I.Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to outline the requirements for
establishing a workforce delivery system in the local workforce development
area.
II.Effective
Date
Immediately
III.Rescission
ODJFS, Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act Policy Letter No. 16-09, Establishment of
the Workforce Delivery System, (May 30, 2017).
IV.Background
The workforce delivery system is the cornerstone of the public
workforce development system. It is designed to increase access to, and
opportunities for the employment, education, training, and support services
that individuals need to succeed in the labor market, particularly those with
barriers to employment. The workforce delivery system brings together workforce
development, educational, and other human resource services in a seamless
customer-focused service delivery network that enhances access to the programs'
services and improves long-term employment outcomes for individuals receiving
services. This is accomplished by providing all customers access to
high-quality American Job Centers (in Ohio, called OhioMeansJobs centers) that
connect them with the full range of services available in their communities,
whether they are looking to find jobs, build basic educational or occupational
skills, earn a postsecondary certificate or degree, or obtain guidance on how
to make career choices, or are businesses and employers seeking skilled
workers.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires the
State and local workforce development areas (local areas) to create and
maintain a workforce delivery system that enhances the range and quality of
education and workforce development services that employers and individuals can
access. The system must include at least one comprehensive physical
OhioMeansJobs center in each local area. The system may also have additional
arrangements to supplement the comprehensive center. These arrangements may
include an affiliated site or a network of affiliated sites and specialized
centers.
Under WIOA, OhioMeansJobs centers and partner staff strive to:
- Provide job seekers with the skills and
credentials necessary to secure and advance in employment with wages that
sustain themselves and their families;
- Provide access and opportunities to job seekers,
including individuals with barriers to employment to prepare for, obtain,
retain, and advance in high-quality jobs and high-demand careers;
- Enable businesses and employers to easily
identify and hire skilled workers and access other human resource assistance;
- Participate in rigorous evaluation that support
continuous improvement of the OhioMeansJobs centers by identifying which
strategies work better for different populations; and
- Ensure that high-quality integrated data inform
decisions made by policy makers, employers, and job seekers.
A.OhioMeansJobs Centers
Comprehensive OhioMeansJobs Centers
A comprehensive OhioMeansJobs center is a physical location
where job seeker and employer customers can access the programs, services, and
activities of all OhioMeansJobs partners. Wagner-Peyser Act employment services
must be co-located in the comprehensive center. The workforce delivery system must
include at least one comprehensive physical center in each local area.
A comprehensive OhioMeansJobs center must provide all of the
following:
1.At least one
WIOA Title I staff person physically present during operating hours, in a
center that provides career services;
2.Access to
training services;
3.Access to any
employment and training activities carried out under section 134(d) of WIOA;
4.Access to
programs and activities carried out by OhioMeansJobs center partners; and
5.Workforce and
labor market information.
Customers must have access to these programs, services, and
activities during regular business days at a comprehensive OhioMeansJobs
center. The local workforce development board (WDB) may establish other service
hours at other times to accommodate the schedules of individuals who work on
regular business days. Centers not open outside of the regular business hours
should have a plan for how they will provide services to individuals who cannot
visit a center during regular business hours.
All comprehensive OhioMeansJobs centers must be physically and
programmatically accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Affiliate OhioMeansJobs Centers
Local WDBs may also choose to operate access points to services
in addition to the comprehensive OhioMeansJobs centers. If used by the local
area as part of the service delivery strategy, affiliate OhioMeansJobs centers
must be implemented in a manner that supplements and enhances customer access
to services.
An affiliate OhioMeansJobs center is an access point in addition
to the comprehensive center in each local area. These centers are created to
supplement and enhance customer access to services. This type of center makes
available to job seeker and employer customers one or more of the OhioMeansJobs
partners' programs, services, and activities. It does not need to provide
access to every required OhioMeansJobs center partner program.
Public libraries may provide an additional access point that
local WDBs can use as an affiliate OhioMeansJobs center. In addition to
offering public computers and internet access for job seekers and individuals,
many libraries also provide space for businesses to host career fairs and
networking events. As trusted institutions within their communities, libraries
are often at the frontline of employment and training related inquiries. Additionally,
libraries also serve school-aged youth who can use public resources for career
and education planning, along with the traditional adult job seeker.
Affiliate OhioMeansJobs centers allow for more flexibility in
terms of the services partner programs provide. These centers do not need to
provide access to every required OhioMeansJobs center partner program.
If Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Services are part of an
affiliate OhioMeansJobs center, the center must include at least one or more
other partners with a physical presence of combined staff more than 50 percent
of the time the center is open. In other words, if Wagner Peyser Act Employment
Services are located in an affiliate center, there must be staff of at least
one other partner in that center who are physically present more than 50
percent of the time the center is open.
