Narrative: III. a. 2. A.

Goal 1: Workforce Development System Integration

In order for WIOA to be successful, a seamless one–stop delivery system must be created. As resources become more and more limited, partners in the workforce development system must work together in order to provide maximum benefit to our customers.

Strategy 1.1: Work with partners to create a better understanding of what a truly integrated workforce system looks like.

• Coordinate and develop memorandums of understanding with all partners. These will be developed with a clear purpose of cooperation and service to all customers of the workforce system (individuals and employers).

• Share goals both locally and at the state level.

• Promote program integration in order to overcome silos and achieve unified goals.

Strategy 1.2: Ensure cross–training of all workforce development staff.

• The state will develop a comprehensive on–line training program for all workforce development staff.

• Develop team–based case management for the customers at our one–stops. West Virginia will be moving toward team–based customer service as we work to develop a one–stop certification process. Training for one–stop partners and new tools will be needed to ensure consistency across West Virginia.

• A high priority will be placed on staff training in serving individuals with barriers to employment, especially those with disabilities. A Workforce Achievement type of certification will be developed to deliver a comprehensive training program for all staff at each level of the workforce system. It will support consistency and quality of service across the state.

• Technical training will be provided on the data–sharing IT system to all affected staff both at a regional and centralized location.

Strategy 1.3: Maintain frequent communication with all partners within the workforce development system.

• The state has monthly Interagency Collaborative Team Meetings to discuss workforce issues. The team consist of members from each agency subject to the reporting provisions of WIOA.

• Workforce development news and notices are maintained and updated frequently on the Workforce West Virginia website. www.workforcewv.org

• Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin issued Executive Order 3–13. The executive order reestablishes the 7–member council comprised of the governor or his designee, The Chancellor of the Council for Community and Technical College Education, The Chancellor of the Higher Education Policy Commission, The Secretary of Education and the Arts, The Executive Director of Workforce West Virginia, The Director of the West Virginia Development Office, and State Superintendent of Schools. The Council is tasked with coordinating initiatives, leveraging resources, and planning for the delivery of a comprehensive workforce strategy that ensures an integrated and strategic approach in meeting the educational and training needs of West Virginia’s employers and students, and enhancing the economic development efforts of the state.

• The state holds monthly workforce development board director meetings.

• The state holds quarterly state workforce development board meetings.

Strategy 1.4: Develop common IT system to be used by core partners.

• The state will develop IT system that will allow co–enrollment of individuals receiving services from the 3 core partners.

• The West Virginia WDS will utilize its integrated data system to monitor and evaluate the performance of the WIOA core partner programs in relation to the four state goals described above. The data collected for the common performance measures and the WIOA Participant Individual Record Layout (PIRL) will provide all of the data elements needed to monitor and evaluate performance on the state goals. Because these data are required to be collected by all WIOA core programs, there will be no additional burden posed on the programs.

Goal 2: Customer–Driven Approach (Individual & Employer)

The State will create an approach based on the needs of the job seekers as well as the needs of the employer. Our workforce development system must examine the needs of the employer, assess the skills and skills gaps of the workforce and then create solutions to ensure maximum benefit to both customer groups.

Strategy 2.1: Work with employers to identify true workforce needs.

• The State will use data and work with employers to identify the skills and competencies necessary to attain family–sustaining employment and will offer high quality training to individuals to obtain those skills.

• The State will promote and develop sector strategies based on labor market information and employer need. This includes supporting the growth and expansion of the industry partnerships through increased state investment.

• The State Board will set standards for providing products and services to employers through enhanced agency coordination in providing business services and expanded partnerships with economic development providers, local chambers of commerce and other associations serving the needs of employers. State agencies may act as intermediaries for organizing outreach to employers on a wider geographical basis than local regions.

