Located in:
- II. Strategic Elements
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include a Strategic Planning Elements section that analyzes the State’s current economic environment and identifies the State’s overall vision for its workforce development system. The required elements in this section allow the State to develop data-driven goals for preparing an educated and skilled workforce and to identify successful strategies for aligning workforce development programs. Unless otherwise noted, all Strategic Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs.
- c. State Strategy
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include the State's strategies to achieve its strategic vision and goals. These strategies must take into account the State’s economic, workforce, and workforce development, education and training activities and analysis provided in Section (a) above. Include discussion of specific strategies to address the needs of populations provided in Section (a).
- c. State Strategy
II. c. 2. Describe the Strategies the State Will Use to Align the Core Programs, Any Combined State Plan Partner Programs Included in This Plan, Required and Optional One-stop Partner Programs, and Any Other Resources Available to the State to Achieve Fully Integrated Customer Services Consistent with the Strategic Vision and Goals Described Above. Also Describe Strategies to Strengthen Workforce Development Activities in Regard to Weaknesses Identified in Section Ii(a)(2).
Current Narrative:
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.
Strategy 1.2: Ensure cross–training of all workforce development staff.
Strategy 1.3: Maintain frequent communication with all partners within the workforce development system.
Strategy 1.4: Develop common IT system to be used by core partners.
Goal 2: Customer–Driven Approach (Individual & Employer)
We 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.
Strategy 2.2: Assess skill gaps and needs of individuals seeking employment and/or training.
Strategy 2.3: Ensure that individuals with barriers, especially those with disabilities, to employment have increased access to and for opportunities for employment, education, training, and support services.
Strategy 2.4: Make available training programs that solve both the needs of employers and individuals.
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 enter the labor force and/or 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.
Strategy 3.2: Enhance current career pathways system.
Strategy 3.3: Educate individuals (job–seekers and employers) and encourage career pathways in training and employment environments.
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.
Strategy 4.2: Make youth services a priority within the workforce development system
Strategy 4.3: Offer youth a clear path from their current situation to success.
To ensure alignment, all WIOA core programs have mutual memorandums of understanding that help facilitate an integrated service delivery system. The WIOA core partners will continue to maintain communication at the state and local levels on a regular basis. Information will be shared among the partners in order to provide better and more efficient services to individuals enrolled in one or more programs and to employers served by the system.
All core partners are represented on the State’s Interagency Collaborative Team (ICT), a group centered around WorkForce West Virginia to provide on–going attention to addressing issues that will build and continually improve the overall WDS. The team is the single State–level interagency group for addressing issues or concerns regarding building and maintaining the most effective and efficient implementation of the overall WDS in WV. All partner agencies participate in regular, monthly meetings of the ICT, and is one of the signatories of the ICT Memorandum of Understanding, which is drafted annually. The ICT membership includes:
• WorkForce West Virginia
• Wagner–Peyser/Labor Exchange
• Bureau of Senior Services
• Council for Community and Technical College Education
• Department of Education and the Arts
• West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services
• Department of Education
• Office of Adult Education and Workforce Development
• Office of Institutional Education Programs
• Department of Health and Human Resources
• Division of Corrections
• Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety
• Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority
• West Virginia Development Office
• Business and Industrial Development
All core partners have a Memorandum of Understanding with each of the seven local Workforce Development Board regions in the State, and is represented within each local board. Core partners also provide services through One–Stop Centers located in the seven regions. Core partners also represented on the State’s Workforce Development Board, which meets quarterly to assist in the development of a state plan that will enhance the capacity and performance of the WDS; align and improve the workforce programs and investments; and promote economic growth.