All affiliate OhioMeansJobs centers must be physically and
programmatically accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Specialized Centers
Based on local workforce needs, the local WDB, in conjunction
with the partners and OhioMeansJobs center operator(s), may determine that a
specialized center is more appropriate to serve a particular population and may
choose to operate a specialized center.
Specialized centers are centers that address specific needs,
including those for dislocated workers, youth, or key industry sectors, or
clusters. These centers may be time-limited transition centers for rapid
response activities or centers located within the prison system. The
specialized center must be connected to the comprehensive OhioMeansJobs center
or any appropriate affiliate OhioMeansJobs center. Wagner-Peyser Act employment
services cannot stand alone in a specialized center; a specialized center must
include other programs besides Wagner-Peyser Act employment services.
BOhioMeansJobs Center Partners
Required Partners
Section 121(b)(1)(B) of WIOA identifies 13 programs which are
required partners in the local workforce delivery system unless that program is
not available or provided in the local area.
The required partners are as follows:
1Programs
authorized under Title I of WIOA including:
a.Adults;
b.Dislocated
Workers;
c.Youth;
d.Job Corps;
e.YouthBuild;
f.Native
American programs; and
g.Migrant and
Seasonal Farmworker (MSFW) programs;
2Wagner-Peyser
Act Employment Service;
3Adult
Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), (in Ohio, called Aspire);
4Vocational
Rehabilitation;
5Senior Community
Service Employment Program (SCSEP)
6Career
technical education programs at the postsecondary level authorized under the
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act;
7Trade
Adjustment Assistance (TAA) activities;
8Jobs for
Veterans State Grants (JVSG);
9Employment
and training activities carried out under the Community Services Block Grant
(CSBG);
10Employment and
training activities carried out by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD);
11Programs
authorized under State unemployment compensation laws;
12Programs
authorized under the Second Chance Act; and
13Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
If approved by the local WDB and the chief elected official(s),
other workforce development programs, including Federal, State, or local
programs and programs in the private sector, may serve as additional partners
in the workforce delivery system. Additional partners may include, but are not
limited to:
1Employment
and training programs administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA),
including Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program;
2Employment
and training programs carried out by the Small Business Administration (SBA);
3Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) employment and training programs;
4Client
Assistance Program authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;
5Programs
authorized under the National and Community Service Act of 1990; and
6Other
appropriate Federal, State, and local programs, including, but not limited to,
employment, education, and training programs provided by public libraries or in
the private sector.
Program Entity Serving as the
OhioMeansJobs Center Partner
The program entity carrying out the activities as the
OhioMeansJobs center partner is the grant recipient, administrative entity, or
organization responsible for administering the funds of the specified program
in the local area. The term, "entity," does not include the service
providers that contract with, or are subrecipients of, the local entity. For
programs that do not include local entities, the responsible State agency must
be the partner.
If more than one entity carries out the same required program in
the local area, each such entity is considered a separate and distinct required
partner that must carry out the roles and responsibilities of a required
partner as defined below.
For the Aspire program, the Ohio Department of Higher Education
(ODHE), as the State entity responsible for administering or supervising Aspire
policy, has delegated its responsibilities to one or more eligible providers in
each local area.
For the Vocational Rehabilitation program, the entity that
carries out the program is the designated State agency (known as Opportunities
for Ohioans with Disabilities) that is primarily concerned with vocational
rehabilitation, or vocational and other rehabilitation, for individuals with
disabilities.
The national programs under WIOA Title I include Job Corps, the
Native American program, YouthBuild, and MSFW programs. The entity that carries
out the Native American program, YouthBuild, and MSFW program is the grantee of
those respective programs. The entity for Job Corps is the Job Corps center. Also,
for programs authorized under the Second Chance Act, the grantee is the entity
carrying out the program in the local area.
For the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, the
entity that carries out the program is the eligible recipient or recipients at
the postsecondary level, or a consortium of eligible recipients at the
postsecondary level in the local area.
For the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service, TAA, JVSG, and
unemployment compensation, ODJFS is the entity carrying out the program in each
local area.
Collaboration with the Public Libraries
Community partnerships are critical to supporting the local
area’s workforce development system. WIOA explicitly identifies public
libraries as potential partners by acknowledging a library’s ability to provide
an expansive array of services, including boosting skills through online
learning, improving individuals’ English literacy and digital literacy, and
helping individuals find work. Libraries are also recognized as important
providers of Federally-supported training and employment for adult education
and literacy. Public libraries provide and/or support employment, education,
and training programs. Each OhioMeansJobs center must collaborate with at least
one public library to facilitate coordination of workforce programs and
education and job training resources.
