WIOA State Plan Common Elements

In alignment with the goals and strategies outlined in Section II.B., Indiana has identified specific action steps where core and partner programs play a significant role in achieving successful outcomes over the next four years. 

Governor’s Workforce Cabinet (GWC) 

In 2024, the governor’s office announced the launch of a statewide workforce development campaign, One Stop to Start, with the goal of connecting Hoosiers with existing workforce and job-related training programs and resources. It includes an online navigation system for Hoosiers and employers, offering low-barrier, one-on-one assistance for both through a team of dedicated navigators (https://onestoptostart.in.gov/). The overall goal of One Stop to Start is to ensure Hoosiers have awareness of good job opportunities and access to the programs that can get them on the path to realizing a high-wage career. Examples include accessing tuition-free certification in high-demand sectors, becoming an apprentice or engaged in a work-based learning programs, accessing college financial aid, supporting marginalized population groups who have been historically excluded in the labor market including English language learners, adult learners without a high school degree, individuals who are disabled, or justice-involved, those in need of earning a high school diploma or equivalency, and more. In addition, the site serves to connect employers with business services resources available through State and Federal grant programs, WorkOne business services functions, and skilled talent recruitment from veterans, justice-involved and vocational rehabilitation programs and via the community college systems.  

The campaign will be led by the GWC and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, in partnership with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD), Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE), the Indiana Department of Corrections, Ivy Tech Community College, and Vincennes University. The initiative will also connect to Indiana’s Next Level Jobs Program (NLJ).  

The GWC will continue to serve as lead convener for workforce and talent development across the State. In doing so, the GWC will engage State workforce and education partners, including representatives of business & industry and community- and faith-based organizations, etc. to identify areas for stronger coordination so that jobseekers have access to high quality, accessible training, and supportive services (food, transportation, clothing, childcare, shelter, translation services, etc.), and employers have a constant pipeline of skilled talent without barriers to employment. 

Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) 

DWD oversees five of the six WIOA core programs: Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth, Adult Education & Family Literacy, and Employment Service/Wagner Peyser. As such, DWD will have a lead role in implementing Indiana’s strategic vision. In 2023, DWD established agency goals and Workforce Operations objectives that align with the Pillars and Goals set forth in this Plan. DWD will continue to fund core program required activities and will strategically design complementary activities from a variety of funding streams to carry out or support the Plan’s key action steps.  

DWD prioritizes alignment across partners, programs, and funding streams. DWD will continue to emphasize the importance of such alignment in the implementation of the State’s workforce development strategies. The examples below exhibit this alignment, both in current projects and in projects that will be operationalized under this Plan. 

As discussed in II.b.: 

QUEST Dislocated Worker Grant. DWD was awarded $10.8M in Quality Jobs, Equity, Strategy, and Training (QUEST) Dislocated Worker Grant funding in 2022. DWD has utilized this funding to support multiple initiatives, including: 

• Development and implementation of the Workforce Recommendation Engine (WRE, now known as PIVOT) 

• Piloting an alternative funding strategy for participant enrollment to support improved outcomes related to co-enrollment between Title I and Title II programs 

• Partnerships outside of WIOA Core to ensure successful outreach and marketing 

• Focus on building pathways and engaging participants and employers in priority industries, such as infrastructure and the care economy 

Indiana’s work with the QUEST DWG demonstrates effective cross-collaboration between multiple programs and partners, including Title I, Title II, Unemployment Insurance, local workforce development areas (LWDAs), and employers. Work in this area also contributes to the State’s goals and strategies related to harnessing opportunities through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (including the Broadband Equity Access & Deployment Program), the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act to increase talent development for the care giver economy, creating career pathway models for critical need sectors, and many of the other strategies outlined in II.b.  

Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Expansion. Through cross-agency partnership between DWD and the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), Indiana plans to expand JAG from 125 to 250 programs by the 2024-2025 school year. FSSA will invest over $23.1 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grants to support the expansion. Additionally, FSSA’s Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services Vocational Rehabilitation program, in partnership with DWD, will continue to contribute federal funding to support JAG students with disabilities.  

For several years, DWD’s WIOA Youth program has operated under the flexibility afforded by the out-of-school youth (OSY) expenditure waiver, which has helped strengthen drop-out prevention strategies, such as JAG, for in-school youth with significant barriers to graduation. WIOA Youth and JAG programs have significant overlap, with aligned performance goals to achieve positive outcomes with a focus on credential attainment and placement in higher education or training, employment, or military service. Indiana seeks to continue its implementation of waiver flexibility during PY24 and PY25, to support: 

• Implementation of evidence-based programs and strategies 

• Progress toward closing the economic inequity gap 

• Placing more Hoosier youth on the path to high-wage skills 

• Increasing college readiness 

Alignment of DWD’s WIOA Youth and JAG programming, along with FSSA’s partnership, allows Indiana to proactively decrease the number of out-of-school youth, while simultaneously increasing the number of youth who enter the workforce and/or post­ secondary education. 

