Workforce Investment Act - Program Overview

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program provides workforce development activities designed to enhance the employability, occupational attainment, retention and earnings of adults, dislocated workers and youth. WIA improves the quality of the workforce, reduces welfare dependency, and enhances the productivity and competitiveness of the Texas economy.

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Customers
Reports
Authority & Funding
Other Resources
Service
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Customers

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) supports a market-driven system through the provision of services targeted to meet employers’ needs and through services tailored for the unemployed, the underemployed, at-risk youth and those who have received a notice of termination, with special emphasis placed on the economically disadvantaged.

Rapid response activities are also provided as part of a comprehensive workforce development system designed to respond quickly to employer, worker, and community needs when a mass layoff or plant closure appears imminent.

Workforce Solutions offices provide employer services, including the following:

Job posting and job matching
Applicant screening and referrals
Assistance during a plant closing or mass layoff

Workforce Solutions offices provide job seeker services, including the following:

Universal (core) services for individuals seeking assistance in their job search, e.g., outreach, intake, and an eligibility determination for additional WIA-funded services
Intensive services for individuals deemed in need of additional assistance in order to become employed, e.g., comprehensive and specialized assessment of the skill level and service needs of adults and dislocated workers
Training services for individuals deemed in need of training in order to become employed or retain employment, e.g., on-the-job training, occupational skills training, and training for nontraditional employment
Support services such as child care, transportation, and work-related expenses when needed by the individual to work or participate in a WIA-funded activity
Dislocated worker services specific to workers who have been laid off because of a plant closure or other dislocation. These services include job search assistance, introduction to job search tools, labor market information, access to computers, instruction on résumé writing, financial planning, stress management, and referral to vocational skills training as appropriate

Additionally, WIA provides year-round employment and training services for economically disadvantaged youth (ages 14–21) who establish and work toward educational and career goals. WIA youth programs are designed to provide youth with the following:

An objective assessment, including review of academic and occupational skill levels and service needs
An individual service strategy, including an age-appropriate career goal
Preparation for postsecondary educational opportunities
Linkages between academic and occupational learning

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Reports

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) submits reports on WIA to the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA). Performance reporting is provided through the Workforce Investment Streamlined Performance Reporting (WISPR) system. The WISPR specifications identify the specific data elements TWC must gather and provide to DOLETA.

TWC submits the following reports annually to DOLETA:

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