Roles and Responsibilities of the
Required Partners
Jointly funding services is a necessary foundation for an
integrated service delivery system. All partner contributions to the costs of
operating and providing services within the workforce delivery system must be
proportionate to the benefits received and also must adhere to the partner
program's Federal authorizing statute and to the Federal cost principles
requirement that costs be reasonable, necessary, and allocable.
The required partner's initial priority in the OhioMeansJobs center
is their responsibility to implement their program. Once this priority has been
established, the partner may participate in shared services, such as overseeing
the resource room, assisting with greeting customers, etc., unless prohibited
from performing such roles by authorizing statute, order of selection, or other
mandates specific to the partner program. These shared services must be
adequately distributed amongst all partners able to participate in each
activity.
Each required partner must:
1Provide
access to its programs or activities through the workforce delivery system, in
addition to any other appropriate locations;
2Use a portion
of funds made available to the partner's programs, to the extent consistent
with Federal law authorizing the partner's program and with Federal cost
principles and audit requirements in 2 C.F.R. Parts 200 and 2900 (requiring,
among other things, that costs are allowable, reasonable, necessary, and
allocable), to:
a.Provide
applicable career services; and
b.Work collaboratively
with the State and local WDBs to establish and maintain the workforce delivery
system. This includes jointly funding the
OhioMeansJobs center infrastructure through partner contributions that are
based upon:
i.A reasonable
cost allocation methodology as outlined in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act Policy Letter (WIOAPL) No. 16-06, State Mechanism
for Funding OhioMeansJobs Center Infrastructure Costs;
ii.Federal cost
principles and audit requirements; and
iii.Any local
administrative cost requirements in the Federal law authorizing the partner's
program;
3Enter into a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the local WDB relating to the operation
of the workforce delivery system;
4Participate
in the operation of the workforce delivery system consistent with the terms of
the MOU, requirements of authorizing laws, Federal cost principles, and all
other applicable legal requirements; and
5Provide
representation on the State and local WDBs as required and participate in Board
committees as needed.
The infrastructure costs of a comprehensive OhioMeansJobs center
are the responsibility of all partners, irrespective of whether a partner is
physically located in the center. The purpose for requiring all partner
programs to contribute to the costs of the delivery system is to assist in
maintaining a system that meets the needs of the local area, reduces
duplication of services, and minimizes overhead. Each partner program’s
contribution is to be calculated based upon that partner’s proportionate use of
the OMJ Center and relative benefits received by that partner and its program
participants that result from participation in the integrated service delivery
system.
CServices Provided in the OhioMeansJobs Centers
Career Services
The OhioMeansJobs centers provide services to individual
customers based on the individual's needs, including the seamless delivery of
multiple services to individual customers. Career services provide local areas
with the flexibility to target services to the needs of the job seeker. There
is no required sequence of services.
It is important to note that “providing” career services in the
OhioMeansJobs centers does not mean that each required partner must provide
these services directly on-site. However, it does mean that some career
services must be provided directly on-site at the OhioMeansJobs center. Career
services may be provided through access to OhioMeansJobs partner programs and
activities may be delivered in one of three ways:
1Having a
program staff member physically present at the OhioMeansJobs center;
2Having a
staff member from a different partner program physically present at the
OhioMeansJobs center and appropriately trained to provide information to job
seekers about programs, services, and activities available through all partner
programs; or
3Making
available a direct linkage, as defined in this policy, through technology to a
program staff member who can provide meaningful information or services.
Simply scheduling the customer for a future appointment,
referring the customer to another physical location to access services, or
providing a phone number, brochure, or link to a static web page does not meet
the standard of high-quality meaningful information and services being provided
in a timely manner as envisioned by WIOA.
The OhioMeansJobs center must ensure that the center is both
physically and programmatically accessible to individuals with disabilities. Physical
accessibility requires the OhioMeansJobs centers to be accessible and usable by
individuals with disabilities, including compliance with all applicable federal
accessible design standards. All partners must be able to operate ADA adaptive
equipment and know how to access language interpretive services, including sign
language. The OhioMeansJobs center must use a language interpretive service and
may not use partner program staff or the customer's family members who happen
to be bi-lingual for language translation.
There are three types of career services: basic career services;
individualized career services, and follow-up career services. While basic
career services are to all participants, individualized career services are
available to participants after the OhioMeansJobs center staff have determined
that such services are required to retain and obtain employment.
