Narrative: II. a. 2.

2. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES ANALYSIS

A. The State’s Workforce Development Activities

Louisiana's local workforce development boards are part of the state's Public Workforce System, which is a network of federal, state, and local offices that support economic expansion and develop the talent of Louisiana's workforce. Louisiana has 15 local workforce development boards (LWDB) that provide oversight and guidance of each of their local workforce development areas (LWDA) within the state and are aligned with workforce partners including economic development, education, and business stakeholders at the local, regional, and state levels. Each LWDA provides assistance to employers and job seekers within their service area in growing a healthy and thriving economy. Employers are assisted with hiring, training, and upskilling their workforce to meet their needs, and job seekers are provided the opportunity to promote and upgrade their skills to meet the needs of businesses.  Louisiana's industry-driven workforce development system plays a vital role in facilitating connections between employers and job seekers through employment and training needs. Boards and their contractors work collaboratively to ensure that these services and assistance are available to all employers and job seekers, including veterans, individuals with disabilities, and others.

The public workforce development system across Louisiana is comprised of 8 Regional Local Market Areas, 15 local workforce development boards, and 62 American Job Centers (AJC).  Of the 62 Centers, 15 are Comprehensive AJCs, which include the presence of all partners.  AJCs offers an extensive array of services and are a principal leader of workforce activities within the state. They integrate workforce services in conjunction with the LWDB's oversight, planning, and guidance.  

AJCs offer job seekers: 

• Outreach, common intake and assessment, orientation and referral to other services.
• Initial and Comprehensive assessment of skills, aptitudes, interests and abilities, both in a self-service and staff assisted service context, based on the specific needs of the job seeker.
• Career Counseling, job search and placement assistance.

• Provision of Labor Market Information by location, region, and national areas – job vacancy listings, information on skills relating to local occupations in demand and the earnings and skill requirements for those occupations.

• Provision of performance information and program cost information on eligible training providers. Provision of information relating to the availability of supportive services such as child care and transportation.

AJCs offer employers:

• Screening and referral of qualified job candidates.
• Outreach and assistance in developing effective recruiting job orders.
• Access to the State’s “talent bank”.
• Coordination of job fairs and recruitment events.
• Connection with community service organizations and tax credit opportunities.
• Training for Incumbent Workers.
• Connections to Registered Apprenticeship programs.
• Provision of information regarding the availability of OJT and Customized Training, including referral of employers to sources of funding for worker training.
• Coordination with economic development and other programs that assist business.
• Assistance with layoff aversion.

The global pandemic created a paradigm shift in how many services are provided to job seekers and businesses. The impact to the state's workforce service delivery model has expanded to incorporate more equitable and accessible platforms.  This expansion of service delivery includes virtual services,  enhanced customer interaction via multimedia sources, mobile workforce centers, and video conferencing. 

Additionally, the workforce ecosystem across the state includes many agencies and programs, all of which were involved in the development of this Combined State Plan:

Adult, Dislocated Worker and Youth

The WIOA Title I Adult program provides workforce activities that increase, (particularly for individuals with barriers to employment), the employment, retention, earnings, and attainment of recognized postsecondary credentials of adults age 18 and older, and as a result, improving the quality of the workforce, reducing dependency on public assistance and increasing economic self-sufficiency. WIOA aligns systems to support workforce development and career preparation.

LWC, under WIOA codification, and through its policy guidance, clarifies to all partners that participants are not required to pass through multiple layers of assessments and services before entering into training. The state service delivery model has effectively combined core and intensive services into career services, giving all partner staff in One-Stop Centers the flexibility to provide access to training based on assessed need. The redefined service model:

• Provides more flexible training delivery options to meet the needs of low-income individuals.
• Allows Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) to contract directly with colleges or eligible training providers to supply training for high-demand occupations and/or industry sectors.
• Expands reliance beyond Individual Training Accounts and increases flexibility to help local boards use WIOA funds to a better scale.
• LWDBs continue to develop and refine innovative and effective models for obtaining industry-recognized credentials, including:
  • Integrated education and training approaches; career pathways, industry or sector partnerships, including those pertaining to Registered Apprenticeship programs and opportunities.
  • Cohort-based approaches.
  • Evidence-based approaches that reflect best practices including Registered Apprenticeship programs, and
  • Development of interim credentials for longer-term Registered Apprenticeship programs, which Louisiana can do as an “SAA State” (State Apprenticeship Agency).

