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a. 2. A. Provide State policies or guidance for the statewide workforce development system and for use of State funds for workforce investment activities

Current Narrative:

The Idaho Workforce Development Council, functioning as both Idaho’s State and Local board, continually updates statewide policy to for use by all WIOA service providers. All statewide policies for Governance, WIOA Title IB, and One-Stop System reside on the Council’s website - https://www.labor.idaho.gov/dnn/WIOA/Law-and-Policies

The general statewide service policies are provided below and linked here -https://www.labor.idaho.gov/wioa1/policies/Statewide-Service.pdf.  

Statewide Service Policies for WIOA Title IB Service Provision

(i) Residency

WIOA adult, youth and dislocated worker career and training services will be limited to residents of the state of Idaho. Residents of other states who wish to receive WIOA career and training services will first be referred to the One Stop/American Job Center in their home state to obtain resources for services. First priority will be given to Idaho residents who are eligible for career and training services. In instances where a home state denies services to an out-of-state resident, the Idaho One Stop/American Job Center may consider enrollment of the individual if it is in the best interest of the state of Idaho and no qualifying Idaho residents are denied access to services as a result.

(ii) Priority

In the provision of WIOA services, veterans’ priority will be followed in accordance with 38 USC Chapter 41, 20 CFR 1001.100 and PL 107-288.  Priority will also be given to low-income individuals with barriers to employment.  Additionally, priority for individualized and training services in the adult program will be provided to individuals who are basic skills deficient, which may include referral to Title II programs.

(iii)Participant follow-up

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act requires that Title I Youth, Adult and Dislocated Worker participants receive follow-up services for not less than 12 months.  For the duration of the 12-month follow-up period, a minimum of one contact with each exiter who received career or training services from a WIOA program (adult, dislocated worker or youth) is required per quarter. Appropriate supportive services are allowable for youth during the follow-up period.  

(iv)Work Experience Activity

The participation hours for this activity are limited to ensure participants are engaged in learning basic work maturity skills such as attendance, following directions and wearing appropriate attire as opposed to receiving occupational skill training. Work Experience activities take place in a public, private for-profit or non-profit workplace for a limited period, generally not exceeding 520 hours. All participants enrolled in the Work Experience activity may receive a wage equivalent to the Federal Minimum wage, or an hourly wage similar to that offered at the work site to individuals with comparable experience, not to exceed $11/hour. Participants are provided with Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) and workers compensation coverage while participating in this activity.

(v) Internship Activity

All participants enrolled in the Internship activity are to receive an hourly wage at least equivalent to the state or federal minimum wage, whichever is higher. The wage may be higher depending on the participant’s prior training/work experience and the hourly wage offered at the worksite to individuals with comparable training/work experience. (250-hour limitation)

(vi) Out of Area Job Search Activity Limitations

This service is designed to assist adults and dislocated workers in seeking employment in areas outside of their normal commuting distance.  Career planners may authorize multiple job searches for a single client.

Out of Area Job Search - Each out of area job search is limited to 90 percent of allowable and actual costs up to $600.

Out of Area Job Search Cash Advance - A job search cash advance is limited to 50 percent of estimated costs not to exceed $300.

(vii) Relocation Assistance Activity Limitations

Relocation assistance is designed to enable participants to receive financial assistance toward the cost of relocating themselves and their family to a labor market outside of their normal commuting distance.

Relocation - Relocation assistance is limited to 90 percent of allowable and actual costs not to exceed $4,000.

Relocation Cash Advance - A cash advance for relocation is limited to 50 percent of the estimated costs for the trip, or $750, whichever is lower.

(viii) Individual Training Account (ITA)

The ITA is established on behalf of an adult, dislocated worker or youth participant when purchasing any occupational training services (tuition and books), from an eligible training provider selected in consultation with the career planner from the State-maintained WIOA Eligible Training Provider list. No monetary limitations on ITAs as staff will ensure that each ITA cost is reasonable and necessary. Career planners will continue to adhere to the WIOA requirement to document coordination of financial assistance with training providers, including Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and scholarships where applicable. The Workforce Development Council will be updating its ETP policy to include further direction on ITAs in PY2020.

(ix) Needs-Related Payments

Needs-related payments are payments that are necessary to enable an individual to participate in training services for adults and dislocated workers.  However, because of limited WIOA funding, the needs-related payment option has been eliminated.

(x) Incentives and Bonuses

A stand-alone youth policy since 7/13/2017 - https://www.labor.idaho.gov/wioa1/policies/youth-program-incentives.pdf. The Workforce Development Council will be reviewing this policy and updating it in PY2020 if needed.

(xi) Policy on Self-sufficiency

An employed adult shall be considered self-sufficient if the family income exceeds 155 percent of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Lower Living Standard Income Level (LLSIL) guidelines. A reemployed dislocated worker shall be considered self-sufficient if he/she is employed in a permanent position that pays at least 90 percent of the qualifying layoff wage.

(xii) Dislocated Worker Eligibility

(aa) Timeline - Three years will be established as the timeframe from which the layoff, termination or ending of self-employment occurred for dislocated worker eligibility purposes.

(bb) Unlikely to Return - Four weeks of unemployed time shall be used to substantiate “unlikely to return” to the previous industry or occupation. The four weeks of unemployed time can be waived if the career planner can verify/document that the registrant is unlikely to return to a previous industry or occupation.

(cc) Duration Sufficient to Demonstrate Attachment to the Workforce - Applicants must provide evidence that they have been employed full-time (30 hours or more per week) in the same or similar occupation for at least one year out of the last three years immediately prior to registration, or they must otherwise demonstrate that they have had substantial attachment to the same or similar occupation for at least one year. The term “substantial” is based on calculating the fulltime equivalency of work history. “Fulltime” is defined as 30 hours per week at a minimum, which calculates to 1,560 hours worked per year. This definition of full-time employment is also applicable to Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Re-Employment Trade Adjustment Assistance (RTAA) programs, which ensures consistency among state administered workforce programs.

(dd) Substantial Layoff - The state uses the following definition from the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act of 1988:

Any reduction in force which is not the result of a plant closing and which results in an employment loss at a single site of employment during any 30 day period of: a) at least 500 employees (excluding employees regularly working less than 20 hours per week) or b) at least 50 employees (excluding employees regularly working less than 20 hours per week) and at least 33 percent of the regular full-time workforce (excluding employees regularly working less than 20 hours per week).

(ee) Terminated/Laid off - “Terminated/laid-off” refers only to involuntary discharge not for cause, and precludes enrollment of those individuals who were discharged for cause. Individuals may qualify as having been “laid off or terminated” when the cognizant Unemployment Insurance (UI) entity has adjudicated the case and determined that the decision to quit the job was warranted. In those instances where the applicant receives formal notification of monetary ineligibility for UI, the career planner may apply the rationale of “discharge not for cause” using information received from the employer regarding the individual’s separation.

(ff) General Announcement - A verifiable form of communication from the employer, authorized representative or designee, informing the public or the employees of the business closure or substantial layoff, which includes a planned closure date for the facility, is required.

(gg) Self-Employed - An individual who was self-employed (including but not limited to employment as a farmer, a rancher or a fisherman) or was a contributing family member in a self-employment endeavor, but is unemployed due to business downturn or failure which occurred as a result of general economic conditions in the community in which the individual resides or because of natural disasters.

(ii) Governor’s Group - Individuals laid off or terminated due to natural disaster or severe economic downturn, as defined and approved by the Governor or his designated representative.