The applicable career services to be delivered by required
OhioMeansJobs Center partners are as follows and are authorized to be provided
under each partner's programs:
1Basic career services must be made available and must
include the following services, as consistent with allowable program activities
and Federal cost principles:
a.Determinations
of whether the individual is eligible to receive assistance from the adult,
dislocated worker, or youth programs;
b.Outreach,
intake, orientation, and provision of information and other services available
through the OhioMeansJobs center. For the TANF program, individuals must be
provided with the opportunity to initiate an application for TANF assistance
and non-assistance benefits and services, which may be implemented through the
provision of paper application forms or links to the application web site;
c.Initial
assessment of skill levels including literacy, numeracy, and English language
proficiency, as well as aptitudes, abilities (including skill gaps), and
supportive service needs;
d.Labor
exchange services, including:
i. Job search and placement assistance, and, when needed by
an individual, career counseling including provision of information on
in-demand industry sectors and occupations and provision of information on
nontraditional employment; and
ii. Appropriate recruitment and other business services on
behalf of employers, including information and referrals to specialized
business services other than those traditionally offered through the workforce
delivery system;
e.Provisions of
referrals to and coordination of activities with other programs and services,
including programs and services within the workforce delivery system and, when
appropriate, other workforce development programs;
f.Provision of
workforce and labor market information, including the provision of statistical
information relating to local, regional, and national labor market areas,
including:
i. Job vacancy listings in labor market areas;
ii. Information on job skills necessary to obtain the vacant
jobs listed; and
iii. Information relating to local in-demand occupations and
the earnings, skill requirements, and opportunities for advancement in those
jobs;
g.Provision of
performance information and program cost information on eligible providers of
education, training, and workforce services by program and types of providers;
h.Provision of
information, in usable and understandable formats and languages, about how the
local area is performing on local performance accountability measures;
i.Provision of
information, in usable and understandable formats and languages, relating to
the availability of supportive services or assistance, and appropriate
referrals to those services and assistance;
j.Assistance
in establishing eligibility for financial aid assistance for training and
education programs not provided under WIOA; and
k.Provision of
information and meaningful assistance to individuals seeking assistance in
filing a claim for unemployment compensation.
2Individualized career services must be made available
if determined appropriate in order for an individual to obtain or retain
employment and must be available at all the comprehensive OhioMeansJobs
centers. These services include the following:
a.Comprehensive
and specialized assessments of the skill levels and service needs of adults and
dislocated workers, which may include:
i. Diagnostic testing and use of other assessment tools; and
ii. In-depth interviewing and evaluation to identify employment
barriers and appropriate employment goals;
b.Development
of an individual employment plan;
c.Group
counseling;
d.Individual
counseling;
e.Career
planning;
f.Short-term
pre-vocational services including development of learning skills, communication
skills, interviewing skills, punctuality, personal maintenance skills, and
professional conduct services to prepare individuals for unsubsidized
employment or training;
g.Internships
and work experiences linked to careers;
h.Workforce
preparation activities;
i.Financial
literacy;
j.Out-of-area
job search assistance and relocation assistance; and
k.English
language acquisition and integrated education and training programs.
3Follow-up services must be provided, as appropriate,
including counseling regarding the workplace, for participants in adult or
dislocated worker workforce investment activities who are placed in
unsubsidized employment, for up to 12 months after the first day of employment.
TANF agencies must identify employment services and related
support being provided by the TANF program, within the local area, that qualify
as career services and ensure access to them via the local OhioMeansJobs
center.
Business Services
Local areas must establish and develop relationships and
networks with large and small employers and their intermediaries. The provision
of business services supports the local workforce system to meet the needs of
businesses in the local area. To assist in this, applicable OhioMeansJobs
center partners develop, offer, and deliver quality business services that
assist businesses in overcoming the challenges of recruiting, retaining, and
developing talent for the regional economy. To support area employers most
effectively, OhioMeansJobs center staff, including designated partner staff,
must:
1Have a clear
understanding of industry skill needs;
2Identify
appropriate strategies for assisting employers, and coordinate business service
activities across the OhioMeansJobs center partner programs, as appropriate;
and
3Incorporate
an integrated and aligned business services strategy among OhioMeansJobs center
partners to present a unified voice for the OhioMeansJobs center in its
communications with employers.
Certain services must be made available to local employers, specifically
labor exchange activities and labor market information. These services include:
1.Appropriate
recruitment and other business services on behalf of employers, including
information and referrals to specialized business services other than those
traditionally offered through the workforce delivery system; and
2.Provision of
workforce and labor market employment statistical information, including the
provision of accurate information relating to local, regional, and national
labor market areas, including:
a.Job vacancy
listings in labor market areas;
b.Information
on job skills necessary to obtain the vacant jobs listed; and
c.Information
relating to local in demand occupations and the earnings, skill requirements,
and opportunities for advancement in those jobs.
