WIOA State Plan Common Elements

A) The State’s Workforce Development Activities

Overview:

The ARIZONA@WORK system is a partnership between state and local agencies and organizations including, but not limited to the Council, ACA, OEO, DES, ADE, and the Governor-designated Local Workforce Development Areas (LWDAs) and networks. The Core programs are administered by: ADE (Title II) and DES (Titles I, III, and IV). The Council, with the core programs and other partners, assist the Governor to set the vision for the ARIZONA@WORK system as set out in the State plan. The LWDBs drive that vision through alignment within their local plans, engagement with local business, education, and workforce partners, based on local and regional needs and resources.

Primary components of the workforce system include its governance, innovative services to exceed individuals’ and employers’ expectations, coordination between and with partner organizations, and ensuring accountability and continuous improvement through ongoing evaluation. The workforce development activities discussed below highlight fundamental activities completed within the ARIZONA@WORK system. Responsibilities of required ARIZONA@WORK core partners can be found in the capacity section.

Governance:

Governance is led by the Council, established in 2015, as the State’s workforce development board. Many of the Council members participate in other statewide councils (such as the Arizona Manufacturers Council, Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Arizona Association of General Contractors, the Arizona Insurance Institute, Aerospace and Defense Commission), which provides additional insight and input to execute their role on the Council. A subcommittee of the Council oversees the drafting of administrative policies on behalf of the ARIZONA@WORK system, including local governance structure, service integration, service provider selection, job center certification, Memorandum of Understanding/Infrastructure Funding Agreement (MOU/IFA), monitoring, and conflict of interest.  These policies are posted on the ARIZONA@WORK website at:

www.arizonaatwork.com/about/workforce-arizona-council/policies-reports.

Arizona has additional groups that advise different ARIZONA@WORK program areas, including: (1) the Arizona Apprenticeship Advisory Committee, which provides advice and guidance to the Arizona Registered Apprenticeship Program to support LWDBs to increase apprenticeship opportunities; and (2) the Arizona State Rehabilitation Council, which advises, evaluates, and partners with the State’s vocational rehabilitation program.

In 2019, the Council revised the local governance and selection of provider policies, the Council also created a conflict of interest policy to provide further guidance on the requirements for LWDB and Chief Elected Official (CEO) roles and responsibilities. This policy addresses internal firewalls for the different roles various entities undertake for administration of the 12 LWDAs.

Services to Employers:

Businesses are central to the ARIZONA@WORK system, driving economic growth and ensuring a job-driven workforce. The LWDBs and their service providers assist businesses by matching job openings with skilled workers, listing employment opportunities in Arizona Job Connection (AJC), Arizona’s web-based job-matching and labor market information system, and referring qualified job seekers to these jobs.  ARIZONA@WORK Business Services staff provide public, public–limited, and private access to employer information based on the request of the employer, allowing the ability to avail the job opening(s) to all job seekers or provide a customized match for the employer. Employers also have the ability to utilize ARIZONA@WORK as the sole source of recruitment needs and receive only qualified referrals.

Initial and ongoing meetings with employers establish the communication to help determine what jobs are in demand in an LWDA, the types of training and credentials that individuals need to be qualified for these positions, development of career pathways, and identification of sector strategies, leading to a job–driven workforce system. When these collaborative environments are developed, strengthened, and aligned, they lead to enhanced services and matching effectiveness. When employers become more familiar with the services, their interest in providing opportunities for job seekers expands into participation in work–based training models, such as on–the–job training, customized training, and apprenticeship opportunities.

