Basic Career Services

Basic Career Services include the following:

• Determinations of whether the individual is eligible to receive assistance from the adult, dislocated worker, or youth programs.

• Outreach, intake (including worker profiling), and orientation to information and other services available through the local workforce system.

• Initial assessment of skill levels including literacy, numeracy, and English language proficiency, as well as aptitudes, abilities (including skills gaps), and supportive service needs.

• Labor exchange services, including the following:

  • Job search and placement assistance, and, when needed by an individual, career counseling, including the provision of information on in-demand industry sectors and occupations and on nontraditional employment.

  • Appropriate recruitment of other business services on behalf of employers, including information and referrals to specialized business services not traditionally offered through the local workforce system

• Provision of referrals to and coordination of activities with other programs and services, including those within the one-stop delivery system and, when appropriate, other workforce development programs.

• Provision of workforce and labor market employment statistics information, including the provision of accurate information relating to local, regional, and national labor market areas, including the following:

  • Job vacancy listings in labor market areas.

  • Information on job skills necessary to obtain the vacant jobs listed.

  • Information relating to local occupations in demand and the earnings, skill requirements, and opportunities for advancement for those jobs.

• Provision of performance information and program cost information on eligible providers of training services by program and type of providers.

• Provision of information, in usable and understandable formats and languages, about how the Board is performing on local performance accountability measures, as well as any additional performance information relating to the area’s local workforce system.

• Provision of information relating to the availability of supportive services or assistance, and appropriate referrals to those services and assistance, including (1) child care, (2) child support, (3) medical or child health assistance available through the state’s Medicaid program and Children’s Health Insurance Program, (4) benefits under the SNAP, (5) assistance through the earned income tax credit, (6) housing counseling and assistance services sponsored through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, (7) and assistance under a state TANF program, and other supportive services and transportation provided through that program.

• Assistance in establishing eligibility for programs of financial aid assistance for training and education programs not provided under WIOA.

Individualized Career Services

Individualized career services must be made available if determined to be appropriate in order for an individual to obtain or retain employment. These consist of the following:

• Comprehensive and specialized assessments of the skill levels and service needs of adults and dislocated workers, which may include the following:

  • Diagnostic testing and use of other assessment tools.

  • In-depth interviewing and evaluation to identify employment barriers and appropriate employment goals.

• Development of an individual employment plan to identify the employment goals, appropriate achievement objectives, and appropriate combination of services for the participant to achieve his or her employment goals, including the list of local eligible training providers.

• Individual counseling and career planning.

• Short-term pre-vocational services, including the development of learning skills, communication skills, interviewing skills, punctuality, personal maintenance skills, and professional conduct to prepare individuals for unsubsidized employment or training.

• Internships and work experiences that are linked to careers.

• Workforce preparation activities such as:

  • Financial literacy services.

  • Out-of-area job search assistance and relocation assistance.

  • English language acquisition and integrated education and training programs.

Supportive Services

Supportive services are provided to address a participant’s needs or barriers as identified during the initial and ongoing individual assessment process and may include services that are necessary to enable an individual to participate in activities authorized under WIOA Title I. Supportive services are only to be provided when they are determined necessary, reasonable, and allowable.

• The following is a list of allowable WIOA-funded supportive services. This list is not intended to be an exhaustive or exclusive list of allowable services:

  • Transportation expenses such as bus tickets, bus passes, gas, and/or auto repairs.

  • Childcare.

  • Housing expenses such as rent and mortgage payments, or utilities.

  • Medical and prescription services including eyeglasses.

  • Items necessary for training and employment-related activities such as, but not limited to:

    • Uniforms or professional attire

    • Hygiene, including haircuts

    • Books, fees, school supplies, and other necessary items for students enrolled in training

    • Tools required for training or employment

    • Licenses or permits

    • Payments and fees for employment and training-related applications, tests and certifications, and/or professional memberships.

  • Reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

  • Out-of-state job search and relocation to a new job.

  • Other resources that are necessary for the participant to achieve their training and employment goals.

Follow-Up Services

Follow-up services must be made available, as appropriate - including counseling regarding the workplace - for participants in adult or dislocated worker activities who are placed in unsubsidized employment for a minimum of 12 months after the first day of employment.

• Examples of Follow-Up Services:

  • Counseling about the workplace.

  • Contacting the individual or employer to verify employment

    • Prior to contacting an employer to verify employment, the Service Provider must obtain a consent form signed by the participant authorizing the Service Provider to contact the participant's new employer.

  • Help secure better-paying jobs, career planning, or counseling.

  • Resolving work-related problems.

  • Providing information about educational or employment opportunities.

  • Referral to other community services.

  • Follow-up services must include more than simply a contact for securing documentation in order to report a performance outcome.

  *Supportive services are NOT allowed in follow-up for Adults and Dislocated Workers.