Customized business services may be provided to employers,
employer associations, or other such organizations. These services are tailored
for specific employers and may include:
1Customized
screening and referral of qualified participants in training services to
employers;
2Customized
services to employers, employer associations, or other such organizations, on
employment-related issues;
3Customized
recruitment events and related services for employers including targeted job fairs;
4Human
resource consultation services, including but not limited to assistance with:
a.Writing/reviewing
job descriptions and employee handbooks;
b.Developing
performance evaluation and personnel policies;
c.Creating
orientation sessions for new workers;
d.Honing job
interview techniques for efficiency and compliance;
e.Analyzing
employee turnover;
f.Creating job
accommodations and using assistive technologies; and/or
g.Explaining
labor and employment laws to help employers comply with discrimination,
wage/hour, and safety/health regulations;
5Customized
labor market information for specific employers, sectors, industries, or
clusters; and
6.Other similar
customized services.
Local areas may also provide other business services and
strategies that meet the workforce investment needs of area employers, in
accordance with partner programs' statutory requirements and consistent with
Federal cost principles. These business services may be provided through
effective business intermediaries working in conjunction with the local WDB, or
through the use of economic development, philanthropic, and other public or
private resources in a manner determined appropriate by the local WDB. All
business services and strategies must be reflected in the regional and/or local
plan. Allowable activities, consistent with each partner's authorized
activities, include, but are not limited to:
1Developing
and implementing industry sector strategies;
2.Customized
assistance or referral for assistance in the development of a registered
apprenticeship program;
3.Developing
and delivering innovative workforce investment services and strategies for area
employers, which may include career pathways, skills upgrading, skill standard
development and certification for recognized postsecondary credential or other
employer use, and other effective initiatives for meeting the workforce
investment needs of area employers and workers;
4.Assistance to
area employers for managing reductions in force in coordination with rapid
response activities and with strategies for the aversion of layoffs;
5.The marketing
of business services to appropriate area employers, including small and
mid-sized employers; and
6.Assisting
employers with accessing local, State, and Federal tax credits.
Fee-for-services are not required to be charged to employers. Additionally,
fees may not be charged for the following services:
1Appropriate
recruitment and other business services on behalf of employers, including
information and referrals to specialized business services other than those
traditionally offered through the workforce delivery system; and
2Provision of
workforce and labor market information, including the provision of statistical
information relating to local, regional, and national labor market areas,
including:
a.Job vacancy
listings in labor market areas;
b.Information
on job skills necessary to obtain the vacant jobs listed; and
c.Information
relating to local in demand occupations and the earnings, skill requirements,
and opportunities for advancement in those jobs.
A fee may be charged for customized business services. Additionally,
business services and strategies that meet the workforce investment needs of
area employers may be provided on a fee-for-services basis or through the
leveraging of economic development, philanthropic, and other public and private
resources in a manner determined appropriate by the local WDB.
The local WDB may examine the services provided compared with
the assets and resources available within the workforce delivery system and
through its partners to determine the appropriate cost structure for services,
if any.
Any fees earned are recognized as program income and must be
expended by the partner in accordance with the partner program's authorizing
statute, implementing regulations, and Federal cost principles identified in
Uniform Guidance.
Role of Unemployment Insurance Program in
the OhioMeansJobs Center
Many areas of opportunity exist for improved integration of the
Unemployment Insurance (UI) program into the workforce delivery system,
including, but not limited to:
1Helping UI
claimants access the full range of services, including basic career and labor
exchange services, both on-line and in-person through the OhioMeansJobs
centers.
2Ensuring
claimants meet eligibility requirements, including searching and registering
for work, participating in reemployment services, and ensuring that a feedback
loop exists to provide UI program staff with information about any potential
eligibility issue.
3Working with
Rapid Response teams.
4Connecting UI
claimants to reemployment services.
5Providing
effective services to veterans who file for benefits under the Unemployment
Compensation for Ex-Service members (UCX) program.
6Undertaking
strategies to promote entrepreneurship.
7Ensuring
claimants are fully notified of deadlines and eligibility requirements
associated with Trade Adjustment Allowances (TRA), Alternative Trade Adjustment
Assistance (ATAA), and Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance (RTAA)
programs.
WIOA requires, as a career service, the provision of both
information and assistance to individuals regarding the filing of an UI claim. In
the context of providing assistance with UI claims, “meaningful assistance”
means, per 20 C.F.R. 678.430:
1Providing
assistance on-site using staff who are well trained in unemployment
compensation claims filing and the rights and responsibilities of claimants; or
2Providing
assistance by phone or via other technology, as long as the assistance is
provided by trained and available staff and within a reasonable time.