Arizona’s business services model is focused on consulting with businesses and providing value added services and solutions to meet the business’ needs. This is accomplished by ARIZONA@WORK business services teams from across the state who aim to work collaboratively and strategically as workforce system partners to support statewide and local strategies and goals.  Business services teams provide a wide array of supportive services to employers, including:

• Outreach to employers to meet the needs of applicant pools;
• Conducting on-site meetings with employers to assess their needs and develop a strategy;
• Developing comprehensive job announcements that clearly illustrate needed qualifications, educational and experience requirements;
• Plan, support, promote, and manage the logistics of customized recruitment events to meet employer demand;
• Applicant screening to match job seekers who meet specific skill requirements;
• Informing employers of career and training services such as On-the-Job Training programs, Incumbent Worker Training programs, Customized Training programs, industry and sector strategies and career pathways initiatives;
• Promoting Apprenticeship opportunities and provide assistance to become a registered program;
• Providing current and tailored labor market Information based on industry trends;
• Advocating the hiring of Veterans and promote the benefits to the employer;
• Educating employers on workforce solutions such as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, Federal Bonding, and candidate pool availability;
• Supporting businesses and affected workers through Rapid Response activities;
• Coordinating for companies to hold meetings, provide training, conduct orientations, or schedule interviews at job centers;
• Consistent communication and follow up with employers to facilitate the relationship building process;
• Supporting the navigation of business services provided by ARIZONA@WORK and other entities;
• Establishing work-based learning models;
• Utilizing Integrated Education and Training programs to fill identified vacancies; and
• Participating in sector partnerships and industry led projects.

Services to Individuals:

Services are provided for adults, dislocated workers, and youth; individuals with disabilities; English language learners and adult education students; actively engage Veterans and other priority and special populations (as defined in WIOA). Workforce services provided to individuals based on individual qualifications include:

• Outreach, intake and orientation to information and other services available through the ARIZONA@WORK one-stop system;
• Determination of services an individual is eligible to receive;
• Assistance developing an individualized employment plan;
• Initial assessment of skill levels as conducted by each program (e.g., Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) participants receive additional psychological or medical evaluation to ascertain a diagnosis, vocational testing to assess aptitudes and skills, assessment to determine assistive technology needs, and trial work experiences to evaluate an individual’s capacity to perform in competitive and integrated employment settings);
• Provision of information on potential employment options based on labor market information including: (i) nontraditional employment options and In-Demand industry sectors and occupations; (ii) Job vacancy listings in labor market areas; (iii) Information on job skills necessary to obtain the vacant jobs listed; and (iv) Achievable employment goals based on the knowledge, skills, abilities, capabilities, and interests of the individual;
• Provision of performance information and program cost information on eligible providers of training;
• Information regarding how the LWDA is performing on local performance accountability measures, as well as any additional performance information related to the local ARIZONA@WORK system;
• Group and/or individual counseling and mentoring;
• Career planning;
• Case management;
• Short-term pre-vocational services;
• Financial literacy services;
• Out-of-area job search assistance and relocation assistance;
• Availability of supportive services or other programs providing assistance;
• Referrals for employment and/or other services; and
• Follow up services.

A core piece of services to individuals is the education and training provided to qualified individuals. This may include support obtaining:

• Work-based learning (on-the-job training, apprenticeships, incumbent worker training, customized training, etc.);
• Work Experience (e.g. internships, pre-apprenticeships, etc.);
• Training to obtain In-Demand Occupations with industry recognized credentials;
• Adult education and literacy courses (English language acquisition and integrated education and training programs);
• Career and Technical Education (CTE); and
• Integrated education and training programs.

Specific Services for Youth:

Title I-B Youth Program supports youth to obtain employment in a career pathway, or enrollment in postsecondary education or a Registered Apprenticeship, prior to the end of participation. The program provides services to youth with barriers to employment, with a targeted focus on supporting the educational and career success of out-of-school youth.

The program ensures the availability for all eligible youth, the 14 elements required in WIOA and provides, as appropriate:

• Linkages and referrals to supportive services;
• Interaction with classroom and on-site training staff;
• Interaction with other professionals or family members having influence with the youth;
• Performance coaching/counseling;
• Comprehensive guidance counseling;
• Follow-up and supportive services;
• Through interaction with the participant, identify and assist to resolve issues and challenges that may impede progress and success;
• Links to appropriate professionals and/or supporting resources; and
• Development of Individual Service Strategy (ISS) with goals, progress, and goal attainment development.

Title IV offers a specific set of job readiness services, Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), to all students with documented disabilities who are between the ages of 14 and 22 and enrolled in an educational program. These services are intended to help students with disabilities prepare for future employment; are short in duration; and include job exploration, work-based learning experiences, counseling on postsecondary training opportunities, work readiness training, and instruction in self-advocacy.

