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Plan: Washington PYs 2016-2017
Combined Plan C

Section: WIOA State Plan Common Elements

Narrative: II. c. 2.

Published
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).

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:

See section 1 Above.

ALIGNING STATE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES: The Washington State Department of Commerce (Commerce) is a committed partner to the state’s workforce system and understands the role that housing services have in serving WIOA clients, particularly those with barriers to employment. The Department of Commerce is the one agency in Washington State that touches every aspect of community and economic development: planning, infrastructure, housing, energy, public facilities, public safety and crime victims, international trade, business services and more. Commerce works with local governments, businesses and civic leaders throughout the state to strengthen communities so all residents may thrive and prosper. The Director of Commerce holds a seat on the state Workforce board, bringing the Department’s expertise in economic development, sector based outreach, and affordable housing policy to conversations about the state workforce system. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awards Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds throughout the state of Washington both through Commerce and directly to local governments in CDBG entitlement areas. Commerce administers the state CDBG funding to rural local governments or non-entitlement areas. Commerce has no administrative role over CDBG funds awarded directly to local governments by HUD, such as the Seattle Housing Authority. Annually, non-entitlement local governments apply directly to Commerce for CDBG funds through a competitive procurement process. These entities apply for CDBG funding based on their own locally prioritized activities, which may include employment and training. The specific activities funded by the State CDBG program are unknown until the procurement process is complete and projects have been selected. The Department of Commerce primarily awards CDBG grants for infrastructure activities, but Commerce does set aside a portion of the funds to be used specifically for CDBG public services activities, which may include employment and training activities. When a rural local government applies for and receives CDBG public services funding for an employment or training activity through Commerce, then those activities are required to align with the State’s WIOA strategies and be coordinated with the grantees’ local WIOA partners. The Department of Commerce has been a partner from the beginning of the WIOA planning and implementation process, providing staff expertise that shaped the goals in all four strategic priority areas of the state plan: business engagement, integrated service delivery, accessibility for all, and ensuring performance accountability. Staff from the Department of Commerce’s Office of Economic and Competitiveness and Division of Community Services and Housing will continue to serve on implementation committees organized by the Workforce Board, in particular working to advance the state’s business engagement goals and bring focus to aligning affordable housing initiatives administered by the Department of Commerce to the state’s workforce development strategy.