“Meaningful assistance” means having staff well-trained in UI
claims filing and claimant rights and responsibilities. This assistance
requirement only encompasses helping individuals navigate Ohio's claims filing
process and providing the individual with general information on their
responsibilities as a claimant. These functions are informational in nature and
not directly related to determining the claimant's eligibility for benefits. Staff
providing this assistance may be Wagner-Peyser or other OhioMeansJobs center
partner staff who have been properly trained to provide this type of assistance
and service.
Only UI state merit staff may, in person at the OhioMeansJobs
center or remotely, answer questions, provide advice, or make decisions that
could affect a claimant’s UI eligibility.
In the OhioMeansJobs centers, meaningful assistance to
individuals seeking assistance in filing a UI claim includes the following
activities:
1Computers
must be made available for individuals to file a claim for unemployment
insurance or to file an appeal of their claim.
2Telephones
must be made available with access to the toll-free phone numbers established
by the Office of Unemployment Insurance Operations for individuals to use when
seeking assistance from UI merit staff in filing claims or appeals. Individuals
must not simply be referred to a general information phone number.
3Posters
providing claimants information on how to file unemployment insurance claims
must be visible in the resource room.
4Additional
documents that provide assistance to claimants must be available in the
resource room.
5Resource room
staff must be trained and have the knowledge to navigate Ohio's claims filing
processes and to provide general information to the claimant on their
responsibilities as a claimant.
Meaningful assistance may be provided by other technology. It
must be a technology approved by the State that enables trained staff to
provide the assistance. Examples of technology that enables remote assistance
include live web chat applications or other similar technology.
D.OhioMeansJobs Center Operators
The OhioMeansJobs center operator is the entity or consortium of
entities that coordinates the service delivery of required OhioMeansJobs center
partners and service providers. The local WDB must select the OhioMeansJobs
center operator through a competitive process at least every 4 years. WIOAPL
No. 16-08, Procurement of the OhioMeansJobs Center
Operator, provides guidance to the local WDBs for the procurement of the
OhioMeansJobs center operator.
Role of the OhioMeansJobs Center Operator
At a minimum, the OhioMeansJobs center operator must coordinate
the service delivery of the required partners and service providers. These roles
may include, but are not limited to the following:
1.Conduct
partner meetings;
2Implement
local WDB policies;
3Coordinate
partner services;
4Ensure shared
services within the OhioMeansJobs center are adequately distributed amongst all
partners;
5Oversee
employer services;
6Manage
technological resources (e.g., local system website);
7Require
effective internal tracking requirements and referral processes;
8Coordinate
the resource room and computer labs;
9Report
performance and budget information to the local WDB on a regular basis; and
10Ensure all
partners are able to operate ADA adaptive equipment and know how to access
language interpretive services, including sign language.
In defining the roles of its OhioMeansJobs center operator, the
local WDB must consider how it will empower the operator to maintain an
orderly, professional, and compliant work environment in the OhioMeansJobs
center(s), such as by granting the Operator:
1Functional
supervision over partner staff with the partner’s voluntary agreement,
including staff whose supervisor may be located elsewhere;
2Authority to
monitor and report to the WDB each partner’s level of participation in the
operation of the workforce delivery system consistent with the terms of the MOU
and each partner’s adherence to OhioMeansJob center operating protocols; or
3Autonomy to
launch initiatives, plan events, and establish operating protocols with the
local WDB’s expectation of, and support for, partner cooperation.
Local WDBs may establish additional roles of the OhioMeansJobs
center operator, including, but not limited to:
1Coordinating
service providers across the workforce delivery system;
2Being the
primary provider of services within the center;
3Providing
some of the services within the center; or
4Coordinating
service delivery in a multi-center, which may include affiliated sites.
The OhioMeansJobs center operator may not perform the following
functions:
1Convene
system stakeholders to assist in the development of the local plan;
2Prepare and
submit local plans;
3Be
responsible for oversight of itself;
4Manage or
significantly participate in the competitive selection process for
OhioMeansJobs center operators;
5.Select or
terminate OhioMeansJobs center operators, career services, and youth providers;
6Negotiate
local performance accountability measures; or
7Develop and
submit a budget for activities of the local WDB in the local area.
An entity serving as an OhioMeansJobs center operator, that also
serves a different role with the workforce delivery system (including provider
of career and youth program services or local area fiscal agent), may perform
some or all of these functions when it is acting in its other role, if it has
established sufficient firewalls and conflict of interest policies and
procedures.
