Located in:
- III. Operational Planning Elements
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an Operational Planning Elements section that supports 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—
- 2. Implementation of State Strategy
- a. State Strategy Implementation
III. a. 2. A. Core Program Activities to Implement the State’s Strategy
Describe the activities the entities carrying out the respective core programs will fund to implement the State’s strategies. Also, describe how such activities will be aligned across the core programs and Combined State Plan partner programs included in this plan and among the entities administering the programs, including using co-enrollment and other strategies, as appropriate.
Current Narrative:
Core partner and combined plan partners are actively engaged in coordinating and implementing strategies aligned to the four key strategic goals outlined in this plan:
- Expand work-based learning: West Virginia will expand high-quality work-based learning opportunities for both youth and adult learners.
- Reduce barriers to sustainable employment: West Virginia will address the specific barriers that preclude or reduce the likelihood of stable employment for West Virginians who would otherwise be able and available to work.
- Invest in high-growth sector strategies for key industries: The state’s workforce team will prioritize three sectors where wage premiums and labor market demand create win-wins for workers and employers—surveying, consolidating, and aligning sector-strategy investments for these industries to effectively measure outcomes and prevent duplication.
- Integrate and innovate for service design and delivery: West Virginia will streamline and focus its workforce development infrastructure.
All partner programs are coalescing around these four goals to integrate services and activities so that the larger public workforce development system provides a high level of consistent services across the state no matter which partner is accessed first.
Title I Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth
Title I funding is primarily delivered through the LWDBs who are then tasked with creating the environment and processes for ensuring a No Wrong Door approach is actualized. A key area of focus is WFWV working with other state agency partners and the LWDBs to ensure that a framework of contribution and cooperation occurs to systematically support the No Wrong Door model with each partner providing leadership and contributions on the direction of the West Virginia’s workforce development system and continued evolution of what “one-stop service delivery” looks like–for both physical and virtual access to services. This includes collaborative local MOU and IFA negotiations and development, growing engagement and access of services through the American Job Centers (AJCs), flexible funding models, technology integration, and increased employer engagement.
A key aligned focus for Title I resources will be on investing to expand work-based learning. This investment strategy is combined with facilitating a better understanding of how LWDBs can be conveners in sector partnership opportunities, particularly in coordination with the Community and Technical Colleges (CTCs), which are conducting much of the sector-based training in West Virginia. By focusing laser-like on work-based training options, West Virginia can equip adult learners with the skills and experience needed to succeed in the workforce, meet employer demand for skilled workers, and drive economic growth and prosperity across the state. To support workers in work-based learning, WFWV and LWDBs will engage partners in strategic alignment and use of supportive services, particularly when participants are accessing multiple programs for services.
Title II Adult Education and Family Literacy
Title II works with state, regional, and local partners to research, develop and implement Integration Education and Training programs based on labor market in-demand occupations. Partnering with the Governor’s No Wrong Door Workforce Development initiative enables students to locate resources to reduce barriers. Adult Education guides students through education and career exploration to match skills, interests, and abilities with available education, training, and employment. Appropriate referrals are made to partners and service providers.
Title III Wagner-Peyser
To promote innovation service delivery, WFWV has implemented an online training program aimed at enhancing the knowledge base of local office staff regarding the array of services available to customers. Additionally, tailored training sessions are conducted during statewide staff meetings as needed. These initiatives are strategically designed to bolster staff proficiency in employment services and partner offerings, thereby equipping them to provide whole system support, serving as more of a generalist case manager. Subject matter experts in areas such as Unemployment Insurance (UI), the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and employment services, collaborate with core partner agencies to identify pertinent training topics. This collaborative effort ensures that training content remains relevant and aligned with the evolving needs of both staff and customers. Supportive services allowable through Wagner-Peyser funding will continue to help individuals reduce barriers to sustainable employment.
Title IV: Vocational Rehabilitation
Expand Work Based Learning:
The West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) defines a work-based learning experience (WBLE) as an educational approach or instructional methodology that uses the workplace or real work to provide participants with the knowledge and skills that will help them access future career opportunities. WBLEs benefit participants with disabilities in many ways, including providing an individual with initial or additional content for a résumé, helping to guide an individual in determining suitable employment, and frequently functioning as a starting point for a participant to begin building a network with employers and co-workers within his or her community.
While partner agencies offer similar WBLEs to their clients, DRS provides the additional guidance for individuals with disabilities to navigate the social and physical aspects of the work environment so they can navigate potential concerns (i.e., stamina, accessibility, ergonomics) to ensure their employment and job retention success.
During FFY 2023, DRS provided WBLE services to 254 individuals with disabilities. DRS anticipates the number of individuals participating in WBLEs to grow over the next four years as the DRS utilizes growth strategies to increase business engagement, community rehabilitation program (CRP) collaboration, and public awareness of the availability of this service. DRS also encourages co-enrollment in partner programs, core and otherwise while participating in WBLEs, expanding awareness of the WBLE program to people participating in other partner programs.
The DRS Employer Services Section maintains a database of each DRS-employer interaction with employment specialists. This list is distributed to field staff to potentially match a job-ready vocational rehabilitation consumer with a current job opening. Through ongoing development of positive working relationships, 47 employers (including some of the largest in the state) now send job postings directly to DRS’ Employer Services Section.
Data-Drive Sector/Industry Strategies:
To meet the workforce needs of WV employers, DRS employment specialists and rehabilitation counselors use state, regional, and local market data to ensure consumers are equipped with the necessary information to actively engage with in-demand industries in different geographical locations. Consumers also gain knowledge of what steps are required to reach those identified jobs, and Labor Market Information (LMI) is acquired through O*NET OnLine and via the WFWV dashboard.
DRS provides experiential learning opportunities to individuals with disabilities as a way of meeting West Virginia’s employment needs. DRS is attentive to the constant flow of information available that outlines in-demand employment sectors and industries, including from new businesses migrating to West Virginia. Using this information, DRS matches participants with identified employment opportunities based on their skill sets, gained knowledge, and vocational desires. DRS is a significant resource for employers needing a skilled workforce.