• The State will continue to encourage employers to participate in business–education partnerships. These partnerships connect schools, employers, and youth– serving community organizations with students and Out of School Youth (OSY) to provide career–related experiences and exposure opportunities for youth and young adults through soft skills development, internships, workplace shadowing, and career mentoring. When possible, business– education partnerships will recruit business representatives from Industry Partnerships, apprenticeship programs, or multi–employer groups that identify common workforce needs of businesses that provide jobs that pay.

• The State will rely on partnerships of employers to validate the credentials developed as part of state and regional lists of recognized credentials, career pathways, and other statewide efforts. • The State will develop and implement a workforce development survey to be sent to West Virginia employers. The State will utilize survey results in order to gain new and enhanced insights into workforce challenges and needs. The State will develop a dedicated survey unit focused on soliciting targeted employer input on a wide and diverse range of workforce issues as well as gauging the labor market from the employer perspective. Survey results will be used for strategic planning, measuring impact, and discovering opportunities.

• Governor’s Office and agency executives will regularly meet with business leaders around the state to solicit feedback and ideas from employers.

Strategy 2.2: Assess skill gaps and needs of individuals seeking employment and/or training.

• The workforce system will provide comprehensive counseling to ascertain supportive service needs of individuals. Skills assessments will be provided in order to determine skills needs/upgrades pertinent to obtain desired employment.

• The State will encourage cross–program funding and programmatic integration of workforce preparation activities to develop employability skills, adult basic education, and occupational training, supplemented by supportive services, as part of career pathway models to ensure that the critical needs of individuals (including those with basic skills deficiencies) are met, allowing the greatest opportunity for employment success. When appropriate, job seekers will be co– enrolled between two or more core programs to accomplish this goal. In addition, integrated systems must incorporate customer–centric design components, where possible.

Strategy 2.3: Ensure that individuals with barriers to employment, especially those with disabilities, have increased access to and for opportunities for employment, education, training, and support services.

• The State will mainstream job seekers with barriers to employment, especially those with disabilities, to the maximum extent possible by offering realistic entry points into career pathways and by ensuring necessary supportive services are in place and coordinated across agencies, so that those individuals with the most significant barriers to employment are successful in accessing and navigating career pathways. When appropriate, job seekers will be co–enrolled between core and other partner programs in order to provide the most comprehensive services possible.

• Through integrated efforts, the WIOA core partners will increase awareness and access to services to individuals with barriers to employment, especially those with disabilities. These efforts include maximizing resources, co–enrollment, and cross referrals, outreach and service delivery will allow for increased awareness and access to services.

Strategy 2.4: Make available training programs that solve both the needs of employers and individuals.

• The State will work with employer partnerships, community colleges, secondary and post–secondary certificate granting schools and LWDBs to establish micro– credentials that demonstrate job readiness, the attainment of employability skills and measurable skill gains aligned to career pathways for individuals with barriers to employment, especially those with disabilities. A component of this effort will include sharing best practices with the intent of scaling the effort statewide.

• The State will promote the development of Registered Apprenticeship programs, with a focus on non–traditional industries and occupations. The state will also support efforts of existing Registered Apprenticeship programs to recruit female and minority apprentices.The Office of Apprenticeship will provide technical assistance to grantees and will promote the creation and growth of apprenticeship programs beyond the grantees.

• The State will continue to foster relationships between the workforce development and adult education, post–secondary and secondary education systems to ensure system alignment, programs of study that support job seeker and employer needs, and leveraging of resources to provide students with the best possible chance for success. This includes continuing to look for ways to partner with education through competitive grant opportunities.

• The State will maintain a robust Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) to include performance data for WIOA students receiving training in all programs. This will allow for informed customer choice in selecting training programs and training providers. The State will ensure that there are a sufficient number of training providers serving individuals with barriers to employment, especially those with disabilities, on the ETPL.

• The State will expand access to online education and training programs that result in industry–recognized credentials.

• The State will continue to foster relationships between the workforce development adult and post–secondary and secondary education systems to ensure system alignment, programs of study that support job seeker and employer needs, and leveraging of resources to provide students with the best possible chance for success. This includes continuing to look for ways to partner with education through competitive grant opportunities.