WIOAPL No. 15-18.1 outlines the roles and responsibilities of
the OhioMeansJobs center operator as well as the requirements for the
development of the multi-function agreement when the OhioMeansJobs center
operator performs more than one function.
V.Definitions
Access: To each partner program
and its services means:
1.Having a
program staff member physically present at the OhioMeansJobs center;
2.Having a
staff member from a different partner program physically present at the
OhioMeansJobs center appropriately trained to provide information to customers
about the programs, services, and activities available through partner
programs; or
3.Making
available a direct linkage through technology to program staff who can provide
meaningful information or services.
Affiliate OhioMeansJobs center: A
site that makes available to job seekers and employer customers one or more of
the OhioMeansJobs center's partners' programs, services, and activities.
Career services: Services
identified in section 134(c)(2) of WIOA and consist of three types:
1.Basic career
services;
2.Individualized
career services; and
3.Follow-up
services.
Comprehensive OhioMeansJobs center:
A physical location where job seekers and employer customers can access the
programs, services, and activities of all required OhioMeansJobs center
partners.
Direct linkage: Providing direct
connection at the OhioMeansJobs center, within a reasonable time, by phone or
through a real-time Web-based communication to a program staff member who can
provide program information or services to the customer. Solely providing a
phone number, web site, information, pamphlets, or materials does not
constitute a “direct linkage.”
Entity: The grant recipient,
administrative entity, or organization responsible for administering the funds
of the specified program in the local area.
Memorandum of understanding (MOU):
An agreement developed and executed between the OhioMeansJobs center partners
and the local WDB, with the agreement of the chief elected official, relating
to the operation of the OhioMeansJobs delivery system in the local area.
OhioMeansJobs center operator: One
or more entities designated or certified under section 121(d) of WIOA.
OhioMeansJobs center partner: An
entity described in section 121(b)(1) and (2) of WIOA who participates in the
operation of the workforce delivery system.
Public library: A library that is
open to the public and that is one of the following:
1A library
that is maintained and regulated under section 715.13 of the Revised Code;
2A library
that is created, maintained, and regulated under Chapter 3375. of the Revised
Code;
3A library
that is created and maintained by a public or private school, college,
university, or other educational institution; or
4A library
that is created and maintained by a historical or charitable organization,
institution, association, or society.
Specialized centers: Centers that
address specific needs, including those for dislocated workers, youth, or key
industry sectors, or clusters.
Workforce delivery system: A
system under which entities responsible for administering separate workforce
development, education, and other human resource programs collaborate to create
a seamless system of service delivery that will enhance access to the programs'
services and improve long term employment outcomes for individuals and
businesses.
VI.State
Requirements
WIOA requires the State to create and maintain a workforce
delivery system that enhances the range and quality of education and workforce
development services that employers and individuals can access. Programs and
providers must collaborate, coordinate, and integrate activities and
information so that the system as a whole is cohesive and accessible for
individuals and employers alike.
When designing the system, States must ensure that information
on the availability of career services is available at all OhioMeansJobs center
physical locations and access points, including electronic access points,
regardless of where the individuals initially enter the local workforce system.
Therefore, the workforce system must include at least one comprehensive
physical OhioMeansJobs center in each local area. The system may also have
additional arrangements to supplement the comprehensive center. These
arrangements include an affiliate center or a network of affiliate centers and
specialized centers.
A state infrastructure funding methodology must be implemented
to ensure required partner funding is available to support infrastructure costs
of any OhioMeansJobs centers in the local areas where partners and the local
WDB are unable to reach agreement on memorandum of understanding terms and
partner funding to support the OhioMeansJobs centers. The details and
restrictions of Ohio’s state infrastructure funding methodology is in Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act Policy Letter (WIOAPL) No. 16-06, State Mechanism for Funding OhioMeansJobs Center
Infrastructure Costs.
VII.Local
Workforce Development Area Requirements
A.Identification of the OhioMeansJobs Center(s)
The local WDB must establish at least one comprehensive
OhioMeansJobs center in the local area. The location of this center is at the
discretion of the local WDB and the chief elected official (CEO).
Additional comprehensive, affiliate, or specialized
OhioMeansJobs centers may also be established in the local area at the
discretion of the local WDB and chief elected official(s) based upon the need
for additional centers in the local area. Such considerations may include:
1Customer use (the
number of customers who enter the center during hours of operation) of the
comprehensive, affiliate and/or specialized OhioMeansJobs centers;
2Funding
available for the comprehensive, affiliate, and/or specialized centers,
including program funds and lease agreements;
3Partner
availability in the centers; and
4The potential
enhancement of customer access to services.