Systems Alignment and Integration. DWD will continue to analyze the structure and function of its various systems to support alignment and integration. Significant progress has been made in systems alignment across programs through the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, where WIOA Titles I, II, III, and IV have common access to track employer engagements. System integrations have also occurred between DWD’s Unemployment Insurance and CRM systems for targeting outreach and tracking referrals. DWD will continue to explore opportunities and projects that will support the State’s strategies toward systems alignment and integration. For example, DWD anticipates utilizing QUEST DWG funds to continue progress with the WRE, as well as to fund an Application Programming Interface (API) between the Title I and III case management system and the Title II Adult Basic Education systems. The API will assist with measuring existing co-enrollment and identifying opportunities for co-enrollment. Integration will also align data sources for more efficient access and analysis.  

Digital Equity. DWD will assist with various strategies to support the State’s digital equity goals. Some resources are already funded and available for use across core partners, such as the WIN Career Readiness System’s digital literacy course modules paid for by DWD’s Title II program. WIN is currently available to DWD programs (including core programs Titles I, II, and III), and can also be utilized by the LWDAs. Title II providers are available to support jobseekers in digital skill development. WIN is available to jobseekers and includes a digital literacy assessment and curriculum that could be utilized by other partners to assess and strengthen digital literacy. DWD will explore additional tools to support the State’s strategy related to standardization of digital literacy assessments. Some of Indiana’s LWDAs already utilize certain other digital assessments to help identify skill deficiencies for WIOA participants, but these assessments are not required or standardized across programs. DWD will also collaborate with the GWC and CHE to support digital workforce readiness across industries through targeted use of Next Level Jobs (NLJ) Employer Training Grant (ETG) and Workforce Ready Grant (WRG) programming. Additionally, DWD was a member of Indiana’s Digital Equity Taskforce, which created the first digital equity (DE) plan for Indiana. DWD will align work and activities to support implementation of the DE Plan’s recommendations. Further, through DWD’s work with the QUEST DWG and other partner collaborations, such as the Indiana Broadband Office, DWD will assist with digital equity work in the broadband space as funds come to the State. 

Removing Barriers. Through coordination of funding streams, alignment in service delivery, and targeted use of funds, DWD will support the State’s goals in removing barriers for workers. Indiana Adult Education, for example, now covers high school equivalency (HSE) testing fees for students enrolled in adult education programs, eliminating the barrier HSE testing fees impose on adult learners. This began as a pilot project during the pandemic in PY 2020. The response was so great that it was, and will be, continued in subsequent years using the non-match State adult education allocation, exhibiting coordination between Federal and State funding through complementary service approaches. The Workforce Education Initiative (WEI) is another example of continuing coordination and alignment. Many individuals who need adult education services must make the difficult choice between earning an income and returning to school. Through WEI, funding is made available to adult education providers to offer classes at employer work sites. 

DWD will also target funding to remove barriers through the ETG and WRG programs (under the Next Level Jobs initiative). This targeted funding will support the State’s goals in multiple areas, such as digital workforce readiness discussed above. Another area DWD will target is talent development in the care giver economy. For example, Indiana intends to expand ETG and WRG program options to include childcare training options. DWD, through collaboration with the GWC and FSSA, will pilot this expansion by adjusting its program offerings and preparing its systems to promote and track promotion of childcare occupations. Through alignment with WIOA core programs and the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL), programs like ETG and WRG often lead to comprehensive talent strategies throughout Indiana’s workforce system. The result is more aligned service delivery for both participants and employers.  

Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship. DWD will continue to align initiatives to address employer talent needs and develop career pathways for workers in high growth sectors through continued ETG and WRG funding opportunities. DWD will continue to encourage the use of ETG funds toward State Earn and Learn (SEAL), pre-apprenticeship, and Registered Apprenticeship (RAP) programs. These models create a training system based on employer needs that prepares a skilled workforce for career pathways in high growth sectors. The Indiana Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeships (OWBLA) will also continue coordination of a partner network that supports and provides work-based learning programs, amplifying the impact of the workforce system through strategic collaboration and marketing. OWBLA manages and implements U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeship funding. Through this funding, OWBLA provides resources and encourages co-enrollment and braided funding opportunities to serve more individuals as they enter strong career pathways. 

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VR) 

In partnership with DWD, FSSA will continue to enhance collaboration opportunities to improve employment outcomes for Hoosiers with disabilities. This includes increased opportunity to serve students with disabilities through the JAG program by expanding the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between VR and DWD, refining the role of VR WIOA Navigators in workforce regions to support individuals with disabilities more fully in accessing all workforce programs, and continuing to develop cross-training opportunities with staff. Several VR initiatives – including provider performance incentive payments implemented in July 2023 and a shift in VR Counselor roles to identify dedicated VR Counselors to work with participants enrolled in postsecondary training – align directly with strategies outlined in this plan. Several goals and strategies outlined in the VR section of the State Plan are strategically aligned with overall goals and strategies (e.g., increasing postsecondary enrollment for VR participants, providing increased opportunity for work-based learning, increased engagement of eligible individuals in the VR program, and targeted outreach to students with disabilities to enroll more students in VR services).