• The State will develop and implement integrated education and training models that provide accelerated learning opportunities for youth and adults lacking a high school credential and/or who are basic skills deficient.

• The State will build new and strengthen existing partnerships with employers to increase work–based learning experiences such as internships and apprenticeships that provide job seekers with the skills and credentials necessary to secure and advance in employment with family–sustaining wages. The State will encourage employers that receive state funds from economic development and other programs to utilize the public workforce development system and will give priority to employers providing high– quality jobs or jobs that are likely to lead to high– quality jobs.

Goal 3: Career Pathways Development

It is imperative that the workforce development system provide education and training for skills that lead to quality employment in high–demand jobs or entry–level occupations that lead to high demand jobs. Career pathways must be diverse with multiple entry and exit points allowing individuals of varying abilities, including low–skilled adults and youth with multiple barriers to employment, especially those with disabilities, to have realistic access to pathways. The State will support career pathways that help adults and youth advance among multiple occupations, advance within an occupation or move to a new occupation that has similar skills to a previous occupation.

Strategy 3.1: Ensure career pathways development as set forth in WIOA is followed.

• The State adopts the WIOA Section 3(7) definition of career pathways.

• West Virginia Adult Education, Career and Technical Education and the Community and Technical College System of West Virginia will develop strategies to integrate career pathway programs meeting the requirements of WIOA. Existing career pathway programs will expand to include basic adult education offerings such as literacy and numeracy, English Language Acquisition (ELA), and high school equivalency instruction as well of contextualized instruction in bridge and pre– bridge programs, pre–apprentice programs and integrated education and training programs supporting next steps in the career pathways models. This integrated system will permit participants to enter the pathway at any of these levels in addition to entering at the postsecondary level.

Strategy 3.2: Enhance current career pathways system.

• The State will leverage the existing career pathways system to develop a comprehensive career pathway system that combines education, training, counseling, and support services from multiple programs, including secondary and postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE), Adult and Literacy education (WVAdultEd), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training, the Community and Technical College System (CTCS) of West Virginia and higher education financial assistance, in addition to core programs of WIOA.

• The State will continue to refine the Sector Partnership program to ensure career pathways are aligned to occupations that are high–demand, have higher skill needs and are likely to pay family–sustaining wages. The State will consult with LWDBs and engage employers to accomplish this goal.

• The State will also support placement of individuals with barriers to employment, especially those with disabilities, into quality entry–level jobs that provide the work experience and non–technical skills necessary to lead to employment in high– demand jobs, and will consult with LWDBs and engage employers to identify the career pathways for which such quality entry–level jobs can serve as pre–bridge and bridge models.

• The State will require On–the–Job Training (OJT) and incumbent worker training, whether provided through WIOA core programs or the industry partnerships, to be tied to a career pathway.

Strategy 3.3: Educate individuals (job–seekers and employers) and encourage career pathways in training and employment environments.

• The State will promote and support the creation of pre–apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs, (ApprenticeshipUSA) particularly in non– traditional occupations and for non–traditional populations, as part of relevant career pathway models. The State will add apprenticeship opportunities to West Virginia WorkForce programs and will promote them as job/training options to job seekers.

• The State will establish statewide and regional lists of industry–recognized credentials with a focus on identifying credentials along established career pathways, including badges, micro–credentials and entry level credentials appropriate for individuals with barriers to employment. The lists will include academic credentials as well as credentials demonstrating job readiness and the attainment of employability skills through workforce preparation activities. The State will consult with LWDBs and engaged employers, including through Registered Apprenticeship programs and industry partnerships, to ensure that the credential lists reflect skills that are in demand.

• The State will enhance career guidance and navigation services to guide individuals, particularly individuals with barriers, especially those with disabilities, to employment and education, into programs and services that will provide them with an effective pathway to their career goals.

