upon allowable, reasonable, and necessary criteria.

Allowable costs are those costs which are permitted, reasonable, and necessary to fulfill the functions of the Federal workforce development program.  The expenditure of WIA funds on costs that are specifically prohibited under WIA as outlined in 20 CFR 667.260-270 or in Section 195(5)(5) of the Act is not permitted.  Basically, the WIA spells out what is allowable and what is not.

In addition to being allowable, a cost must be reasonable. A cost is reasonable if, in its nature or amount, it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the cost. The question of the reasonableness of a specific cost must be scrutinized with particular care by subrecipients.  So, if a prudent person were to look at the same situation facing the entity about to spend WIA funds, would that person say "yes, spend the funds" or "no, that's too much and not reasonable"?  One way that people check to see if costs are reasonable is to compare prices of services between several vendors to ensure the services purchased are not expensive compared to other possible providers.

If the expenditure keeps the eligible person in the workforce developent program and/or helps them with employment, and there are no other funds available for this purpose, than the expenditure is necessary for the individual to participate in WIA Title I activities.  Note: Support services cannot be provided as a stand-alone service, and can only be provided to support other WIA activities like training - otherwise it is not necessary to keep the individual participating in WIA activities.

In addition, all supportive services are contingent upon the customer's satisfactory performance while participating in and completing WIA intensive or training activities as well as upon available funding. To maintain satisfactory performance, a customer who is in training must maintain good attendance and grades, and be in compliance with the other program requirements. For a participant who is participating in intensive activities, he/she must be in compliance with program requirements, including active participation and regular contact with a case manager. The WIA Program Manager may exercise authority to establish limits on amounts of funding and the length of time funding is available to the participant.

Feel elucidated?

- Monty

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