DRS staff are committed to collaborative connections with the Governor's office, core partners, and other partners outlined in this current state plan. Through continued connection and communication, DRS staff and consumers have access to the most up-to-date labor market information, which DRS vocational counselors use to assist individuals with securing the necessary training required to attain viable employment. Training options remain vast for DRS participants through an expansive network of training providers, including the adult education system; vocational training facilities; two-year, four-year, and graduate level education programs from colleges and universities; and curriculum provided by both DRS and community rehabilitation programs. This path provides opportunities for DRS consumers to reach occupational success and to ensure employer needs are met.
The Systemic Transition Enhancement Project (STEP 21) is a DRS initiative, developed in 2021, where DRS consumers, DRS vocational rehabilitation counselors and other staff, DRS partners, and stakeholders collaborate to expand access and opportunities for individuals with disabilities, especially students with disabilities, to participate in and succeed in education and training programs that lead to high-quality employment. STEP 21 is designed to maximize opportunities for youth with disabilities to achieve their highest potential, which will continue to improve the prime-age LFPR. The ongoing success of STEP 21 is directly linked to coordination with DRS partners including Special Education, Career Technical Education, local schools and their administrators, community service providers, and other partners as appropriate. DRS counselors are assigned to all 55 county school systems across the state to further enhance relationships and increase buy-in that will facilitate systemic change and a systematic approach to help students with disabilities maximize their potential.
Youth and students with disabilities are encouraged to enter the vocational rehabilitation program at or around the age of 14 to strengthen their participation in and understanding of career exploration activities (Pre-Employment Transition Services) and other support services to better prepare them for future training, education, and employment opportunities. To ensure DRS remains focused on early intervention, DRS has expanded the variety of services available, pushed for innovative curricula to cover all areas of job readiness, and grown into the basis of the STEP 21 framework. Also, as a function of STEP 21, DRS fosters awareness of the availability of a continuum of services to meet the various work-related needs and career goals of individuals with disabilities throughout their lifetime. STEP 21 encourages DRS and its partners to “step up” to better serve West Virginia students with disabilities, which, in turn, empowers DRS consumers to “step up” to take advantage of increased opportunities to achieve higher quality, integrated competitive employment outcomes.
Reduce Barrier to Workforce, Education, and Training:
DRS strives to focus attention on populations that have higher unemployment rates and lower earnings than the overall population. Vocational counselors work closely with consumers to discuss not only disability-related barriers to education, training, and employment, but also a myriad of other potential barriers including backgrounds as displaced homemakers; low income people of Indian, Alaskan Native, or Native Hawaiian descent; older persons; previously incarcerated people; unhoused people, including children and youth; people who have been in the foster-care system; English language learners; people with low levels of literacy; people with substantial cultural barriers; farmworkers (as defined at section 167(i) of WIOA and Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 35-14); people within two years of exhausting lifetime eligibility under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program; people who receive SSDI and/or SSI; single parents (including single pregnant women); and long-term unemployed people.
DRS vocational counselors provide consumers with a comprehensive assessment, which includes referral and funding for functional capacity evaluations, referral and funding for psychoeducational evaluations, home modification evaluations (provided by DRS), driver capability evaluations, and worksite accommodations assessments, as needed. After identifying disability-related barriers and consumer needs, the vocational counselor and the consumer determine the services needed to meet his or her employment goals. The services provided, unique to DRS, include vocational counseling and guidance; job coaching; work adjustment training; interpreter services; benefits consultation (if the individual is receiving SSI and/or SSDI); physical restoration and mental health services; diagnosis of and treatment for mental and emotional disorders by a licensed psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, or a psychologist employed by a school system; reader services; rehabilitation teaching services; orientation and mobility services for individuals who are blind; supported employment services; post-employment services necessary to assist consumers to maintain, regain, or advance in employment; occupational licenses; tools/equipment/supplies; rehabilitation technology services; telecommunications; sensory and other technological aids and devices; vehicular modifications; maintenance for additional costs incurred while participating in vocational rehabilitation services; vocational rehabilitation services to family members (an individual who either is a relative or guardian of an applicant or eligible individual or lives in the same household as an applicant or eligible individual, has a substantial interest in the wellbeing of that individual, and who requires vocational rehabilitation services to enable the applicant or eligible individual to achieve an employment outcome); and personal assistance services.
DRS focuses on assisting those who are seeking to gain or retain employment, while recognizing individuals often have other needs that may prevent long-term success in employment. Therefore, along with a comprehensive assessment, DRS vocational counselors evaluate a consumer’s needs for equitable recovery, access to transportation, and access to mental and/or physical restoration services. Based on a consumer’s needs, DRS vocational counselors collaborate and assist consumers in tandem with WFWV, WV Department of Health and Human Resources, the Senior Community Service Employment Program, Jobs for Veterans, career and technical education programs, four-year and graduate level higher education institutions, Jobs and Hope WV, Legal Aid of WV, and the Adult Education system.
Integrate, Innovate, and Align Service Delivery:
DRS provides integrated vocational rehabilitation services to West Virginians with disabilities to promote attainment of a high school education, postsecondary education, and training opportunities to increase their ability to move through meaningful career pathways. DRS counselors are trained to be knowledgeable about beneficial services offered by private service providers and agency partners so that they can describe them to consumers and make referrals, as appropriate.
Stronger partnerships and better alignment of services are necessary moving forward. Cross-training initiatives, promoting the “No Wrong Door” approach, and ensuring equitable DRS services across the state will be advantageous over the next four years and will assist in aligning service delivery in general. In terms of innovation, DRS will continue to expand upon the variety of services being offered to consumers, and the DRS will adapt their website to meet consumers’ needs by moving towards a more user-friendly composition to include a menu of services available to consumers and links to partner websites.