For more information about the services to individuals provided by the core programs, please see the policy guidance below.

Title I: https://des.az.gov/services/employment/workforce-innovation-opportunity-act/policy-and-procedure-manual-workforce

Title II: https://cms.azed.gov/home/GetDocumentFile?id=5da73ec203e2b308508fb751

Title III: https://az.des.gov/services/employment/job-seekers/employment-service

Title IV: https://des.az.gov/services/employment/rehabilitation-services/additional-rehabilitation-resources

Coordination with Other Programs:

State-level coordination across programs is implemented by ADE and DES, who together administer ten education and employment programs: Career and Technical Education, Community Service Block Grants (CSBG), Jobs for Veterans State Grants, Migrant Seasonal Farmworkers (MSFW), Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), State Office of Apprenticeship, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Jobs, Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), and Unemployment Insurance. Additionally, the State coordinates with programs outside the Unified State Plan, such as DES’ (i) Child Support Services, where processes are implemented to assist and connect child support participants to employment and training resources, (ii) Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), to coordinate employment services for individuals co-enrolled in VR, and (iii) Child Care Administration, which connects parents receiving child care subsidies to employment opportunities through a referral process.

The co-location of programs, as well as, regular monthly meetings which include ARIZONA@WORK partners, increases the State’s ability to leverage resources and coordinate as a system. 

Through the LWDB’s MOUs, services are coordinated across local partners, including Job Corps, the National Farmworkers Jobs Program, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, local Native American programs, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training. Examples of local coordination include the following:

• MSFW programs operate in LWDAs with extensive agricultural needs. These areas have stronger utilization of and partnerships with the MSFW program and affiliate programs, such as the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP), to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families achieve economic self-sufficiency by offering supportive services to them while they work in agriculture or by helping them to acquire new skills for jobs offering better pay.
• Inclusion of the Jobs Program, Arizona’s mandatory employment and training program for work-eligible individuals, generally adults in households receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Cash Assistance. The Governor’s Office in Arizona approved allowing this partner at the local level if approved by the LWDB. (e.g., the Pinal County Workforce Development Board prioritized this partnership and voted to include the Jobs Program as a required ARIZONA@WORK Pinal County partner.)
• Arizona’s reentry initiative supports a growing incarcerated population and provides supports and services to justice-involved youth and adults. These efforts provide employment and education services, while assisting to remove barriers facing this population in order to be successful after release from incarceration.

See LWDB local plans for additional information at: https://arizonaatwork.com/about/local-boards

B) The Strengths and Weaknesses of Workforce Development Activities

ARIZONA@WORK identified strengths and weaknesses pertaining to the workforce development activities by surveying state and local partners on system-wide performance in four goal areas. This information was reviewed by Council and LWDB members, core program representatives, and other ARIZONA@WORK partners including representatives from the ADE’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) office and ACA. The workgroup also reviewed highlights on the special populations identified in the economic analysis. The following strengths and weaknesses were determined to be the most important to focus efforts over the next four years.

Goal 1- Promote a Strong Economy

Build Arizona's capacity to attract, retain, and grow thriving businesses

• Strengths
  • Utilize partnerships between core partners, ACA/OEO, and LWDBs
  • Common focus to support In-Demand Industries

• Weaknesses
  • Lack of effective, extensive engagement strategy
  • Insufficient coordination between workforce and economic development efforts

Goal 2- Support Business Needs

Serve Arizona job creators by understanding, anticipating and helping them meet workforce needs

• Strength
  • Current sector strategies and related education to individuals to support employer needs
• Weakness
  • Lack of coordinated, consistent business support efforts across the state

Goal 3- Prepare job seekers: defend against poverty

Prepare and match job seekers to a job creator for a successful career that provides amply

• Strength
  • Efforts to support participants as early as possible to obtain core employment and basic skills services
• Weaknesses
  • Lack of statewide model for career pathways
  • Insufficient service integration across partners making it harder to support individuals with barriers

