WIOA State Plan Common Elements

CORE PROGRAM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES(A) KANSASWORKS (Adult, Dislocated Worker & Youth {Title I}; Wagner-Peyser {Wagner-Peyser Act, as amended by Title III))KANSASWORKS includes Titles IB and III of WIOA, as carried out by the Kansas Department of Commerce (Commerce) and local workforce development operators. Traditional workforce training and case management services are provided through KANSASWORKS . Services have been provided to individuals based on their eligibility for services, priority of services and available resources. Labor Exchange and other Wagner–Peyser services have been provided by state staff, co-located in workforce centers and in conjunction with Veteran’s programs, community services and other state services. (B) Adult Education and Literacy Program (Title II) Kansas Adult Education programs provide instruction and student support services to adults who lack a high school credential or secondary level skills, or who are not proficient in English. Below is an overview of the strengths and weakness of Adult Education services in terms of state performance, state policies and procedures, and local programs. (C) Vocational Rehabilitation (Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by Title IV) The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program provides a wide range of services to empower Kansans with disabilities to achieve their goals for employment, independent living and self–reliance. COMBINED STATE PLAN PARTNER PROGRAMS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES(A) Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers Programs (Activities authorized under chapter 2 of Title II of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2271 et seq.)) Workforce development activities for TAA are managed at the state level in the Kansas Department of Commerce with services disseminated through KANSASWORKS Job Centers. Kansans who have lost their jobs as a result of foreign trade are assisted by provision of services afforded to all employers and job seekers in addition to job training, income support, job search and relocation allowances, a tax credit to help pay the costs of health insurance, and a wage supplement to certain reemployed trade-affected workers 50 years of age and older.

To be eligible, a TAA petition must be filed with the U.S. Department of Labor for certification. The TAA petition may be filed by: (a) three or more workers; (b) employer’s representative; (c) unions; (d) one-stop operators or partners; or (e) the state dislocated workers unit. TAA petitions are investigated by the federal government to determine eligibility for certification. Once the petition has been certified by DOL, the laid-off workers is eligible for TAA services. (B) Jobs for Veterans State Grants Program (Programs authorized under 38, U.S.C. 4100 et. seq.) Veteran workforce development activities are handled in partnership with Kansas Commission on Veterans’ Affairs. The Commission operates the KanVet website (KanVet.ks.gov), which provides direct access to State of Kansas veteran-specific resources and benefits without having to navigate multiple state agency websites. The KanSERVE program assists veterans in finding available civilian jobs and training utilizing occupational specialty codes. Employment services for veterans and the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP) are administered through KANSASWORKS . Staff are strategically placed in KANSASWORKS American Job Centers aimed at meeting the needs of all veterans with significant barriers to employment. WIOA partners trained in case management will assess and serve veterans at all local workforce center locations. Kansas has integrated all DVOP specialists into the AJC’s system through assignment to a Workforce Center. Veterans are initially identified by a front desk member. An assessment to identify any significant barriers to preventing employment (SBE) is conducted. Veterans with SBE’s are referred to a DVOP. Those who do not have SBE’s are provided services through the workforce center staff. Despite the determination of SBE status, all veterans remain entitled to, and do receive Veteran Priority of Service. Local workforce development boards provide priority job placement and training activities to veterans. Plans on how services are provided are located in the State Policy narrative and in local workforce board WIOA plans. These plans include: how available resources (WIOA, Wagner–Peyser and others) are pooled to provide core and intensive services; processes to accomplish intake, assessment, registration and follow–up services; a description of mediated and non–mediated services; how veterans are provided priority in placement services and activities; and detailed description of how case management services are provided to veterans. All workforce centers have an integrated, business services function responsible for connecting local employers to the local One–Stop system. In addition, Kansas has developed a coordinated intake and information system through KANSASWORKS .com, the statewide job search and case management system to facilitate the provision of services to veterans. Educational opportunities are promoted through counseling services to veterans. Commerce and Regents coordinate education and training activities to increase postsecondary capacity for job driven training programs. Additionally, LWDBs provide real–time intelligence regarding skill gaps and projected skill needs. American Job Center staff will provide job search and placement services for veterans including counseling, testing, occupational and labor market information, and skill evaluations such as WorkReady!, to help veterans make educated and up–to–date decisions about their training and employment needs. Veterans will be introduced to America’s Career InfoNet, O–Net, and other local resources that offer career exploration, education and job tools such as the following to help them make career decisions: (C) Senior Community Service Employment Program (Programs authorized under Title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3056 et seq.)) Kansas State SCSEP is operated in seven counties in south central Kansas: Butler, Cowley, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Sumner and Sedgwick. The local LWIB, Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas, provides SCSEP services through its workforce centers, creating an excellent opportunity for SCSEP participants to access all available KANSASWORKS services. KWSB has codified the inclusion of older workers as a priority population for all KANSASWORKS services. With the implementation of WIOA, strategic coordination of the Core Partners will result in an investment in skill development of SCSEP participants. Services from WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker Workforce Development, VR, Adult Education and Wagner–Peyser can be utilized to streamline services for SCSEP participants. WIOA as implemented in Kansas ultimately assures participants will be able to access all services for which they are eligible through all WIOA Core Partners. As it was prior to WIOA, SCSEP is truly another program of KANSASWORKS where customers are provided with the same services as any other eligible job seeker. (D) Career and Technical Education (Perkins), Community Services Block Grant, Indian and Native American programs, HUD Employment and Training programs, Job Corps, National Farmworker Jobs program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) (unless the Governor determines TANF will not be a required partner, Unemployment Compensation programs, and YouthBuild Referrals to and from these partners are provided through the core, combined state plan, and required partners of the public workforce system. All participants referred to the public workforce system receive the same range of services for which they are eligible as described in Section VI Requirements for Core Programs.