SCSEP
SCSEP partners with local employers to create on-the-job training (OJT) opportunities for older workers. By collaborating with businesses in various industries, SCSEP facilitates the placement of participants in OJT positions that provide hands-on training, skill development, and customized training plans. SCSEP leverages technology to enhance service delivery by implementing online platforms for participant intake, virtual training sessions, and remote support services. SCSEP is exploring remote work opportunities for participants, allowing them to engage in meaningful activities from the comfort of their homes. SCSEP continues to collaborate with community organizations, government agencies, educational institutions, and employers to co-create innovative solutions to local workforce challenges.
West Virginia’s statewide SCSEP network includes the State Grantee and one National Grantee operating in WV. Communication with this network is accomplished through email and teleconference as needed throughout the Program Year. The State Grantee is the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services, which provides a multitude of services for older Americans in West Virginia under the Older Americans Act (OAA). As the designated State Unit on Aging, the Bureau administers all OAA services throughout the fifty-five counties tailored to Older West Virginians. The Bureau maintains contracts with each of the County Aging Programs, three Statewide Aging & Disability Resource Centers and four Area Agencies on Aging. The Bureau’s mission is to be West Virginia’s premier advocate for the provision of in-home and community-based services for the state’s seniors and others served by our programs and to be a faithful steward of the federal and state monies entrusted to our care for the provision of services throughout West Virginia.
Through a Memorandum of Understanding, the SCSEP network, a mandated partner, partners with the local Workforce Investment Boards operating the American Job Center (AJC) One-Stop Centers. The mission and vision between the AJC and WV SCSEP are to empower area employers, individuals, and communities to prosper and grow the region’s economy through a workforce development system that is inherently customer-centered, seamless, and effective by adopting the No Wrong Door franchise model. The mission is to establish a workforce system that provides data-driven and employer-validated talent solutions through the integration of education, workforce, and economic development resources across the systems.
West Virginia’s American Job Centers (AJCs)One-Stops are currently located within the local Workforce centers in West Virginia. All SCSEP information is disseminated throughout the AJC for other programs and to the public. The SCSEP network will continue to work closely with the AJCs to utilize the partners’ resources tailored to SCSEP’s target audience by co-enrolling and by providing SCSEP’s program eligibility requirements, priorities, and training slots availability. SCSEP will continue to have a weekly presence at the AJC One Stop. The SCSEP network continues to require enrollment of SCSEP enrollees into the Local Workforce to ensure that enrollees are informed of employment opportunities in their areas. The network will continue to utilize all training, job postings and job fairs offered at the local AJCs and will also participate and relay information from other resources outside of the AJCs One-Stop Partners. The SCSEP network encourages enrollees who are approaching their durational limit to enroll in supplementary training programs to ensure a continuous improvement of skills. The SCSEP network encourages AJCs to become Host Agencies or consider enrollees for employment opportunities.
The SCSEP is a member of the Interagency Collaborative Team (ICT). One of the primary goals of this group is to enhance communications, maximize resource sharing and program standardization. Additionally, the Bureau sits on the WV Workforce Development Board, which is composed of key state players within the workforce arena, including legislators, members of the Governor’s Cabinet, labor leaders and corporate representatives. The main purpose of this group is to approach system-based issues.
SCSEP will continue to increase partnerships with organizations that provide resources on how to alleviate employment barriers throughout the state, such as transportation, rural location, age discrimination, fear of health care being discontinued due to program participation, fear of losing subsidized housing benefits. The Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) that contract with county aging providers continue to be utilized and researched to determine what additional employment barriers seniors in rural and urban counties might face. The Bureau will take a more active approach by reaching out to AAAs to determine additional resources and training opportunities. Faith based and community organizations are utilized to disseminate information regarding the program while reaching the most in need populations and increasing Host Sites.
West Virginia’s local SCSEP projects will continue to recruit public and non-profit organizations in the communities that are covered. Local Projects will continue to advocate for older workers through presentations, brochure dissemination, poster dissemination, job fair and community Page 526 events participation and increasing awareness of the program's vision and mission to community stakeholders. Local SCSEP projects train participants to help develop the skills and experience necessary to be competitive in the current labor markets. Due to the longevity of organizations that participate as Host Agencies, local SCSEP projects have built a rapport with current Host Agencies and past Host Agencies to consider enrollees for employment opportunities within their organization when available. These projects have established cooperative relationships with the local AJC and public and private employers as well. Coordination and co-location of services at the AJCs help to identify suitable job openings in high demand occupations. Local SCSEP projects will continue to build strong rapport with the communities they are in.
West Virginia will continue its recruitment efforts in serving and recruiting eligible minority individuals as well as other eligible individuals. SCSEP projects will continue to locate offices in culturally and ethnically diverse neighborhoods (i.e., Community Centers, Church's). The SCSEP network will continue to have a presence at events such as AJC collaborative events, Senior Centers, Senior listening meetings, the West Virginia Minority Business Expo, Juneteenth Celebration and Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs Listening Tours to target minority audiences throughout the state. SCSEP will continue to collaborate with the State’s Minority Affairs office when available. Per the United States Census, West Virginia’s 55+ Older American population during 2020 represented 41.23 % of the overall population.
SCSEP has a two-fold approach: helping Older Americans reacclimate themselves back into the workforce with the skills and training needed to be more marketable in the workforce while also helping the communities that the program operates in. The participant training hours support social services and other services provided in communities throughout the State.
West Virginia’s top occupations per the West Virginia Workforce, Labor Market Information (LMI) 10-year projections of high demand occupations that require minimum education that fit our SCSEP participants’ education and training levels include the following:
- Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity
- Customer Service Clerks
- Social and Human Service Assistants
- Community Health Workers
- Animal Caretakers
- Post-Secondary School
- Personal Care Aides
- Home Health Aides
- Rehabilitation
- Janitors
- Counter Attendants
With these projections, Host Agency (H.A.) training site recruitment will focus more on entities that will develop skills for these high demand jobs, local SCSEP projects will continue to research nonprofits, religious organizations and Government agencies in the counties that are covered to assess if there is a need. Recruitment of entities such as the West Virginia Department of Agriculture where they have programs such as Veterans and Warriors to Agriculture and Rural Rehabilitation programs that need participants will be utilized.