In addition, LWDBs may use a portion of local funds to fund pay-for-performance contracts as a form of training delivery under Title I, with continuous evaluation of how target populations are chosen, to fairly serve individuals who face barriers to employment and economic success.

LWDBs may consider the full cost of participating in training services, including expenses related to dependent care, transportation and other essential needs for individuals who need additional assistance.

Louisiana uses a broad range of training programs as part of its workforce development strategy. These programs involve collaborating with local boards, companies and education/training providers to improve training.

LWC requires:

Local boards and/or One-Stop operators to specifically report on expenditures for career and training services and on the number of participants who received career and training services. This requirement is specifically designed to make planning and funding decisions more transparent, and to provide better opportunities for public oversight.

Eligible training providers to report results for all of their students for common measures for each program of study, not just participants whose training costs were paid for through the use of WIOA funds, in order to improve transparency of results for programs and for disadvantaged persons.

Adult

The Adult Program is one of the six core programs authorized by Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The goal is to provide assistance and resources to individuals transitioning into the workplace.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission recognizes that for many low-skilled and disadvantaged youth and adults, improved economic opportunity depends on their ability to access education and training necessary to prepare them for college and career success. Evaluation of job training programs for adults finds that postsecondary education, in particular a degree or industry-recognized credential related to in-demand jobs, is the primary determinant of lifetime earnings. Education and training provides opportunities for increasing a family’s financial resources, helps parents stay employed and establishes a solid foundation for the next generation (youth). 

Partnerships with High Education institutions are imperative to ensure individuals are selecting the best career pathway for them. Helping them earn those credentials whether it is an associate degree, 4-year degree or some type of short-term training to help them get those high-demand, high wage jobs.

Enhanced access and flexibility are offered for WIOA work-based training options at all American Job Centers across the state. Available programs include Registered Apprenticeship, On-the-Job Training, Customized Training, and Incumbent Worker Training. A primary goal of the agency is to expand the number of registered apprenticeship programs and enhance the resources and support for local area staff in the screening and assessment processes. This active involvement is essential for effectively guiding candidates into work-based training, a fundamental aspect of our employer-based training programs.

Emphasis shall be placed on work based learning strategies that align with business needs. Incorporating Registered Apprenticeship into service design and delivery is one way LWC expects LWDBs to address the middle skill jobs that account for over half of Louisiana’s labor market as noted in an earlier section, and it likewise addresses the need to focus on in-demand occupations and recognized credentials. One way to accomplish this is by having American Job Center staff involved and engaged in screening and assessment for current registered programs.

LWC operates its Adult Training Program to identify workers who currently need or will need higher levels of education to fare better in the labor market to reduce the incidence and duration of unemployment while supporting higher earnings and job stability. Louisiana honors the Title I Priority of Service requirement by leveraging all available funding streams and partnerships, regardless of state or local funding availability, in providing priority access to higher-intensity career services and training to:

• Recipients of Public Assistance.
• Other Low-income individuals.

• Basic Skills Deficient Individuals
• Individuals with barriers to employment

LWC in its continued implementation of WIOA requires LWDBs to:

• Report the number of individuals with barriers to employment served by each core program, with specific breakdowns by subpopulation.
• Report on the number of individuals with barriers to employment that are served by the Adult and Dislocated Worker program, with specific breakdowns by subpopulation, race, ethnicity, gender, and age.

WIOA establishes a priority requirement with respect to funds allocated to a local area for adult employment and training activities. AJC staff, when using WIOA Adult funds to provide individualized career services, training services, or both, must give priority to recipients of public assistance, other low-income individuals, and individuals who are basic skills deficient. Under WIOA, priority must be implemented regardless of the amount of funds available to provide services in the local area.

