Narrative: d. 4.

• Expanded workforce services for individuals at all levels of skill and experience;
• Access to multiple employment and training resources - Access to multiple resources that may not be offered by or available through one individual program;
• The integrated and expert intake process for all customers entering the American Job Center - Frontline staff are familiar with the functions and basics of each program;
• Integrated and aligned business services;
• Expert advice from multiple sources;
• Expanded community and industry outreach;
• Encouraging efficient use of accessible information technology.

Department of Workforce Services - Role as the Provider of Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Services

The WWDC has selected the DWS as the provider of Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Services.  As the primary provider of these services, DWS shall provide the services to Adults, Dislocated Workers and Youth in accordance with P.L. 113-128, all applicable Rules and Regulations, and other formal guidance from the Department of Labor, including but not limited to:

• The primary provider of services within the One-Stop Centers;
• Ensure basic services to job seekers and employers are being met such as access to job listings, labor market information, employment workshops, and mediated services;
• Provide the following career services:
  • Outreach, intake, and orientation;
  • Initial assessment;
  • Eligibility for services;
  • Referrals to programs;
  • Performance and cost information;
  • Information on Unemployment Insurance (UI);
  • Financial aid information;
  • Follow-up services;
  • Promote and provide human resources to further the mission of the Wyoming Grown program;
  • Provide the Program Strategy Team all legally releasable data requested;
  • Provide eligibility determinations and access to training services; and
  • Report all other Partner Agencies and Partners and innovative projects to the WWDC.

Roles And Responsibilities Of Partner Agencies And Partners

All Partner Agencies and Partners

All Partner Agencies and Partners to this MOU shall comply with:

• Section 188 of the WIOA Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Regulations (29 C.F.R. § 38; Final Rule, published December 2, 2016);
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Public Law 88-352);
• Section 504 for the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended;
• The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-336);
• The Jobs for Veterans Act (Public Law 107-288) pertaining to the priority of service in programs funded by the U.S. Department of Labor;
• Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 37-14, Update on Complying with Nondiscrimination Requirements: Discrimination Based on Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Stereotyping are prohibited Forms of Sex Discrimination in the Workforce Development System and other guidance related to implementing WIOA Section 188;
• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232(g); 34 CFR 99);
• Confidentiality requirements governing the protection and use of personal information held by the Vocational Rehabilitation agency (34 C.F.R. § 361.38);
• The confidentiality requirements governing the use of confidential information held by the State Unemployment Insurance agency (20 C.F.R. § 603);
• All amendments to each; and
• All requirements imposed by the regulations issued pursuant to these Acts.

The above provisions require, in part, that no persons in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, disability, political beliefs or religion be excluded from participation in, or denied, any aid, care, services or other benefits provided by federal and/or state funding, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination.

Additionally, all Partner Agencies and Partners shall:

• Collaborate and reasonably assist each other in the development of necessary service delivery protocols for the services outlined in the Partner Agencies and Partners Services section above;
• Agree that the provisions contained herein are made subject to all applicable federal and state laws, implementing regulations, and guidelines imposed on either or all Partner Agencies and Partners relating to privacy rights of customers, maintenance of records, and other confidential information relating to customers; and
• Agree that all equipment and furniture purchased by any Partner Agencies and Partners for purposes described herein shall remain the property of the purchaser after the termination of the MOU/Addendum.

Governor or Designee

The Governor of Wyoming or his designee shall, at a minimum:

• In partnership with the WWDC and other applicable Partner Agencies and Partners, develop and submit a State Plan that includes a description of the activities that shall be undertaken by WWDC and its Partner Agencies and Partners;
• Approve the WWDC’s budget and cost allocation plan for the State;
• Approve the selection of the One-Stop Operator; and
• Coordinate with the WWDC to oversee the operations of the DWS as the One-Stop Operator.

Wyoming Workforce Development Council

The WWDC ensures the workforce-related needs of employers, workers, and job seekers in the state are met, to the maximum extent possible with available resources.  The WWDC, at a minimum:

• In partnership with the Governor or his designee and other applicable Partner Agencies and Partners within the state, develop and submit a State Plan to include a description of the activities that shall be undertaken by the WWDC and its Partner Agencies and Partners, and that aligns its strategic vision, goals, objectives, and workforce-related policies to the economy;
• In collaboration with Partner Agencies and Partners develop the strategic vision, goals, objectives, and workforce-related policies;
• In cooperation with the Governor or his designee, design and approve the One-Stop Center network structure.  This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Adequate, sufficient, and accessible One-Stop Center locations and facilities;
  • Sufficient numbers and types of providers of career and training services (including eligible providers with expertise in assisting adults in need of adult education and literacy activities);
  • A holistic system of supporting services; and
  • Selection of a One-Stop Operator for the State.
• In collaboration with the Governor or his designee, select, oversee, monitor, implement corrective action, and, if applicable, terminate the One-Stop Operator.
• Determine the role and day-to-day duties of the One-Stop Operator;
• Approve annual budget allocations for the operation of the One-Stop Center network;
• Help the One-Stop Operator recruit operational Partner Agencies and Partners and negotiate MOU/Addendum with new Partner Agencies and Partners;
• Leverage additional funding for the One-Stop Center network to operate and expand One-Stop customer activities and resources; and
• Review and evaluate the performance of the One-Stop Operator.