Recruiting of Host Agencies (H.A.) is currently accomplished by relationships with past and current H.A., rapport with the American Job Centers (AJCs), attending meetings, community events, job fairs, health fairs and presenting on behalf of SCSEP. Other avenues of recruitment include marketing campaigns, where Project Directors market SCSEP services and the skills of job ready participants to organizations. Word of mouth is also utilized to recruit host agencies.
Local SCSEP projects will continue to utilize Senior Centers, Aging & Disability Resource Centers (ADRN), OAA programs, AJCs, and one-stop partners to determine the need in the counties and will continuously refine the strategy for job development to guide employer outreach and participant readiness. The WV Statewide SCSEP network will also continue to have a virtual Page 529 training presence to utilize in the event a training site is shut down due to circumstances at hand.
CSBG
The Community Advancement and Development division (WVCAD) of the West Virginia Department of Economic Development administers the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) to 16 Community Action Agencies (CAAs) throughout the State. The program has established active partnerships to facilitate and encourage coordination between the 16 CAAs participating in the State’s CSBG program and statewide and local workforce development systems. Whereas a workforce agency provides assessment and job training, CAAs often provide funding for resume writing, job-related clothes and tools, and transportation to interviews or to a place of employment. Many CAAs help reduce barriers to employment by providing funds to assist with the cost of textbooks, licensing, testing, special employment related clothing, and other items necessary for the client to become employed after the training.
Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)
WFWV administers the TAA program for workers impacted by foreign trade. TAA and Title I Dislocated Worker programs operationalize strategic goals by coordinating and enhancing services through coordinated case management, which gives workers stronger knowledge about growing sectors, good-paying jobs, and avenues to training so they can make informed decisions about reemployment and careers.
Unemployment Insurance (UI)
The UI Program has made significant strides in managing the workload accumulated during the pandemic. Over the past year, the workload has steadily decreased due to a lower unemployment rate. However, the agency still faces challenges in clearing backlogs related to non-monetary decisions, appeals, and overpayments. To address these challenges, WFWV has adopted a two-team approach, wherein staff work simultaneously on both the backlog and current workload, ensuring that the agency can efficiently clear the backlog without compromising the timeliness of processing current claims.
While initial projections aimed to complete the backlog by early 2023, certain areas persist, such as pandemic-era non-monetary determinations and appeals. Despite these challenges, WFWV is committed to not only resolving all backlogs, but also restoring performance criteria to pre-pandemic levels. The strategic plan prioritizes the completion of backlog items and focuses on enhancing the timely delivery of all facets of the Unemployment Program.
To achieve these objectives, WFWV needs a comprehensive approach that encompasses both technological advancements and investments in human resources. The agency acknowledges that technological improvements, including modernizing the UI System and establishing call centers to address information demand, are essential. These technologies also require a skilled and dedicated workforce to use them, thus highlighting the need for effective training programs to ensure staff readiness to handle workload fluctuations and new challenges.
Furthermore, WFWV is dedicated to promoting equitable access to the UI program, particularly for underserved communities. Initiatives include utilizing equity grant funding to enhance demographic data collection, improving claimant communication and outreach, and developing a mobile application for easier access to UI benefits.
Supporting the reemployment of UI claimants is another top priority for WFWV, and, toward that end, they utilize evidence-based strategies such as the WPRS profiling model and Job Search Assistance. The agency is also incorporating online virtual experiences to enhance participation in reemployment services.
In addition to these initiatives, WFWV actively addresses issues related to fraud prevention, federal reporting compliance, worker misclassification, and staff retention. The agency has established specialized units, implemented training programs, and leveraged partnerships to improve performance across various functional areas.
Looking ahead, WFWV remains committed to achieving its mission critical goal of maintaining an Unemployment Program characterized by high performance and excellent customer service. By fostering a skilled workforce, embracing technological advancements, and implementing strategic initiatives, the agency aims to adapt to future challenges and deliver efficient and effective services to the citizens of West Virginia.
Jobs for Veterans State Grant (JVSG)
In West Virginia, JVSG staff including Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists and Local Veterans' Employment Representatives (LVERs) strategically work across the state to address the employment challenges faced by veterans. DVOP specialists provide Individualized Career Services (ICS) to eligible veterans and individuals facing challenges such as educational or economic disadvantage. They offer comprehensive assessments, goal setting, and ongoing support, as documented in the state's management system. DVOP specialists also collaborate with AJC partners for outreach and access to resources. LVERs, stationed at AJCs, address employers' needs by placing veterans in available positions as well as in apprenticeships or training opportunities that can help fill skill gaps identified by employers through outreach activities conducted by LVERs and DVOP specialists.
Also, to ensure mandatory partners remain aligned with and actively involved in the progress of this plan, West Virginia has included the following statute in State Code:
WV State Code: §5B-2B-9. Coordination between agencies providing workforce investment programs, local workforce development boards, and the Executive Director of WorkForce West Virginia-
(a) To provide ongoing attention to addressing issues that will build and continually improve the overall workforce investment system, the Workforce Investment Interagency Collaborative Team is hereby created. The team shall be the single state interagency source for addressing issues or concerns related to building and maintaining the most effective and efficient implementation of the federal Workforce Investment Act and the overall workforce development system in West Virginia. The team shall focus on how best to collaborate between and among the state agencies directly involved in workforce investment activities and shall develop a strategic plan to that end. The team shall serve as a forum for the board to seek information or recommendations in furtherance of its responsibilities under this article. Workforce West Virginia is the entity which shall convene the team at least monthly and shall provide administrative and other services to the team as the team requires.