For the purpose of determining eligibility of adult under WIOA, individualized career or training services shall constitute a minimum of 51% of adults served meeting the priority target groups.  This minimum threshold will ensure that local one-stops are targeting adults in most need of services beyond “basic career services while developing talent pools that meet the short term as well as long term workforce needs of businesses.

Documenting Low-Income Status for Priority of Service

OWD 2-24.3 WIOA Title I Adult and Dislocated Worker Policy provides guidance regarding low-income individuals. All local area staff are required to properly document low-income status when enrolling an adult in the WIOA Adult Program. There are six criteria an individual may meet to qualify as low-income under the WIOA Adult Services requirements. This information is documented through case notes, including documents in HiRE.

LWDA Priority of Service Policy

It is a requirement that all Local Workforce Development Areas must develop policies, which describe how Priority of Service will be applied at each local area. OWD 2-24.3 WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker Policy which outlines Priority of Service.

This policy may include the:

     1. Availability of other funds for providing employment and training-related services in the local area;

     2. Needs of the specific groups in the local area; and

     3. Other appropriate factors.

2. LWDAs may not establish policies that undermine WIOAs focus on providing services to targeted priority of service populations. LWDAs must not set a percentage of funds that will be used to serve priority populations
3. LWDAs may establish a process that gives priority to other individuals eligible to receive such services, provided that it is consistent with priority of services to veterans and other targeted priority of services populations under WIOA.
4. Local area policy must clearly state how LWDAs serve the adults population that do not meet the priority of service criteria and how this information is tracked.

Dislocated Worker

Layoffs of any kind provides an undue burden on employers and workers. The Rapid Response Services Unit is a much needed measure to provide assistance quickly to layoffs and plant closing by coordinating services.  The goal is to provide dislocated workers with tools and support needed to obtain credentials, occupational skills, and suitable employment at comparable wages with minimal disruption to individual lives.

Direct services to workers facing a plant shutdown or large-scale lay-off, are focused on preparing them to find suitable new employment, and get them back to work as quickly as possible by helping them overcome such difficult barriers to employment as:

• Transferring and/or upgrading specialized skills to other jobs, occupations or industries.
• A decline in the market demand for certain skills.
• Age or length of work experience.
• Need for formal training or education.
• Lack of jobs with earnings at a level comparable to their previous positions.

Dislocated worker services are custom-tailored to meet an individual worker's specific needs. Working one-on-one with a case manager, workers are guided through the process of developing an Individualized Employment Plan that includes as a minimum:

• Career planning and counseling.
• Job search and placement.
• Approved training, which include Registered Apprenticeship programs.
• Other needed support services.

WIOA Dislocated Worker Verification of Layoff or Termination

There are several methods used to verify a layoff at a local area office.  Such as verification from the employer, a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice, a public announcement with a follow-up cross-match with the Unemployment Insurance system, or a Rapid Response list showing names of affected employees.  The Local Workforce Development Area may also obtain a verification document through a WIOA Title I Self-Attestation and/or Applicant Statement.

Youth

Louisiana operates without a standardized service delivery model for WIOA Youth Services. Instead, Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) have the freedom to design youth service models that best fit their regional needs. These models must facilitate the implementation of Career Pathways that support postsecondary education, cater to the needs of both low-income in-school and out-of-school youth, and foster opportunities from pre-apprenticeship to Registered Apprenticeship programs. Each LWDB is encouraged by the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) to competitively procure and implement all fourteen program service elements. Furthermore, LWC is dedicated to assisting LWDBs through One Stop partners to develop age-appropriate and developmentally suitable service models for out-of-school youth.

Local programs deliver youth services in partnership with American Job Centers, under the guidance of LWDBs. Additionally, the Youth Apprenticeship program connects high school students to apprenticeships by combining academic and technical instruction with work experience through a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). This program lays a foundation for students to pursue various post-high school pathways, including college enrollment, apprenticeship entry, full-time employment, or a combination thereof.