WWDC Staff

Specific responsibilities include, at a minimum:

• Assist the Governor or his designee and the WWDC with the development and submission of the State Plan;
• Support the WWDC with the implementation and execution of the vision, mission, goals, objectives, and workforce-related policies, including all the duties outlined above;
• Provide operational and grant-specific guidance to the One-Stop Operator;
• Investigate and resolve elevated customer complaints and grievance issues;
• Prepare regular reports and recommendations to the WWDC;
• Oversee negotiations and maintenance of MOU/Addendum with One-Stop Partner Agencies and Partners. Provide administrative support to the Governor’s WWDC and committees;
• Report to the WWDC results of operations, performance, policy, and continuous improvement recommendations for approval. Support and assure compliance with the WWDC certification criteria for One-Stop Centers;
• Assure compliance with and implementation of the Partner Agencies and Partners as provided for in forthcoming guidance from the WWDC;
• Oversee and organize cross-training of staff to provide information to customers on all services available in a One-Stop Center;
• Ensure compliance with WIOA Federal and State laws and regulations;
• Develop and implement a system to gather, analyze, and report the performance of core Partner Agencies and Partners and system services;
• Coordinate the development and implementation of a formal referral process between Partner Agencies and Partners for services within the One-Stop Centers;
• Comply with its policy that requires a firewall between DWS’ function as a One-Stop Operator and Direct Service Provider and its function as a Program Strategy Team;
• Require an annual joint report from the core programs which demonstrates administrative-to-program costs and program performance.

One-Stop Operator

DWS has been selected as the One-Stop Operator in Wyoming and shall be referred to as the One-Stop Operator as appropriate.  DWS will employ individuals to act as One-Stop leadership and oversee the operation of each One-Stop Center detailed above.  Formal leadership, supervision, and performance responsibilities will remain with each staff member’s employer of record.  The One-Stop Operator, through the One-Stop leadership, will, at a minimum:

• Assist the WWDC in establishing and maintaining the One-Stop Center network structure.  This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Ensuring State requirements for center certification are met and maintained;
  • Ensuring career services outlined in WIOA Section 134(c)(2) are available and accessible;
  • Ensuring WWDC policies are implemented and adhered to;
  • Adhering to the provisions contained in the MOU/Addendum;
  • Reinforcing strategic objectives of the WWDC to Partner Agencies and Partners; and
  • Ensuring staff are properly cross-trained by their formal leadership organizations and provided technical assistance, as needed.
• Integrate systems and coordinate services for the One-Stop Center and its Partner Agencies and Partners, placing priority on customer service.
• Integrated workforce service delivery, as defined by WIOA, means organizing and implementing services by function (rather than by program), when permitted by a program’s authorizing statute and as appropriate, and by coordinating policies, staff communication, capacity building, and training efforts.
• Functional alignment includes having One-Stop Center staff who perform similar tasks, serve on relevant functional teams, e.g. Skills Development Team or Business Services Team.
• Service integration focuses on serving all customers seamlessly (including targeted populations) by providing a full range of services staffed by cross-functional teams (consistent with the purpose, scope, and requirements of each program).
• The services are seamless to the customer, meaning the services are free of cumbersome transitions or duplicative registrations from one program service to another and there is a smooth customer flow to access the array of services available in the workforce center.
• Coordinate Partner Agencies’ and Partners’ programs and the One-Stop Center network performance.  This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Providing and/or contributing to reports of center activities, as requested by the WWDC;
  • Providing input to the formal leader (Partner Agencies and Partners program official) on the work performance of staff under their purview;
  • Notifying the formal leader immediately of any lack of coverage of for a program;
  • Identifying and facilitating the timely resolution of complaints, problems, and other issues;
  • Collaborating with the WWDC on efforts designed to ensure the meeting of program performance measures, including data sharing procedures, to ensure effective data matching, timely data entry into the Management Information System(s), and coordinating data batch downloads (while ensuring the confidentiality requirements of FERPA, 34 C.F.R. § 361.38, and 20 C.F.R. § 603);
  • Ensuring open communication with the formal leaders in order to facilitate efficient and effective center operations;
  • Evaluating customer satisfaction data and propose service strategy changes to the WWDC based on findings; and
  • Managing fiscal responsibilities and records for the workforce center.  This includes assisting the WWDC with cost allocations and the maintenance and reconciliation of the One-Stop Center operation budgets.

The One-Stop Operator will not assist with the development, preparation, and submission of the State Plan.  They cannot manage or assist in competitive processes for selecting operators or select or terminate One-Stop Operators, career services providers, or Youth providers.  The operator cannot negotiate performance accountability measures or develop and submit budgets for activities of the WWDC.  The WWDC is responsible for the negotiated performance measures, strategic planning, budgets, and One-Stop Operator oversight (including monitoring).

Partner Agencies and Partners

Each Partner Agency and Partner commits to cross-training of staff, as appropriate, and to provide other professional learning opportunities that promote continuous quality improvement.  Partner Agencies and Partners will further promote system integration to the maximum extent feasible through:

• Effective communication, information sharing, and collaboration with the One-Stop Operator;
• Joint planning, policy development, and system design processes;
• Commitment to the joint mission, vision, goals, strategies, and performance measures;
• The design and use of common intake, assessment, referral, and case management processes;
• The use of common and/or linked data management systems and data sharing methods, as appropriate;
• Leveraging of resources, including other public agency and non-profit organization services;
• Participation in a continuous improvement process designed to boost outcomes and increase customer satisfaction;
• Participation in regularly scheduled Partner Agencies and Partners Agencies and Partner Agencies and Partners meetings to exchange information in support of the above and encourage the program and staff integration;
• Utilization of a portion of funds available for the program and activities to maintain the One-Stop delivery system, including payment of the infrastructure costs of the One-Stop Centers in accordance with law; and
• Participation in the operation of the One-Stop system.

Partner Agencies’ and Partners’ Services

At a minimum, Partner Agencies and Partners will make the below services available, as applicable, consistent with and coordinated via the One-Stop Center network system.  Additional services may be provided on a case by case basis and with the approval of the Governor or his designee and the WWDC.

Business Services

Job Seeker Services

Youth Services