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Idaho PYs 2016-2017

WIOA State Plan Common Elements

Located in:
  • III. Operational Planning Elements
    The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an Operational Planning Elements section that support the State’s strategy and the system-wide vision described in Section II.(c) above. Unless otherwise noted, all Operational Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs. This section must include—
    • a. State Strategy Implementation
      The Unified or Combined State Plan must include—
      • 2. Implementation of State Strategy
        Describe how the lead State agency with responsibility for the administration of each core program or a Combined Plan partner program included in this plan will implement the State’s Strategies identified in Section II(c). above. This must include a description of—

III. a. 2. I. Coordinating with Economic Development Strategies.

Describe how the activities identified in (A) will be coordinated with economic development entities, strategies and activities in the State.

Current Narrative:

(I) Coordinating with Economic Development Strategies

Describe how the activities identified in (A) will be coordinated with economic development entities, strategies, and activities in the State.

The Idaho Workforce Development Council includes the Director of the Department of Commerce and many council members serve on regional economic development boards. In particular, the economic development agency East–Central Idaho Planning and Development Association, also known as The Development Company, is an integral partner with the Workforce Development Council as it officially represents the eastern Idaho local area.

  • Strategy: Target key industries using a sector strategy

When the sector strategies initiative was launched, economic development staff from the Department of Commerce joined with Department of Labor staff to jointly identify the target sectors in the state. The Department of Commerce focuses on the exact same sectors as the Department of Labor, with the addition of the Tourism industry.

Idaho Department of Labor Business Solutions Specialists work hand–in–hand with Department of Commerce Business Attraction Specialists in identifying resources for promoting the targeted industry sectors in Idaho.

The aforementioned Workforce Development Training Fund is jointly supervised by the Directors of the Department of Labor and the Department of Commerce with the Workforce Development Council providing oversight. The fund has primarily been used as an economic development incentive tool in the past. However, the Workforce Development Council has seen fit to shift its focus to enhancing workforce development.

The Workforce Development Training Fund has been revamped to connect employers, education, and economic development. Grants have been offered to sector–partnerships to increase the talent pipeline for in–demand occupations. Sector partnerships with a minimum of three employers and an educational or training entity apply for grant funds for specific occupational training. The employers must contribute a minimum match component for a percentage of the grant funds.

  • Strategy: Support a comprehensive education system for all students K–16+ that includes rigorous school–based learning and relevant work–based learning.

The Workforce Development Training Fund sector partnership grants have been used to increase the qualified labor force for a variety of occupations in targeted industry sectors. Many of the funds have directly fortified the post–secondary education opportunities in the state. Some examples include: doubling the capacity of the computer science program at Boise State University, providing state of the art medical equipment to Idaho State University, and training incumbent workers with more technical skills to receive a license in log scaling.

  • Strategy: Serving rural communities

Again the Workforce Development Training Fund has been used to distribute “microgrants” to local areas in need of workforce development assistance. The grants were created with rural communities in mind. The purpose of the grants is to help ease the workforce shortages in rural areas.

  • Strategy: Connecting with youth

The Workforce Development Training Fund also facilitated the “Choose Idaho” initiative. This idea was launched to encourage young people to return to Idaho. Many youth are educated outside the state of Idaho and do not readily return. The “Choose Idaho” solicited out–of–state job seekers, particularly former residents, to look for work in the Gem State. Employment services staff—who were specially trained in recruiting—worked to link these job seekers to employers with occupations in targeted industry sectors.