Louisiana Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth Program operates under a Youth Formula Program. The WIOA provides innovative programs to assist in-school and out-of-school youth, as well as youth with disabilities and other significant barriers to employment. WIOA is a comprehensive youth employment program serving eligible youth, ages 14 -24, who face barriers to education, training, and employment by providing a broad array of activities designed for educational and occupational skills training in fifteen Local Workforce Development Areas throughout the State of Louisiana.  

LWC encourages each LWDB to competitively procure, provide and include all 14 program service elements, which are required to be made available to youth participants. WIOA focuses primarily on out-of-school youth, requiring local areas to expend a minimum of 75% of WIOA youth funds.  WIOA prioritizes at least 20% of Youth Formula Funds be spent on paid and unpaid work experience program element (including summer jobs programs). 

LWC will work with local areas to ensure they:

• Will not require out-of-school youth in high-risk categories to prove low-income status to receive services.
• Will provide services to individuals who have dropped out of high school, have not attended school for at least one calendar quarter of the most recent school year, or are subject to the juvenile or adult justice systems under the out-of-school youth program.
• Will target and provide services to homeless individuals, runaways, current or former foster care youth and individuals who or are pregnant or parenting.
• Will provide services to youth who are not attending school, hold a secondary credential, and are either basic-skills deficient or an English language learner.
• Will consider youth living in a high-poverty area to meet the low-income criterion for youth activities funding and services.
• The state will monitor and guide local boards such that at least 75 percent of available statewide funds and 75 percent of funds available to local areas are spent on workforce investment services for out-of-school youth.

Local Boards may directly provide some or all of the youth workforce service activities. If a Local Board serves as the youth service provider and performs other roles such as fiscal agent or AJC Operator, the Local Board must have appropriate firewalls in place between the staff providing services, the staff responsible for oversight and monitoring of services, and the Local Board. The firewalls must conform to Title 20 CFR Section 679.430 for demonstrating internal controls and preventing conflicts of interest.

Local Workforce Development Areas may follow their local procurement rules provided those rules are not less stringent than the Louisiana State Contract and Procurement Policies, otherwise local areas must adhere to State procurement policies.(Louisiana Title 34 Government Contracts, Procurement, and Property Control)

 Local Boards must also identify youth service providers based on criteria in the State Plan (Title 20 CFR Section 681.400). The State Plan establishes that Local Boards should select service providers that do the following:

1. Employ proven recruitment strategies of effective outreach, engagement, enrollment, and retention of OSY.
2. Demonstrate meaningful partnerships with eligible training providers, institutions of higher education, and employers from in-demand industries.
3. Offer a continuum of services that allow participants to obtain a GED/High School diploma, enroll into postsecondary education, and obtain employment within their chosen career path.
4. Utilize career pathways and sector strategy models with a structured sequence of activities, as well as multiple entry and exit points that provide adequate supportive services.
5. Use structured work-based learning, such as paid and unpaid work experiences and career exploration that leads to gainful employment.
6. Provide intensive case management and support services to help youth overcome complex barriers, successfully complete the program, and retain employment.

1. Competitive Basis

If a Local Board chooses to award, grant or contract youth service providers for some or all activities, the Local Board must award such grants or contracts through a competitive process that does the following:

1. Takes into consideration the ability of the youth service provider to meet performance accountability measures.
2. Meets the procurement standards specified in Uniform Guidance and the DOL Exceptions.
3. Follows state and local procurement laws.

All local boards must all follow local area policies related to awarding contract to entities.

2. Sole Source Exception

The local board may award, grant, or contract on a sole-source basis if such board determines there are an insufficient number of eligible providers of youth workforce investment activities in the local area.

When the Local Board awards a grant or contract to a youth service provider who also fulfills another role in the Local Area, a written agreement with Local Board and the Chief Elected Official must provide clarity on the expectation for those roles and clear methods of tracking execution and accountability for the distinct roles.