(b) The team shall consist of members from each agency subject to the reporting provisions of section five of this article. Each agency shall appoint two representatives to the team consisting of the chief official of the department or division and the official within that department or division who is directly responsible for overseeing the workforce investment program or activities at the state level. A designee may be selected to represent a member appointed to the team: Provided that the designee has policy-making decision authority regarding workforce investment activities including program and fiscal issues. The team members have authority to make decisions on behalf of the agency at the level required for the team to address issues and advance system improvements.
(c) The team shall coordinate the development of a self-sufficiency standard study for the State of West Virginia. The self-sufficiency standard is to measure how much income is needed for a household of a given composition in a given place to adequately meet its basic needs without public or private assistance. Beginning on the first day of November, two thousand four, and every year thereafter, this study is to be reported to the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the President of the Senate, the Workforce Development Board and the Legislative Oversight Commission on Workforce Investment for Economic Development.
(d) Beginning the first day of January, two thousand three, in order to lawfully continue any workforce investment activities, any agency subject to the reporting provisions of section five of this article shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Executive Director of WorkForce West Virginia and any local workforce Development Board representing an area of this state in which the agency is engaged in workforce investment activities. To the extent permitted by federal law, the agreements are to maximize coordination of workforce investment activities and eliminate duplication of services on both state and local levels.
(e) No memorandum of understanding may be effective for more than one year without annual reaffirmation by the parties.
(f) Any state agency entering a memorandum of understanding shall deliver a copy thereof to both the West Virginia Workforce Development Board (WVWDB) and the legislative oversight commission.
Each WIOA agency/program has roles and responsibilities in serving individuals and employers through the AJCs, which allow partners to collaborate—sharing resources, reducing redundancies, and innovating service delivery. Through the AJCs, one or more agencies can provide services to a customer, depending on their individual needs, available services, and resources from programs (eligibility dependent).
To ensure the alignment to state strategic goals and best serve consumers, partners maintain ongoing communication to foster awareness of other program activities and resources from partner agencies. This communication occurs at the state level, as well as in the AJCs, where daily interaction with partner agency staff occurs. Cross-training of staff is mandatory and results in better service provision to AJC customers while preserving resources for future needs.
WV is developing an innovative integrated service delivery IT system that allows partners to best serve individual customers who are co-enrolled across programs, aligning their services across WIOA agencies. The system updates daily to inform service providers of the services that other agencies are providing to a co-enrolled customer. This knowledge enables each agency to coordinate services while also avoiding duplication. In addition, partners can host and participate in community forums targeting special populations and provide public service announcements about services available. This system is currently being developed and is in the initial stage of implementation. Core and other required partner programs are collaborating to ensure that resources are leveraged, and services are not duplicated.
AJC services provide improved access and efficiency as well as value-added services to customers of the WDS. Partners are responsible for the delivery of workforce education and training programs and related services, including those that support career preparation and advancement. Affiliated programs and agencies work together strategically either to serve a common customer or to achieve similar employment and education outcomes for their targeted customer groups, including those most in need and those with disabilities. These services include:
- Providing services that facilitate the match between high-demand jobs, employers, and job seekers;
- Providing employment, training, and retention services for eligible WIOA participants and prioritizing services to recipients of public assistance and other low-income individuals and individuals who are disabled and/or basic skills deficient, to spur financial self-sufficiency;
- Developing adult education and family literacy programs that ensure all adults have the basic education skills they need to contribute to their families and communities;
- Providing employment, training, and retention services to individuals with barriers to employment, including veterans, individuals with disabilities, trade-affected individuals, older individuals, ex-offenders, homeless individuals, long-term unemployed individuals, and youth;
- Encouraging the use of training services that provide portable, stackable, and transferable credit and credentials;
- Providing “wrap around” support services, such as childcare, unemployment insurance, and transportation to enable eligible individuals to work or participate in employment and training activities;
- Monitoring and evaluating compliance of local area service delivery for fiscal accountability and program effectiveness; and
- Providing technical assistance to LWDBs and training providers to ensure the most effective delivery of workforce services.
Additionally, the state is taking further actions to coordinate services between WIOA core programs and non-core programs and services to create an effective career pathway system by developing work-based learning options and focusing on high need sectors. These actions include:
- Fostering collaborations between education agencies, educational institutions, the WVWDB, and LWDBs to build career pathways that include secondary and postsecondary career and technical education programs of study.
- Expanding skill-building services funded through SNAP E&T, including leveraging federal funding available through SNAP E&T 50/50 funds for employment, training, and related support services, and coordinate those services with WIOA core programs.
- Increasing the integration of TANF employment and training services with WIOA core programs.
- Designing career pathways with an entry point along the pathway that meets the adult education and workforce program alignment requirements in the “ability to benefit” provision of Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act, enabling eligible participants without a high school diploma to qualify for Pell Grants and other federal student financial assistance.
Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs)
The LWDBs support service delivery of core and partner programs in an integrated No Wrong Door fashion. Operationalizing of service delivery among core and partner programs in each LWDB is described below.
Region 1
The R1WDB provides work-based learning programs in the form of Transitional Jobs and OJT programs. The Transitional Jobs program is a time-limited work-based experience that allows participants with barriers to employment to gain valuable work experience, skills, and references through placement at approved worksites. Participants work 32 hours per week for 26 weeks under the payroll of the R1WDB. The OJT program allows employers to hire those with a documented skill gap and receive up to a 75% reimbursement of wages for up to 499 hours. The Business Services team provides information on these programs during Regional Business Services team meetings, employer visits, roundtable discussions, business after hours events, community events, visits to recovery centers/day report centers/work release programs, and homeless shelters. Outreach is provided to reach employers and residents across Region 1.