The local WDB must notify the Ohio Department of Job and Family
Services, Office of Workforce Development of the identification of the
comprehensive center(s) and any affiliate and/or specialized center(s) in the
local area. This is done by identifying such centers in the local and/or
regional plans or e-mailing OWDPOLICY@jfs.ohio.gov.
B.Access to Required Partners
The local WDB must ensure that all required partners identified
in section 121(b)(1) of WIOA have a physical presence or provide access to
their programs in the comprehensive OhioMeansJobs center. Customers must have
access to these programs, services, and activities during regular business days
at a comprehensive OhioMeansJobs center. A comprehensive OhioMeansJobs center
must have at least one WIOA Title I staff person physically present.
An affiliate center does not need to provide access to every
required OhioMeansJobs center partner program. The frequency of program staff's
physical presence in the affiliate center will be determined at the local
level. If Wagner-Peyser employment services are provided at an affiliate
center, there must be at least one or more other partners in the center with a
physical presence of combined staff more than 50 percent of the time the center
is open. Additionally, the other partner must not be the local Disabled
Veterans' Outreach Program Specialists (DVOPS), or unemployment compensation
programs. If Wagner-Peyser Act employment services and any of these 3 programs
are provided at an affiliate OhioMeansJobs center, an additional partner or
partners must have a presence of combined staff in the center more than 50
percent of the time the center is open.
C.Availability of Services
The local WDB must ensure that the OhioMeansJobs centers provide
services to individual customers based on the individual's needs, including the
seamless delivery of multiple services to individual customers. There is no
required sequence of services.
The local WDB must coordinate with all required OhioMeansJobs
Center partners, including those with no staff physically present in an
OhioMeansJobs center, to provide basic career services, individualized career
services, and business services to customers and employers at the comprehensive
and affiliate centers. Furthermore, access to training services must be
provided for those customers who have been deemed in need of these services.
OhioMeansJobs center staff are trained and equipped in an
ongoing learning environment with the skills and knowledge needed to provide
effective services to job seekers, including those with disabilities, and
businesses in an integrated, regionally focused framework of service delivery.
D.Selection of the OhioMeansJobs Center Operator
The local WDB must select the OhioMeansJobs center operator
through a competitive process at least every 4 years. WIOAPL No. 16-08, Procurement of the OhioMeansJobs Center Operator,
provides guidance to the local WDBs for the procurement of the OhioMeansJobs
center operator.
Some of the factors which should be considered and prioritized
by the local WDB include:
1Understanding
the local WDB's responsibilities under WIOA as it pertains to the OhioMeansJobs
center operator and the local workforce system.
2The local
WDB's vision and goals for the local system and how the local system will be
structured with respect to the number of OhioMeansJobs centers, the types of
centers, the types of services to be provided, and the focus of the local area.
3The
relationship between the local WDB and the operator and the expectations of the
local WDB for the operator's role.
4The
procurement process, management of the process, potential conflicts of
interest, and management of the contract.
VIII. Technical Assistance
Ongoing support, guidance, training and technical assistance on
the development of the workforce system are available to all local areas.
Requests for technical assistance may be sent to ODJFS, Office
of Workforce Development: WIOAQNA@jfs.ohio.gov.
IX.References
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, §§106 and 121, Public
Law 113-128.
20 C.F.R. §§ 678.300-440, 678.600-635, 678.800, and 683.295.
2 C.F.R. Parts 200 and 2900.
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, §101(a)(2), Public Law 93-112, 29
U.S.C. § 701 et seq.
USDOL, Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 17-16,
Infrastructure Funding of the One-Stop Delivery System, (January 18, 2017).
USDOL, Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 16-16,
One-Stop Operations Guidance for the American Job Center Network, (January 18,
2017).
USDOL, Unemployment Insurance Program Letter No. 20-15,
Unemployment Insurance and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of
2014, (August 13, 2015).
USDOL, Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 4-15, Vision
for the One-Stop Delivery System under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act, (August 13, 2015).
USDOL, Training and Employment Notice 35-15, Encouraging
Collaborations between the Workforce Investment System and Public Libraries to
Meet Career and Employment Needs, (May 4, 2016).
Ohio Revised Code § 6301.06.
ODJFS, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Policy Letter
No. 16-06, State Mechanism for Funding OhioMeansJobs Center Infrastructure
Costs, (November 10, 2016).
ODJFS, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Policy Letter
No. 16-08, Procurement of the OhioMeansJobs Center Operator and Provider of
Career Services (February 24, 2017).
ODJFS, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Policy Letter
No. 15-18.1, Local Workforce Development Area Governance (January 30, 2017).