Adult Education

In 2010, the Louisiana Legislature finalized the transference of responsibility of Louisiana's adult education delivery system from the Louisiana Department of Education (LADOE) to Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS). This effort was not simply about moving a program's administration from one agency to another. It was about reconsidering completely the goals, outcomes, and direction of adult education in Louisiana. LCTCS developed a new policy framework whose primary focus is putting Louisiana adults to work by providing high-quality basic skills instruction, in addition to wrap-around student services that lead to a seamless transition to postsecondary enrollment, technical skill training, credentialing, and family-sustaining employment. As a symbol of the new vision, the Louisiana Adult Education Program was re-branded "WorkReady U." Adult education programs have progressively adjusted educational services and delivery models and are well-positioned to provide/deliver/coordinate the required activities under Title II-WIOA.

Adult Education connects with the One-Stop system through the intake and assessment process to identify adults with limited basic skills and use innovative instructional models as necessary to prepare adult learners for transition to postsecondary training or careers. The LCTCS Adult Education and Family Literacy Program (WorkReady U), administers and provides program performance oversight to eligible local entities that provide adult education services. These services include academic instruction and education services that increase the individual's ability to:

• read, write, and speak English and perform mathematics or other activities necessary for the attainment of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent;
• transition to postsecondary education and training: and
• obtain employment. 

Wagner-Peyser

Louisiana adeptly meets the WIOA mandate by integrating Wagner-Peyser Employment Services into its American Job Centers across all LWDA regions statewide. All job seekers, including those receiving unemployment insurance and individuals from priority populations, access uniform services covering career counseling, labor exchange referrals, personalized labor market insights, and referrals to mandated WIOA partners and community-focused resources. Additionally, unemployment insurance claimants benefit from eligibility assessments and general assistance concerning their claims.

Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS) is present in all Comprehensive One-Stop centers and in affiliate locations as necessary to assure effective service to individuals with disabilities through participant’s skills training which enhances participant ability to obtain employment in their desired field, in particular “high demand jobs”.  LRS consistently places clients in high demand jobs.

The LRS Program Coordinator for rehabilitation technology provides consultation to Comprehensive One-Stop Center staff and affiliate locations to improve knowledge regarding assistive technology and address other accessibility issues.  In addition, the agency’s Rehabilitation Employment Development Specialists (REDS) serve as LRS liaisons for all Comprehensive One-Stop centers and affiliate locations within their region, providing public awareness and services to consumers such as building job-seeking skills and employment development.  The State is committed to the success of individuals with disabilities and leads the collaboration effort across all Partner Programs.

LRS continues to renew and revise existing local cooperative agreements, as applicable, with all school districts in Louisiana.  The Department of Education (LDOE) and LRS continue to work together to establish regional core teams throughout the state.   LRS collaborates with LDOE, the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (OCDD), Work Incentive Planning Program, the Office of Community Services, and the Office of Youth Development in an effort to network, share information and utilize comparable benefits to enhance VR services to transitioning students.  The primary focus of LRS’ collaboration is to identify and address barriers (e.g. policies, eligibility process, resource allocation), assure effective service provision through support of local interagency core teams, provide cross-agency training, outreach, engage in capacity building of young adults and family outreach efforts, provide continued support of innovative models and practices related to transition and provide information and technical assistance. 

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is committed to providing cash assistance and supportive services to needy families meeting specific financial criteria and to provide services necessary to accomplish the goals and purposes of Section 401 of the Social Security Act (42 USC 601) in order to:

• Provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives.
• End dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage.
• Prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancy.
• Encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.

The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)

The state continues to administer the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, which is available to workers who lose their jobs or experience reduced hours or income as the result of increased foreign trade activity. Continued case management for existing participants and outreach activities for potential participants are required by USDOL, even though the program entered a phased-out termination on July 1, 2022. This means that workers must have been qualified under a filed and certified petition prior to June 30, 2022 in order to be eligible for Trade benefits. Restoration or reauthorization of TAA requires Congressional action.

While TAA Case Managers are not housed in every American Job Center, each AJC receives training on co-enrollment requirements from Trade staff. Additionally, TAA Case Managers are identified to frontline AJC staff to ensure that participants are directed to the proper person.  