R1WDB partners with Fruits of Labor, Seed Sower, Region 4 Planning & Development Council and WV Hive on the Communities of Healing (COH) Initiative. The initiative strives to create a recovery to work ecosystem and encourages small businesses to hire those in recovery. To date, the R1WDB has place thirty-six employees in recovery at five COH employers through the Transitional Jobs program. As COH expands, the R1WDB is making additional Transitional Jobs placements with new COH employers. Additionally, R1WDB staff attend COH gatherings multiple times throughout the year to present programs and services to both current and potential COH employers.
R1WDB is committed to providing high quality services for all youth and young adults through career exploration and guidance, support for educational attainment, and opportunities for skills training in in-demand industries and occupations through pre-apprenticeships and internships—all of which combine for a jump start into a career pathway. The Youth Program offers a 90-day paid work experience component, which include mentoring and work readiness training for participants that can lead to employment opportunities.
R1WDB both identifies and develops solutions for employment barriers of individuals. The removal of barriers is a key component to improving WV’s LFPR. R1WDB uses comprehensive interviewing, educational/career assessment, and counseling to identifies barriers and pinpoint support services needed so individuals can be successful in obtaining training and meeting employment goals. To ensure support services needs are being met, individuals may be co-enrolled in partner programs such as Jobs and Hope WV.
After initial enrollment, R1WDB maintains close contact with participants to continue assessing what needs they have and how they can be address through counseling and supportive services offered by R1WDB, or through referral to a partner agency. R1DWB responds to a wide variety of needs, including: travel, work attire, training and education, driver’s license assistance, physical and mental health assistance, housing assistance, child and dependent care assistance and more.
R1WDB collaborates with employers utilizing a variety of methods to develop solutions to their workforce needs. The R1WDB Business Services team has participated in events to identify workforce needs through business and industry roundtables, business after hours, forums, sector strategy meetings, and career fairs. The Business Services team collaborates closely with WFWV’s business services representative to ensure employers receive appropriate information regarding programs and services without duplication. R1WDB continues to improve upon the expansion of sector strategies as determined by labor market data and employer needs.
For WIOA to be successful, the workforce development system (WDS) must be seamless, comprehensive, and accessible. R1WDB uses several approaches to form an integrated WDS, including: (1) collaboration with partners for an integrated workforce system; (2) active participation of all workforce development staff in cross training; (3) consistent communication with all WDS partners; and (4) uniform use of the IT system currently being developed. Toward that end, R1WDB coordinates and cooperates with all partners through MOUs, quarterly partner meetings, Opportunities in Action Core Partner meetings, and Opportunities in Action County Partner meetings.
Region 2
The Region 2 Workforce Investment Board Inc. (R2WDB) has been a member of the Southern Mountains District Consortium for several years, which includes CTC personnel, public school K-12 local educators, CTE staff, state educational officials, economic development organizations, state, and federal agencies, and non-profits. The group focuses on bringing all levels of education together to build a stronger workforce in the southern counties of Region 2 (Logan, Lincoln, Mingo and Boone counties) and the bordering state of Kentucky. They collaboratively creates accessible pathways in workforce development programs across allied health, electrical, welding, commercial truck driving, and more as well as early college academies (ECA- K12).
Since 2019, R2WDB has administered the WIOA Youth Program where eligible youth participants ages 16-24 partake in employment and education assistance programs that relate to 14 WIOA Youth required elements per DOL. Staff work with youth in developing an ISS/DP Plan (Individual Service Strategy – Developmental Plan) to help youth reach employment and education goals by using wrap-around services from local providers within the region. R2WDB introduces the youth to education opportunities for in-demand occupations and writes ITA (Individual Training Agreements) with local community colleges and career centers on behalf of eligible young adults. R2WDB works with young adults without a high school diploma to achieve their diploma and bring them into the workforce. R2WDB also regularly offers expos and hands-on training opportunities in several fields that are in-demand such as allied health, trades, and other workforce development programs. For example, in one upcoming expo, youth learn about manufacturing glassware in Milton, WV by touring a manufacturing plant and factory and watching employees work.
Additionally, R2WDB works with a wide range of programs to expand collaborative efforts. For example, R2WDB partners with Coalfield Development to introduce individuals into the trades, offering WIOA funding to aid job seekers with training costs and supportive services. This aid allows individuals to train in opportunities for growth and aid them in discovering a career pathway with an outcome of reduced recidivism.
Region 3
Expanding work-based learning opportunities through apprenticeship programs and structured career pathways is a key focus of R3WDB’s workforce development initiatives. R3WDB partners with employers to create a range of programs, including ones that aim to: 1) provide on-the-job training for job seekers while fulfilling the employer’s needs; 2) work with at-risk youth after school to gain professional development and career readiness skills; 3) expose individuals to technology-based learning with VR headsets; 4) provide minority youth with valuable career exploration opportunities, mentorship, and resources to help them make informed decisions about their future careers through the Minority Youth (MY) Career Academy. Beyond these specific examples, R3WDB consistently develops effective and comprehensive workforce development programs using a collective impact approach that includes partner agencies with the same mission, and they also promote programs offered through Career Centers that include hands-on training.
R3WDB works to make their services accessible to all people, identifying and eliminating barriers to employment across the region by conducting comprehensive needs assessment and offering case management services. One proven success is Pop-Up One Stops, which make the services provided at the AJC accessible to everyone. Additionally, continued outreach informs the public about the available programs, resources, and wraparound services they can receive. One such outreach activity is co-hosting the Frontline Unity Network Conference, which empowers and strengthens our instrumental frontline teams by creating networking opportunities and facilitating learning about innovative programs, resources, referrals, and services.
Sector strategies are crucial for aligning workforce development efforts with the needs of employers and job seekers. To enhance our approach, we are piloting the State's No Wrong Door initiative through findhelp.com, ensuring seamless access to resources and support for individuals seeking employment opportunities. Additionally, leveraging labor market information and surveys from both employers and job seekers enables us to identify key employment needs and skill gaps in various sectors. This data-driven approach allows us to allocate funding for training programs or create new initiatives tailored to address specific workforce challenges. By harnessing the power of data and technology, we can better align our efforts with the evolving needs of our labor market, ultimately fostering a more responsive and effective workforce development system.