• The State will add information to the workforce development website regarding career pathways and will enhance information provided by the Department of Education around initiatives such as Simulated Workplace.

• The West Virginia Department of Education staff worked with numerous businesses and industries throughout the state to design Simulated Workplace. This new educational initiative was created to assist schools in integrating workplace environment protocols into the CTE programs that align with West Virginia workforce requirements. These protocols focus on transitioning the classroom to a student–driven “company” environment, random drug testing, professionalism, attendance, 5–S quality and safety. Simulated Workplace has enhanced instructional delivery of CTE and created a more engaged student. The Simulated Workplace environment provides students with the opportunity to take ownership of their individual performance as it impacts the overall success of their education while thriving in an authentic workplace culture. Simulated Workplace also encourages local business and industry experts to join onsite review teams to assist schools in meeting their workforce needs and expectations.

• Transcripted EDGE credit can be earned by these students to matriculate from secondary career technical education to the Community and Technical College System. The West Virginia EDGE was established in 2001 in Senate Bill 436. EDGE is an acronym for Earn a Degree–Graduate Early and is a result of the seamless curriculum initiative that focuses on curriculum alignment between educational levels. The alignment process identifies curriculum gaps, eliminates curriculum duplication and sets curriculum mastery levels to pre–determined standards while saving tuition money for students.

Goal 4: Increase Opportunities for Youth

Unemployment rates for older youth and young adults remain substantially higher than those for the population as a whole. The likelihood of employment is highly correlated with educational levels; rates of employment and labor market participation for individuals with secondary credentials or less are substantially lower than for those with postsecondary credentials. For these reasons, the workforce development system must recognize the employment challenges faced by youth, particularly those without postsecondary credentials. Partners must work together to alleviate barriers and create opportunities for our youth.

Strategy 4.1: Implement new WIOA regulations regarding youth.

• Recognizing the new priority on OSY, the State will identify models and effective practices, including for recruitment, flexible enrollment (e.g. self–attestation, co– enrollment, career pathways and retention) to help local area staff successfully meet the needs of those individuals.

• The State will work with the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education, and also with local boards, to ensure that statistical models and negotiated performance levels are established and calibrated so that they accurately reflect the profiles of out–of–school youth being served within the State and in each local area.

Strategy 4.2: Continue serving youth as a priority within the workforce development system

• The State will support the development of transitional jobs, social enterprises and other work experience strategies to help OSY with limited work histories to develop the skills needed for workplace success.

• The State will encourage the co–enrollment of high–risk OSY, ages 18 to 24, as both WIOA Adult and WIOA Youth participants to allow for the leveraging of funds and provision of necessary services. Where appropriate, co–enrollment in Title II adult basic education services, EARN, TANF and other partner programs will also be encouraged. The State will offer technical assistance and effective–practice sessions to ensure the co–enrollment of OSY in WIOA Adult and WIOA Youth programs and to promote their co– enrollment in partner programs. The State will also continue to encourage the use of Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) for 18 to 24 year old youth, potentially combined with, either sequentially or concurrently, work–based learning opportunities. TANF, SNAP and other partner programs will refer clients for ITAs, as appropriate.

• The State will expand opportunities for youth to acquire post–secondary skills and credentials needed for high wage jobs through increased access to career and technical education programs and work–based learning experiences. The Departments of Education and the Community Technical College System will work cooperatively to explore and develop appropriate connections between WIOA youth activities and Perkins postsecondary and state–funded programming.

• The Department of Education will support the transformation and modernization of career and technical education (CTE) and align CTE with the career pathways recognized by the State.

• The State will support LWDB collaboration with YouthBuild, JobCorps, and AmeriCorps sites and will encourage inclusion of those partnerships in local plans. Strategy 4.3: Offer youth a clear path to success.

• To ensure that OSY have access to career pathways, the State will work with local boards to identify on–ramps, access points, and supports which enable participants to enter and successfully complete training and enter employment.