Trade services are considered an integral part of the American Job Center’s service delivery and may involve any and all partners based on the particular needs of individual clients. As such, trade- affected workers may be eligible for:

• Training services.
• Job-search allowances.
• Relocation allowances.
• Re-employment services.
• Funded training.
• On-the-job training.

Like the dislocated worker program, TAA-funded training helps trade-impacted workers obtain the skills necessary to gain suitable employment. TAA will pay tuition, course fees, books and required supplies and equipment, transportation and other items or services deemed necessary for completion of an approved occupational  and customized skills training programs, including Registered Apprenticeship programs.

Jobs for Veterans State Grant (JVSG)

Louisiana provides employment, training and placement services to all veterans through a network of strategically located American Job Centers, and supported by HiRE. JVSG provides services to veterans and eligible persons according to need, and significant barriers to employment. LWC Jobs for Veterans State Grant-funded activities are co-located within the state’s American Job Centers.  JVSG staff referred to as Local veteran Employment Representative (LVER) and Disabled Veteran Outreach Program (DVOP) Specialist are essential parts of and fully integrated into the workforce development network.  The veterans program is operating a fully functional re-entry program.

Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) 

The goal of the planning process is to design a long-term strategic view of the senior citizen employment opportunities, inclusive of SCSEP and measurable strategies to achieve the defined goals.

Currently the Louisiana Senior Community Service Employment Program is operated by both the state and national non-profit organizations. The program serves low-income persons who are 55 years of age and older who have poor employment prospects by placing them in part-time community service positions and by assisting them to transition to unsubsidized employment. This does not include individuals who are seeking employment and are not eligible for program services.

Louisiana is committed to bringing SCSEP together with diverse stakeholders (including local boards and One-Stop operators) to develop and expand employment and training opportunities for the state’s senior citizens. The goal of the planning process is to design a long-term strategic view of the senior citizen employment opportunities, inclusive of SCSEP and measurable strategies to achieve the defined goals.

Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)

Louisiana is committed to combating poverty and advancing self-sufficiency through strategic partnerships and support mechanisms in low-income communities. This effort is led by the LWC's CSBG Unit within the Office of Workforce Development, an essential component of the Louisiana Combined Plan. The CSBG Unit collaborates with forty-two public and non-profit Community Action Agencies (CAAs) across the state's sixty-four parishes to roll out locally tailored programs that effectively reduce poverty and enhance independence. These programs address a diverse set of needs tailored to each community, including emergency housing and utility assistance, transportation, job training, food assistance, medical support, financial counseling, and more, forming a crucial part of the Louisiana Workforce continuum of services.

While these services are crucial, currently, there is a significant opportunity for enhanced coordination between the CSBG and the Local Workforce Development Boards. Such coordination could streamline access to these essential services and bridge gaps in support that are not covered under WIOA. This integration would ensure that supportive services and additional funding provided by CAAs reach a broader audience and more effectively meet the complex needs of Louisiana's low-income populations.

Furthermore, the state benefits from a modest amount of CSBG discretionary funding, which supports innovative projects like no-cost expungement services to remove employment and housing barriers for those who might otherwise remain outside the labor force. However, despite some collaborative successes between CAAs and American Job Centers, such as raising service awareness and providing logistical support for expungement clinics, a structured and systematic approach to coordination is missing but essential for future improvements.

Establishing robust coordination between the CSBG program and Local Workforce Development Boards will not only enhance service delivery but also maximize the impact of available resources, ensuring that every initiative is strategically aligned to foster economic stability and community revitalization across Louisiana.

SNAP E&T

SNAP Employment & Training recipients gain the skills, training, or work experience needed for employment, increased self-sufficiency, prosperity, and lower reliance on SNAP benefits by participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T) program. Goals of SNAP E&T include: 1) Collaborate with community organizations to span the state to ensure availability of educational and training services; 2) Strategically plan to consult and partner with the four federally recognized Indian Tribal Organizations in Louisiana, and 3) SNAP recipients will obtain skills and gain meaningful employment that moves them forward towards self-sufficiency.

