WIOA State Plan Common Elements

High quality service delivery is implemented through various coordination and alignment activities among Indiana’s WIOA Core and Partner programs. Through Indiana’s workforce system partners, individuals have access to an array of customizable services, designed to meet them where they are according to their eligibility, needs, training, and/or employment goals. 

Local Operations: A foundational component for ensuring coordination and alignment in service delivery starts at the local level. Each local workforce development area (LWDA) drives development and implementation of partner memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and infrastructure funding agreements (IFAs). MOUs are the avenue for local system partners to outline their collective vision for the one-stop system and commit to partnership under that vision. IFAs further solidify those partnerships through development of negotiated budgets describing each partner’s financial share of system costs. Each comprehensive and affiliate WorkOne center (Indiana’s term for ‘American Job Centers’) is certified every three years via a thorough review process. These center certifications provide an additional layer of assurance for successful system operations on an office-by-office basis. 

Service Navigation: Although Indiana’s talent development system includes a broad range of programs and partners offering resources and opportunity for Hoosiers, it is vital that the system be navigable for those it serves. Ideally, there should be no wrong door for individuals to enter the system and receive customized services. Further cross-training of staff, increased and streamlined referrals, and co-location of partner staff, where feasible, will not only reduce potential duplication of services, but will also increase funding efficiency. Ultimately, these strategies will assist with a holistic view of individuals’ needs. 

When an individual connects with Indiana’s workforce system, they are triaged to determine service level needs. Whether accessing self-services or seeking more in-depth assistance, and whether engaging virtually or in-person, individuals are met upfront with next steps. Veterans and eligible spouses are given service priority, and, when connecting to Title I Adult services, Adult Priority of Service provisions are implemented as appropriate. 

Accessibility: Staff are trained to use multiple tools and resources to ensure accessibility to services when serving clients on-site. WorkOne offices, as well as DWD and LWDA websites and virtual service options, prioritize language, programmatic, and physical accessibility, with Equal Opportunity (EO) notices and related information prominently posted for Title I financially assisted programs and services. Indiana’s WIOA State EO Officer and the twelve LWDA Local EO Officers routinely educate and train staff regarding nondiscrimination provisions. Further, DWD and Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VR) have partnered on several occasions to cross-train staff on multiple disability-related topics. Most recently, DWD and VR, in partnership with U.S. Department of Labor, acquired a Learning Management System (LMS) to support cross agency training. Two modules have since been developed and successfully rolled out to staff focusing on workforce collaboration and integration: (1) Co-enrollment and Joint Case Management and (2) Indiana’s Workforce System and WIOA Program Partners. DWD and VR have also collaborated to hire VR Navigators, who serve as liaisons between WorkOne AJCs, VR staff, and shared customers.  

Cross-training: Indiana will explore additional opportunities for cross-training among partners and programs to boost awareness and familiarity with program offerings and will encourage staff co-location when feasible. These strategies will support the State’s goals by removing barriers for workers through enhancing referral processes and boosting co-enrollments. One of the State’s goals is to develop a cross-system referral process for individuals with barriers to employment. To do this, partners must analyze current referral processes and collaborate to determine where efficiencies can be gained while working toward a consistent, more uniform process for cross-system referrals.  

Co-enrollment: Similarly, co-enrollment will be emphasized across programs. Strategic co-enrollment is customer-centered and should be driven by the individual’s unique barriers to employment. With adequate cross-training, staff will have the knowledge needed to review options with individuals and offer enrollment recommendations based on any programs for which the individual is eligible. Indiana’s co-enrollment approach facilitates service delivery alignment and encourages braiding of resources to address the training and employment needs of jobseekers and business customers at the local level. Expanding co-enrollment efforts will help to maximize each program’s efficiency and impact. Serving individuals through the programs most appropriate for their needs can reduce duplication of services, improve outcomes, and increase the number of participants that can be served through each funding stream.  

Supportive Services: As individuals are enrolled in various programs, staff assess supportive service needs, and for co-enrolled participants, identify which program will fund supportive services. To effectively serve each individual and mitigate their barriers, staff document barriers and supportive services in participant files. Title I Adult and Dislocated Worker supportive services, as an example, must include file documentation of barriers, the plan for addressing those barriers, and information demonstrating need for any supportive services rendered. LWDAs have flexibility to establish limits on supportive services amounts and timeframes, so long as the services are reasonable and necessary.  

Co-location: Staff co-location, when feasible, is another opportunity to reduce barriers for those accessing State services. Strategically locating staff will facilitate referrals and increase awareness and partnership among various programs. Whether this be through physical sharing of space or from partner staff presence on certain days and times in certain locations, through mobile services, or otherwise, co-location serves to increase variety and flexibility as to where, when, and how an individual can connect with our programs. Co-location also facilitates real-time information sharing, allowing staff to better align activities, leverage existing resources, and increase opportunities for collective innovation that may lead to better service delivery approaches. 

Workforce Education Initiative (WEI): Another strategy in meeting individuals where they are is the WEI. 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. Last year adult education programming was offered in partnership with 180 employers serving close to 3,000 students. These classes varied in form and included HSE prep, English Language Acquisition, and Integrated Education Training. Each curriculum was developed in partnership with and to meet employer needs. Offering classes at employer work sites also assists in reducing transportation concerns. When classes can be scheduled in alignment with an individual’s work schedule, it reduces the need to arrange transportation to multiple locations. 

Virtual Client Engagement: Indiana has made several tools available to virtually engage with individuals seeking services. For example, adult education and English as a Second Language (ESL) programming are fully available online. Additionally, individuals interested in workforce resources can connect with a live DWD agent through a phone call or chat function. The live agent will not only connect them to available resources, but also ensure that an appropriate referral is made should the individual like to receive additional assistance from a One-Stop Center. Further, DWD utilizes a web-based application that Hoosiers can use to schedule appointments, participate in meetings, transmit and sign documents, and track their engagements. This technology allows staff to deliver services virtually without a client necessarily needing to step foot into a One-Stop center. These tools are critical to engaging Hoosiers in this new workforce climate. Indiana will continue to assess and evaluate these tools and their effectiveness with a focus on investment in tools that are maximizing engagement and connectivity with One-Stop Centers.