Goal 4 - Protect Taxpayers by providing efficient, accountable government services

Accelerate measurable impact and performance for less cost

• Strength
  • Standards and expectations of delivery system (unified support of four target areas
• Weaknesses
  • Inconsistent and/or limited co-enrollment across ARIZONA@WORK programs

  • Data system and reporting improvements needed by ARIZONA@WORK partners

    • Insufficient interoperability of data systems across ARIZONA@WORK programs

    • Insufficient data reporting to enable data driven decisions that support continuous improvement (e.g. reporting the employment success rate in education and training provided)

C. State Workforce Development Capacity.

To implement WIOA requirements and strategies to meet the goals of this Plan, ARIZONA@WORK needs to identify its capacity of the teams making up the ARIZONA@WORK system. Below is a summary of the State and LWDB team’s efforts to support Arizona’s workforce system. 

Local Workforce Development Boards

The 12 LWDBs in Arizona serve as strategic conveners to promote and broker effective relationships between the Chief Local Elected Officials and economic, education, and workforce partners throughout the LWDA. The LWDBs are responsible for developing strategies to continuously improve and strengthen the workforce development system in their local areas. This includes, but is not limited to, assessing the capacity of the ARIZONA@WORK one-stop and other local partners, who together implement WIOA services in the LWDA. LWDBs conduct an assessment and describe the ARIZONA@WORK workforce development activities in their local plans.  New local plans will be developed by the LWDBs to include local capacity to implement workforce development activities after the State Plan is finalized.

In the MOUs developed with the ARIZONA@WORK partners, LWDBs describe the operation of the one-stop delivery system in the LWDA. As Arizona implements the strategies in this Plan, LWDBs will be engaged to continuously assess capacity with ARIZONA@WORK partners to implement those strategies, checking and adjusting the implementation as appropriate.

ARIZONA@WORK Business Services

Who is Served: Employers across Arizona are engaged and are provided with a tailored plan to meet their workforce needs. This includes listing available job opportunities, assisting with recruitment, and identifying talent pipelines to ensure that businesses have the necessary personnel for growth and success.

Capacity Metric(s):  

Program Description: The State business services team, which includes the Local Veterans Employment Representative's (LVER’s), works in collaboration with LWDA business teams to provide seamless engagement with employers. This cohesive business services model allows Arizona to fully leverage engagement with employers across the State and advocate for and connect businesses to a diversified candidate pipeline across ARIZONA@WORK programs.

Title I: Adult, Dislocated Workers and Youth

Who is Served: LWDBs provide Title I-B services through contracts or grants to eligible adults, dislocated workers, and youth (aged 14 to 24). Services assist individuals, particularly those with barriers to employment, to increase access to employment, retention, earnings, and attainment of recognized postsecondary credentials.

Capacity Metric(s): 

Program Description: In the Title I-B Adult Program, priority of services is provided to Veterans and covered persons receive priority of service who are: receiving public assistance, low income, or basic skills deficient.  The next priority is non-veterans who are receiving public assistance, low income, or basic skills deficient. The Title I-B Dislocated Worker Program serves individuals who have been laid off through no fault of their own or who are displaced homemakers. The Title I-B Youth services are provided to youth, 14 to 24 years of age, with 75 percent of funding focused on serving out-of-school youth.

Title II, Adult Education:

Who is Served: Adult Education students must be 16 years of age or older, not enrolled or required to be enrolled in secondary school under A.R.S. § 15-802, and basic skills deficient, lack a secondary school diploma or its equivalent, or English language learners. Additionally, adult education students must meet the eligibility requirements in A.R.S.§ 15-232 of being lawfully present in the United States.

Capacity Metric(s):

Program Description: This program provides adult education and literacy services throughout the state to assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills needed for employment and economic self-sufficiency. Program activities include classes to assist in the attainment of a secondary diploma, English language skills, basic academic skills, civics engagement, workforce preparation, and transition to postsecondary education/training through career pathways.

Title III: Wagner-Peyser Program

Who is served:  The Title III Wagner-Peyser program, also known as Employment Services, provides basic and individualized career services to job seekers and job development services to Arizona employers. Veterans and covered persons receive priority of service.