B. The Strengths and Weaknesses of Workforce Development Activities

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor recently released two reports titled Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and Coordination of Public Assistance and Workforce Development Programs, both focused on the outcomes of workforce development programs statewide. These two reports provide detailed analysis related to both the strengths and weaknesses related to workforce development activities across the state. 

Strengths

Comprehensive Service Range: The Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) administers a broad spectrum of services under the WIOA programs, offering career and training services that cater to adults, dislocated workers, and youth. This comprehensive approach is aimed at preparing individuals for sustainable employment in high-demand careers.

Training and Credentialing Success: The audit report highlights that Louisiana’s WIOA programs have been successful in providing participants with valuable credentials and skills. The state has outperformed others in credential attainment rates, indicating strong training programs that effectively meet the needs of participants.

Collaboration with Educational Institutions: Collaboration with the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) and the Louisiana Board of Regents (BOR) demonstrates a strategic approach to linking workforce development with educational pathways, enhancing the relevance and impact of training programs.

Efficient Use of One-Stop Centers: The existence of 60 One-Stop Centers across the state, including comprehensive and affiliate centers, ensures accessible career services and employer support.

Weaknesses

Fragmentation and Lack of Integration: The report points out a fragmented system with insufficient collaboration between various programs and entities. The lack of comprehensive memorandums of understanding (MOUs) among Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) and partner programs undermines the potential for a cohesive service delivery system.

Underutilization of Programs: There is a significant gap between the number of individuals eligible for WIOA services and those who are actually enrolled. This underutilization suggests issues with outreach, awareness, and possibly the perceived value or accessibility of the programs.

Discrepancies in Employment Outcomes: Although participants are gaining credentials, they are not translating into successful job placements at a satisfactory rate. Many participants find employment that pays less than before, indicating a misalignment between training and market demand or insufficient support in job placement efforts.

Inconsistent Performance Across Local Areas: The audit reveals substantial variance in the cost per participant and outcomes across different LWDBs. This inconsistency suggests uneven resource allocation, program management, and service quality, which could lead to inequities in workforce development efforts across the state.

Challenges in Sustainable Employment: The finding that most WIOA participants did not achieve earnings high enough to be self-sufficient post-program highlights a critical area for improvement. Ensuring that training programs not only lead to employment but also to jobs that offer a living wage is essential for the success of workforce development initiatives.

A significant weakness noted by both reports is the lack of integrated data systems and comprehensive longitudinal data across workforce development partners in Louisiana represents a significant weakness in the state’s approach to workforce development. This limitation hampers the ability to assess program effectiveness over time, understand the long-term impact on participants, and make informed decisions for continuous improvement

Lack of Integrated Data Systems

Fragmented Information Sharing: The absence of a unified data system across WIOA and its partner programs leads to siloed information storage and sharing. This fragmentation prevents the seamless exchange of participant data and service outcomes, complicating efforts to track individual progress comprehensively from entry to post-exit phases of workforce programs.

Impacts on Service Delivery: Without integrated data systems, coordinating services and identifying overlapping or complementary program offerings becomes challenging. This lack of coordination can result in duplicated services, gaps in support for participants, and inefficient use of resources.

Barrier to Strategic Planning: Effective strategic planning and resource allocation depend on detailed and consolidated data. The current disjointed data infrastructure limits the ability of policymakers and administrators to perform in-depth analyses, hindering strategic decisions that could enhance program impact and efficiency.

Need for Longitudinal Data

Tracking Long-Term Outcomes: Longitudinal data is crucial for understanding the sustained impact of workforce programs on participants’ employment stability, wage growth, and career advancement. The current lack of such data in Louisiana restricts the ability to evaluate long-term program success and economic mobility of participants.

Evaluating Program Effectiveness: Long-term tracking of participant outcomes would allow for a more nuanced assessment of program effectiveness, including the identification of which programs consistently lead to successful employment and which may require redesign or improvement.

