WIOA State Plan Common Elements

This section describes how the entities carrying out the respective core programs, Combined State Plan partner programs included in this plan, and required and optional one-stop partner programs will coordinate activities and resources to provide comprehensive, high-quality, customer-centered services, including supportive services to individuals including those populations identified in section II(a)(1)(B).

The primary purpose of WIOA is to “increase, for individuals in the United States, particularly those individuals with barriers to employment, access to and opportunities for employment, education, training, and support services they need to succeed in the labor market.” (WIOA Sec (2)(1)). While Idaho’s workforce programs can and do address the need for supportive services, education and training, we must also serve as advocates for the populations we serve, especially with employers.

To that end, in addition to the agency-specific activities outlined below in this section, the Combined State Plan programs, via the WIOA Advisory Group, acknowledge the need for coordinated outreach to employers regarding the benefits of hiring employees from groups who have barriers to employment. One such option will be to integrate this outreach into the “single point of contact” model discussed in Part (D) of this section.

The remaining information in this section is organized by program, similar to Parts (A) and (B) above, without the table format:

Idaho Department of Labor Programs

As stated previously, the Idaho Department of Labor is the lead state agency for administration of four of the core programs: WIOA youth, adult and dislocated worker programs and the Wagner-Peyser employment service program. The Department of Labor is also the lead agency for the following Combined State Plan partner programs: Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), Veterans Employment and Training Services (VETS), and Unemployment Insurance (UI). The department’s primary delivery model for these services is via the One-Stop system in American Job Centers.

The One-Stop system is the ideal way to provide customer-centered services to a wide variety of individuals. A robust system of referrals and cross-training provides a seamless experience for customers. Each American Job Center has a resource list of community supportive services as well as personal connections with suppliers of supportive services in their area.

Idaho’s web-based Unemployment Insurance program (iUS) uniquely coordinates activities and resources to ensure delivery of necessary services to unemployed individuals. With information, services and resources accessible virtually anywhere, Idaho’s One Stop Centers, affiliate sites and all partner locations offer full access. UI program staff, the majority of whom are located at the central Department of Labor office, provide immediate customer service through “click to chat” from the website or by phone.  Direct, in-person assistance is also available in the state’s comprehensive centers.

Robust cross-training of One-Stop system staff includes training regarding general eligibility guidelines and user training for iUS, which strengthen linkages between the One-Stop system and the UI program, and increases awareness of UI issues across core programs.

The long-term unemployed have been an area of special focus at the American Job Centers. The Wagner-Peyser employment service workforce consultants have had great success in engaging those participating in the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments (RESEA) program and other long-term unemployed individuals. Those that need special assistance with skills upgrading are referred to a WIOA career planner. Those with substantial cultural barriers, such as refugees resettled in Idaho, are often One-Stop center customers. The One-Stop centers in Boise and Twin Falls have strong relationships with the Center for Refugees and provide targeted services to those populations.

The WIOA/TAA career planners specifically work with a variety of special populations such as displaced homemakers, low-income individuals, trade-affected workers, veterans, and ex-offenders. WIOA Youth career planners prioritize serving youth with disabilities or those who have aged out of foster care. These customers are served not only by WIOA/TAA career planners, but are often co-enrolled in appropriate programs for which they are eligible. They are also referred or provided education, workforce development or supportive services as needed. Career planners work in conjunction with Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program staff to help ensure that homeless and formerly incarcerated veterans enrolled in the program receive the services they need to help spur them towards self-sustaining employment.

The Department of Labor is currently winding down its Disability Employment Initiative grant, which has facilitated in-depth training to staff on how to provide employment services to individuals with disabilities. All American Job Centers are Americans with Disabilities Act compliant.

In July 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded the Idaho Department of Labor a three-year grant for a State-Operated Job Corps Demonstration Project, transferring operational control of the Centennial Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center (Nampa, Idaho) from the U.S. Forest Service. The project provides flexibility to the state to develop and implement a customized, state-based, approach to serving Idaho Job Corps students. As the first state to take over a Job Corps site, the Idaho Department of Labor is directly responsible for project outreach, recruitment, work-based learning, and employment related services. Known as Idaho JOBCorps, the model is intended to increase access to and enrollment in education and work-based learning for out-of-school and at-risk Idaho youth by leveraging existing resources and programs to better serve Idaho youth in getting the education and training they need in high-demand fields.

Title II - Adult Education

Services to individuals under Title II are carried out locally by eligible providers. The lead agency administering Title II programs (Idaho Career & Technical Education) ensures policy alignment with other partner programs at the state level through participation on the WIOA Advisory Group. ICTE will require that local providers coordinate services at the local level and will provide guidance and technical assistance to support such efforts. Local providers are required to demonstrate capacity for and history of (1) local coordination and (2) provision of quality services to individuals, as part of the competitive application process.  Effective partnerships are pivotal to maximize resources and align services; the following examples reflect current initiatives to meet this goal:

• Adult Education staff at the College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) and Lewis-Clark State College (LCSC) are collocated at the comprehensive AJC, and participate in cross training to refer students to services provided by other WIOA core and one-stop partners.
• College of Western Idaho (CWI) staff participate in Quarterly WIOA Workgroup meetings to share program resources, referrals and updates. The adult education programs partner with the Title I WIOA Youth and Adult programs to leverage resources for maximum benefit to an individual through education, support services, and employment, and training placement.

• CWI Adult Education instructors collaborate with WIOA Youth staff to support Canyon County Juvenile Detention and Idaho JOBCorps youth with their educational goals and connections to training and employment opportunities.

Title IV - Vocational Rehabilitation

Title IV Programs in Idaho are carried out by two agencies: The Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (referred to below as “The Division”) and the Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (referred to below as “The Commission.”). This section addresses each agency separately.

Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Coordination of service provision will take place at the local area level. Local agreements are established among One-Stop partners that promote communication and include arrangements for cost sharing to enable the full utilization of external funding sources. The Division supports informational training on programs. The Division continues to support coordination and co-location with external plan agencies such as the Division of Behavioral Health, the Idaho Department of Correction and our school to work transition partners.

Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired

The coordination efforts of the Commission generally reflects those described above for the Division. In addition, the Commission will:

• Begin to work with youth at the start of high school to foster the development of ongoing transition planning and services specifically connecting School Districts throughout the State.
• Conduct assistive technology assessments with clients.
• Increase training availability, effectiveness and access for clients, including minority, and the underserved in rural communities.

Combined Partner Plan - OAA Title V - Senior Community Service Employment Program

The Idaho Commission on Aging coordinates activities with one stop partners by utilizing local Employment Training Coordinators to connect participants to local one stop programs. The Commission’s SCSEP Program Manager provides One-Stop partner information to the SCSEP local regional offices to ensure participation at the local level. Participation with the One-Stop programs is reviewed through annual monitoring reviews. The Employment Training Coordinators assess participants and utilize program and community resources to meet identified supportive service needs.

Quality of service delivery will be measured by participant annual surveys. Annual survey results are assessed and shared with the local SCSEP offices. Strategies are developed and implemented to address survey concerns.