Integration and innovation in service delivery are essential for enhancing the effectiveness and accessibility of our programs. By collaborating with other agencies, we can ensure seamless coordination and delivery of services, minimizing barriers and maximizing impact for our clients. Seeking and incorporating community feedback through customer surveys allows us to gain valuable insights into the needs and preferences of our constituents, enabling us to tailor our services more effectively. Moreover, we are committed to implementing innovative service delivery models such as pop-Ups, VR headsets, and virtual job fairs, leveraging technology and creative approaches to expand our reach and improve the overall client experience. Through these initiatives, we provide innovative, responsive, and client-centered services that empower individuals to achieve their employment and career goals.
Region 4
The Region 4 Workforce Development Board of the Mid-Ohio Valley (WDBMOV) has infused a cultural shift in the delivery of service. The mission of the WDBMOV is to Capture Appalachian Prosperity and Economic Success (CAPES). Engaging and encouraging our customers, whether they are youth, adults, or dislocated workers, to take “a leap of faith” is our driving force. Providing customers with pertinent and specific information related to job training, professional development, and industry-specific training as it relates to in-demand occupations as well as emerging industries is critical for that goal. More importantly though, WDBMOV offers guidance and hands-on experiences alongside that information, which deepens engagement and allows people to reach their goals more easily. WDBMOV partners with a virtual reality platform company called Transfr to create a safe and realistic exposure to a library of careers ranging from culinary, aviation, and skilled trades jobs. They engage many of the Mid-Ohio Valley's system partners in the process. In particular, WDBMOV and the local building and trades council are forging connections with secondary education institutions to develop talent pipelines that are relevant to the area’s employers. Equitable delivery is a key consideration in how people in the region can access services through WDBMOV. Adults and youth alike are provided opportunities for work-based learning through work experience, job shadowing, on-the-job training, apprenticeships, and employment.
Career Specialists provide core services such as assistance with preparing for interviews and writing resumes. Supportive services are available to address training and work-related expenses, as well as transportation barriers. The Business Services Team coordinates with one stop partners to choose the appropriate referrals for each customer, ensuring that they are not faced with the burden of multiple appointments and travel time to various partner agencies. Referrals consist of partner agencies that can help with barriers such as reentry, substance abuse, and low educational attainment. Additionally, WDBMOV provides transitional job work experience opportunities. By addressing the above barriers to employment, they can equip job seekers with necessary resources, skills, and knowledge to help reduce their barriers. Sector strategies are provided through sector-focused training fairs, which offer direct links to employment and training opportunities. The WDBMOV provides information relevant to necessary work skills and competencies required in different industries—reducing skills mismatches and offering resources and training to acquire pertinent skills. Labor market and employment trends are shared across partners and implemented in concert with our virtual platform to allow customers to “choose their career path as opposed to settling for the future.” Information is provided on various educational programs and training opportunities based on the customer’s interest and career goals.
WDBMOV engages employers across sectors by conducting monthly business engagement team meetings where dedicated staff are available to address employer training and hiring needs. Through these partnerships, WDBMOV is working towards adding pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship opportunities while continuing to support the current registered apprenticeships within our region.
Perhaps most importantly, WDBMOV is securing and leveraging additional funding to offset the WIOA allocation, whereby they are continuing to develop their holistic approach to offering services to our communities.
Region 5
Region 5—the Northern Panhandle Workforce Development Board, Inc. (NPWDB) has been a member of the "TEAM" (Tri-State Energy & Advanced Manufacturing) Consortium for the past 4 years, which includes educators, workforce and economic development organizations, state and federal agencies, nonprofits, and private industry across southwest Ohio, southwestern Pennsylvania, and northern West Virginia. This dedicated group of regional partners are committed to building a skilled workforce for the tri-state area. Additionally, the consortium works together to create accessible pathways in the energy and manufacturing sectors.
NPWDB is also partnering with 12 counties in Ohio and one county in Pennsylvania to apply for a new ARISE (Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies) planning grant. This grant allows for the creation of a roadmap to help students innovate in their communities and prepare for in-demand careers across three states. Toward that end, partners will collaborate on a set of recommendations for employer recruitment, school recruitment (for pre-apprenticeships), and policy changes to expedite and improve the upward mobility of workers regardless of state residency.
Also, NPWDB sponsors Youth Expos for older youth participants, ages 18-24, to introduce and familiarize WIOA eligible youth with training and educational opportunities for in-demand fields. The expos are two-day events where activities include guest speakers, panels, and workshops on topics such as resume writing, interview skills, career pathways, and available resources, and participants tour a relevant company or training program facility.
Additionally, NPWDB partners with the Lee Day Report Center to provide services to their clients who are mandated to attend Drug Court by a judge. Drug Court is a specially designed court program to reduce recidivism and substance abuse. The Lee Day clients attend a once-a-week life skill and career pathway workshop conducted by NPWDB staff at the Wheeling AJC. These workshops address barriers to employment and training to increase participants’’ likelihood of successful rehabilitation.
Region 6
R6WDB, located in Fairmont, provides services in a thirteen-county region in the north-central part of the State. They promote work-based learning such as OJT to job seekers and employers, recently increasing the number of individuals served from seventeen in PY19 to 74 in PY22. OJT is an effective means of training new hires for the region’s employers and constitutes a substantial expenditure of training funds in the region.