Capacity Metric(s): 

Program Description:  Employment Services seeks to improve the functioning of Arizona’s labor markets by bringing together individuals seeking employment with employers seeking workers. Employment Services, a core partner in the ARIZONA@WORK system, co-locates in job centers with other network partners across the state and align performance accountability indicators with other federal workforce programs. Basic services include skill assessment, labor market information, referrals to support service programs and job search and placement assistance. Individualized services include career and vocational counseling.

Title IV: Vocational Rehabilitation

Who is Served: The VR Program provides rehabilitation and employment services to individuals with disabilities. Students with documented disabilities in the state of Arizona who are between the ages of 14 to 22 and enrolled in an education program are able to receive a limited set of work preparation services to prepare for future employment. To be eligible for the full range of VR services, individuals must have a documented disability, the disability must present a barrier to competitive and integrated employment, and the individual must require VR services in order to achieve competitive and integrated employment.

Capacity Metric(s): 

*A participant is an individual who has an approved Individualized Plan for Employment and is receiving VR services. 

Program Description: The VR Program provides services and supports to assist individuals with disabilities to obtain, maintain, regain, or advance in competitive and integrated employment.  VR services are individualized and adapted to meet each eligible individual’s specific vocational goal and disability-related needs. Examples of services available through the VR Program include assessments for determining eligibility and rehabilitation needs, vocational guidance and counseling, job development and retention, vocational/educational training, mobility training, adjustment to disability training, and rehabilitation technology.

ARIZONA@WORK Public Information Office

The ARIZONA@WORK Public Information Office provides the following services:

• Communication: assist LWDAs with communication efforts including, material templates, content and design, promotion assistance of events and workshops, and website usage.  Materials promote ARIZONA@WORK services and events to act as reference points for customers and staff, such as flyers, banners, pamphlets, posters, postcards, etc. Digital materials include videos, newsletters, social media posts, infographics, charts, and articles promoting ARIZONA@WORK programs and successes.
• Internal and external communication: critical messages are provided to the internal network to disseminate important updates, events, and news.
• Branding: includes efforts such as the ARIZONA@WORK Style Guide to meet WIOA and State policy requirements to ensure brand consistency throughout the state.
• Social Media and Data: serving as the bridge to connect ARIZONA@WORK with the public, ARIZONA@WORK Public Information Officers (PIOs) manage the network’s social media presence and assists the LWDAs with their local social media accounts.
• ARIZONA@WORK website: manage the general website content and delegate responsibilities to LWDAs to maintain area-specific content.

ARIZONA@WORK Facebook accounts reach thousands of people across the state each week, and all combined accounts have approximately 8,500 followers. The improved ARIZONA@WORK website launched in April 2019 and is a powerful feature to distribute resource information and guide clients and prospective clients to find ARIZONA@WORK locations near them. In July 2019, the site had:

• 89,839-page views with an average time on pages 1:47.
• 31,269 sessions: 1.35 sessions per user; average duration 3:22 minutes; 2.87 pages viewed per session; and 23,186 total users (sessions equal a single visit to website. Page views equal each page loaded by a user).

Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL)

Who is served: The Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) is a resource to be used by participants in the Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Out-of-School Youth programs as mandated by the WIOA.

Capacity Metrics: The PY 2018 ETPL totals, per AJC report, shows 227 Eligible Training Providers, 438 Initial Programs[15], and 822 Subsequent Programs active on the ETPL.

Program Description: The ETPL Program consists of approved educational providers who offer training services to meet the skill and educational development need of Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Out-of-School Youth program participants, including those who are disabled and/or require VR services.  Eligible Training Provider (ETP) programs approved for the ETPL must be focused on In-Demand occupations within the LWDA they are located and must result in certification or accreditation.  Each ETP is evaluated by the LWDB ETPL approver using criteria that include the demand for occupations in the LWDA and align with the sector strategies and respective local plans.

[15] Programs are approved initially for a period of one year then are reviewed every two years for continued eligibility. Initial Programs are those in the first year of approval.