• The WV Division of Rehabilitation Services (WVDRS) has re–aligned its resources to increase and improve services to youth with disabilities, especially high school students with disabilities. West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services has memorandums of understanding with all 55 county boards of education and has a vocational rehabilitation counselor assigned to each high school in the state. These counselors provide pre–employment transition services to students with disabilities to ensure students, and their parents, and school personnel are aware of available services, training, education, and employment options. Through the Positive Outcomes Within Education and Rehabilitation (POWER) program, students with disabilities have opportunities for job shadowing experiences. Through the Student Transition to Employment Program (STEP), students may receive services from teachers outside of the classroom, including job coaching and job placement. Youth may also continue to receive services from West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services after exiting high school. This often includes additional training and education required to achieve their chosen employment goal.

• The core agencies blend resources to provide more effective and efficient services to youth. This includes cross referrals and co–enrollment of consumers in addition to joint projects and activities at the state and regional level. In 2016, West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services will be initiating a project, in conjunction with the other core partners, to assist school districts in setting up community–based work exploration programs. The project also includes a statewide cross–sector outreach component to market the services available to youth, parents, job seekers, and employers in West Virginia.

• The State will use the Office of Apprenticeship to promote apprenticeship and pre–apprenticeship opportunities to youth.

(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.

Core Program Activities to Implement State Strategy

Each WIOA core agency has roles and responsibilities in serving consumers and employers through the One–Stop Center. These partners collaborate to better serve consumers utilizing these one–stop employment centers by sharing resources, reducing redundancies, and optimizing service delivery.Depending on the needs of individuals and the available services and resources from the programs (depending on eligibility), one or more agencies may provide services to a consumer. All three partners work with other agencies in various capacities to ensure its alignment with other WIOA programs.

To ensure the alignment of activities across programs, partners maintain ongoing communication to maintain awareness of the activities of other programs. In order to best serve consumers, state and local level staffs are kept well–informed of the services and other resources available from partner agencies. This communication occurs in several ways. At the state level, the Interagency Collaborative Team meets monthly to provide updates. At the local level, the three core partners are co–located at many American Job Centers, where daily interaction with partner agency staff occurs. Cross–training is also available, if needed. These activities result in better services to American Job Center consumers because they are provided the most appropriate services while preserving resources for future consumers.

Further alignment of services will be conducted at the individual consumer level. As appropriate, consumers may be referred to any of the core partners. When this occurs and a consumer is served by more than one WIOA agency (co–enrolled), the benefits of West Virginia’s integrated IT system become available to the consumer and service providers. The integrated system will update daily to inform service providers of the services that other agencies are providing a co–enrolled consumer. This knowledge will allow each agency to coordinate services while also avoiding the duplication of services. In addition, core partners will host and participate in community forums targeting special populations and provide public service announcements about services available. This system is in the process of being developed and in the initial stage of implementation Core and partner programs will collaborate to ensure that resources are leveraged and services are not duplicated. Integration among core partners enables the West Virginia Workforce System to remain flexible and adaptable while operating in an efficient and cost–effective manner.

The re–designed One–Stop services will provide improved access and efficiency, along with value– added services to customers of the state workforce system. System partners are responsible for the delivery of workforce education and training programs and related services, as well as education programs that support career preparation and advancement. Strategically, the programs and agencies serve either a common customer or are charged with achieving similar employment and education outcomes for their targeted customer groups, including those most in need and those with disabilities. These services will 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 child care, 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 local Boards and training providers to ensure the most effective delivery of workforce services.

The state will take further actions to coordinate services between WIOA core programs and non– core programs and services to create an effective career pathway system. These actions will include the following:

• The education agencies and educational institutions will work with the State WDB and LWDBs to build career pathways that include secondary and postsecondary career and technical education programs of study. • The state will expand skill–building services funded through Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (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. • The state will increase the integration of TANF employment and training services with WIOA core programs. • The state will design career pathways to have 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, to enable eligible participants without a high school diploma to qualify for Pell Grants and other federal student financial assistance.