The R6WDB Executive Director serves on several economic development boards, including on the Executive Team of the Tri State Energy and Advanced Manufacturing (TEAM) Consortium as co-chair of the Workforce and Economic Development Working Group for the past six years. The TEAM Consortium partners of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia share a regional vision of guaranteeing an adequate number of properly skilled workers for the critical energy and advanced manufacturing sectors in the tri-state initiative. The TEAM Consortium is developing occupational pathways through a seamless network of education and training providers, relevant agencies, and private companies, creating pipelines for jobs in the energy and manufacturing industries. In PY22, the TEAM group developed an “Energy and Advanced Manufacturing Career Pathway Exploration Guide” that highlights thirteen pyramids showing education, learn-at-work, and career pathways offered at multi-state CTCs throughout the 45-county area of the consortium. The TEAM Consortium is also building regional initiatives around Hydrogen and Carbon Capturing Technology. The Executive Director has most recently joined two new strategic planning groups: 1) ARISE: an interstate group of workforce boards in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania collaborating on an ARC planning grant to research promising approaches to employer and school recruitment, exchange of best practices, and apprenticeship models for multi-state employers to improve the upward mobility of workers regardless of state residency. 2) I-79 Development Council: a group dedicated to promoting the innovation economy; stimulating growth in the industrial/business sectors of biometrics, biotechnology, aerospace, advanced energy technologies and information technology; and creating new and expanded job opportunities for all residents along the I-79 corridor counties of Monongalia, Marion, Harrison and Lewis counties.
Furthermore, in recognition of the statewide shortage of LPN/RN’s, R6WDB instituted a pilot program to fund this critical, in demand occupation at a higher tuition reimbursement rate than other occupational training programs in the region, encouraging WIOA eligible participants to choose the nursing pathway. Through these efforts, R6WDB saw an increase in the number of WIOA ITA’s for nursing programs by 29% from the previous year. The higher reimbursement rate is continuing past the pilot program to continue increasing the percentage of nursing students in the next few years.
Region 7
R7WDB is advancing workforce development initiatives and collaboration in the eight counties of the Potomac Highlands (Pendleton, Hardy, Grant, Hampshire, and Mineral) and the Eastern Panhandle (Morgan, Berkeley, and Jefferson) of West Virginia. Their efforts align with the goals and objectives of WIOA as they enhance the economic prosperity of our region through various implemented activities and strategies.
One such initiative is the creation and implementation of a web-based referral system, which includes nearly 100 WIOA partners within Region 7 that provide a wide array of workforce development services. This system, the first of its kind in West Virginia, has revolutionized the way individuals navigate the WDS in Region 7. It has simplified the process of accessing services by providing a centralized platform where individuals can easily find and connect with the resources they need. This has not only made it more convenient for individuals, but it has also improved the efficiency of service delivery for our partner agencies. By streamlining the referral process, R7WDB ensures individuals receive the appropriate services in a timely manner, leading to better outcomes for everyone involved. Over the last three years R7WDB has averaged over one thousand referrals per year to various workforce partners.
A key focus for the region is advanced manufacturing, which dominates the three easternmost counties of Jefferson, Berkeley, and Morgan. R7WDB recognizes the importance of providing the workforce with the necessary skills and training to excel in this industry. To achieve this, they are partnering with local manufacturing companies and educational institutions to develop customized training programs that equip individuals with the technical skills and knowledge required for employment in advanced manufacturing.
Transportation is another industry that plays a significant role in region 7 and requires a skill workforce to support the region’s transportation needs. To address this, R7WDB collaborates with transportation companies and agencies to offer training programs in areas such as logistics, supply chain management, and commercial driving. These programs ensure that individuals are prepared for the diverse career opportunities available in the transportation industry.
R7WDB also promotes opportunities in skilled trades, such as welding, plumbing, and electrical work, which offer excellent career opportunities with competitive salaries. Pre-apprenticeship programs for youth provide hands-on training and mentorship in various skilled trades, serving as a pathway for young individuals to enter the workforce directly after high school and embark on a fulfilling and potentially great-paying career.
In addition to these three foci, R7WDB also recognizes the growth opportunities in entry-level healthcare training and professions. The healthcare industry is constantly evolving, and there is a high demand for individuals with the necessary skills to fill entry-level positions. To address this need, R7WDB offers training programs and partnerships with healthcare organizations and educational institutions that provide individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue careers in fields such as medical assisting, phlebotomy, pharmacy technology as well as multiple levels of nursing. By offering these opportunities, R7WDB not only meets the demands of the healthcare industry, but also provides individuals with pathways to stable and rewarding careers.
Work-based learning and work experience programs are key to preparing individuals for successful employment. R7WDB, in partnerships with local businesses, facilitates opportunities for individuals to gain practical experience and develop essential workplace skills. For example, individuals in work experience programs can work with employers for a specified period, gaining valuable on-the-job training and insight into their chosen industry.
Eliminating barriers to employment and training is a priority for R7WDB. Toward that end, they offer a variety of supportive services through WIOA, including assistance with transportation, childcare, and job readiness training. When these barriers are addressed, individuals have more equitable access to employment and training opportunities, regardless of their circumstances. This enables them to fully participate in the workforce and reach their full potential.
Another area of R7WDB’s work is addressing the impact of the opioid crisis across their communities. They partner with in- and out-patient opioid crisis facilities to provide work-based learning opportunities for individuals in recovery, giving them the chance to gain valuable skills and experience while on their journey to rebuilding their lives. R7WDB also collaborates with local drug courts and re-entry programs to provide work-based learning opportunities and support services to individuals transitioning back into the workforce after completing treatment or serving time. By addressing the unique needs of individuals affected by the opioid crisis, R7WDB is not only helping them overcome challenges but also ensuring they have the necessary support to succeed in their chosen careers.
R7WDB is actively engaged in workforce development initiatives and strategies that yield multiple successes in line with the goals and objectives of WIOA. Through efforts in advanced manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, pre-apprenticeship programs for youth, work-based learning, and supportive services, R7WDB enhances the economic prosperity of the region and provides individuals with opportunities for great paying careers. They are committed to eliminating barriers to employment and training so as to ensure that all individuals have access to the resources and support they need to succeed in the workforce.