Narrative: b. 4.

West Virginia established Policy 2-16 addressing priority of service.  Priority of service for individualized career services and training services funded with Title I Adult funds will be as follows:

• First Priority: Veterans and eligible spouses (covered persons) who are low-income or recipients of public assistance or who are basic skills deficient.
• Second Priority: Individuals (non-covered persons) who are low-income or recipients of public assistance or individuals who are basic skills deficient.
• Third Priority: Veterans and eligible spouses who are not low-income and are not recipients of public assistance or basic skills deficient.
• Fourth Priority: Individuals who do not meet the above priorities.

Each WDB Region has the flexibility, when creating their own policies, to include a process that also gives priority to other individuals, as long as priority for those individuals comes after the first four groups described above.  An example of how priority of service is defined and applied to each participant-priority of service does not mean that only those individuals who meet the criteria listed above will be served.  It means that if there are individuals who meet those criteria who are registered for service and deemed in need of career and training services, they will be enrolled before other individuals are considered.  Intake and career planning services inform decision making on who will be enrolled, essentially using the rule that if individuals who meet the priority of service definition are available, they will receive consideration for training services (i.e. ITA) and work-based experience programs (i.e. OJT) over others.  

Individuals eligible for priority of service shall be identified at the point of entry. Upon identification they shall be notified of their entitlement to priority of service; the full array of programs and services available to them; and any applicable eligibility requirements for those programs and services.  LWDB staff must ensure individuals who qualify for priority of service receive individualized career and training services before other non-covered individuals and receive first priority on any waiting lists that are maintained for training slots.  However, once a participant is enrolled in a workshop, training, or service, he or she may not be displaced by an individual qualified for priority of service.

Each WDB Region will document priority in the State MIS/participant file.  State MIS provides career planners with the appropriate data fields to record eligibility (data fields include, but are not limited to: Veteran status, eligible spouse, low income, public assistance, basic skills deficient, case notes) and either upload appropriate documents into State MIS or place in the participant’s file.  On-site monitoring will determine if each WDB Region is in compliance with Federal regulations, as well as all State and Local policies.  WFWV staff will review the Participant Individual Record Layout and any other available federal report data elements and performance metrics to test for compliance with the priority of service rule, and ensure that priority of service is provided to veterans/eligible spouses, public assistance recipients, other low-income individuals, and individuals who are basic skills deficient. 

WIOA Policy 2-16 Priority of Service Policy for Adult Title 1 Funding can be found at: https://workforcewv.org/public-information/guidance-notices-and-policies or directly at: https://workforcewv.org/images/files/PublicInfo/guidance-notices/WIOA_Policy_2-16_Priority_of_Service_Policy.pdf.