The District is developing plans to strengthen its education and job training services, and this Wednesday there is a chance for you to weigh in. On March 9, DC’s Workforce Investment Council (WIC) will hold a public engagement session on the draft of its Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State Plan. Interested stakeholders and community members are encouraged to attend and provide feedback on the plan.
WIOA is a new federal law that encourages states to develop a comprehensive workforce education and training system, in which all relevant agencies collaborate to ensure that residents have access to the help they need to put them on the path to a good job and career. WIOA also mandates a new focus on helping those with the greatest needs — including residents with low literacy — including programs that help people earn money while in training, and a “career pathways” approach that allows people to enter at any point in the educational/training spectrum and facilitates transitions from one level to the next.
Under the law, DC and each state must write a State Plan to explain to the Department of Labor (DOL) how it will comply with these changes. WIOA also mandates that a draft of the plan be released to the public for comment before the final version is submitted to the DOL. DC’s draft plan was released in early February; the public engagement session scheduled for tomorrow is part of the effort to engage the public in a dialogue on the plan.
Meeting Details
Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Time: 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM (breakfast available at 8:30 AM)
Location: The Thurgood Marshall Center, 1812 12th Street NW
Audience: Stakeholders including advocates, consumers, and providers
For more information on DC’s WIOA State Plan and upcoming public engagement sessions, visit dcworks.dc.gov. The full draft of DC’s plan can be found at drafts.dc.gov, and public comments on the plan can be submitted directly online at that website. Comments are due by Monday, March 14.
RSVP for the public engagement session here.
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