Informing Policy Development: Comprehensive longitudinal data would provide a solid evidence base for policy development and program refinements. It can highlight trends, successes, and areas for improvement, thereby informing targeted interventions and policies to bolster workforce development efforts.

To address these issues, Louisiana could benefit from developing a more integrated data system that allows for the sharing of information across all workforce development programs and partners. Additionally, establishing mechanisms for collecting and analyzing longitudinal data on participant outcomes would greatly enhance the state’s ability to monitor progress, evaluate the effectiveness of workforce initiatives, and adapt strategies to meet the evolving needs of the labor market and workforce participants.

In summary, while Louisiana's workforce development activities exhibit strengths in training and credentialing, there are significant opportunities for improvement in integration, outreach, employment outcomes, and ensuring equitable and effective service delivery across the state. Addressing these weaknesses will be crucial in enhancing the overall impact of Louisiana's workforce development efforts.

C. State Workforce Development Capacity

The Louisiana Combined State Plan Partners have defined “capacity” in three categories of service:  efficiency, connectivity, and funding.  LWC has a solid foundation in efficiently providing employer and job-seeker services.  The implementation and operation of a continuous process improvement strategy shows promise in continuing to create efficiencies in these processes.

 There is opportunity for stronger coordination and consistency between Partner Programs, through the use of a Common Intake Process and Co-enrollment strategy that will improve efficiencies across the board for all partners.  This “any door” approach will enable any job seeker to enter the system with a consistent approach, which will result in seamless transition among Partner Programs and Supportive Services providers. LWC is also engaged in developing a “data warehouse” that will make data sharing more instantaneous and homogenous to all partners. LWC will work jointly with other state agencies to develop a common process that will allow for uniform data elements to be shared across departments.

The capacity of the State's education and training services varies from region to region and is based on the needs of individuals and funding availability by the LWDA.   The State has adopted a Career Pathway approach to address efficiency issues related to how timely and responsive it is in developing plans and entering job-seekers into training.  This will allow employers and job-seekers to focus on a stepped approach to earning education and training.              

 The State is determined to meet the need of “market connection” by identifying and providing "working learners", with greater flexibility and broader opportunities in education and training in order to overcome limited funding.  The State’s goal is to develop capacity to assist job-seekers, who find training and education at odds with making a “family sustaining wage.”   This can be accomplished through closely managed and leveraged resources.

While LWC has previously focused on bolstering its Business Services capabilities through a dual approach utilizing 'Industry Sector Coordinators' and 'Business Services Representatives., a key area of opportunity remains stronger coordination between these positions and Local Workforce Development Boards. These positions establish partnerships with employers to gain insights into the workforce needs of the business community. These collaborations yield crucial information for targeted outreach and job matching, facilitating employers in acquiring the skilled personnel necessary for business growth. Additionally, they collaborate closely with Program Partners responsible for enrolling, assessing, and delivering tailored career services to job seekers. However, a strengthened referral process to AJCs is a priority. This shift in effort aims to proactively anticipate and promptly address labor market demands, ultimately contributing to an increase in Louisiana's Labor Force Participation rate.

LWC’s Apprenticeship Division is working statewide to improve the capacity of the workforce system relative to incorporating Registered Apprenticeship in service design and delivery, as well as to support the emphasis on career pathways.  The engagement of State apprenticeship staff with the Office of Apprenticeship in Dallas has also been robust, and we expect that partnership to continue.  As noted earlier in this plan, LWC believes Registered Apprenticeship is a model that strikes “…the critical balance between serving individuals and employers in a manner that will produce strategies that in the long run are good for both.”

 LWC’s service platform is proven, and is a solid foundation on which to broaden its use.  However, there are still challenges with the state’s larger communities and metropolitan areas.  These are difficult to serve consistently, due to the varying size of firms and industry concentrations.

 Because of the complexity of adopting new laws, in the context of waning budgets and moving industry targets, the State and its LWDAs face a series of strategic challenges to the workforce system both in services to job seekers and employers.   Together, these challenges are high, but the opportunities to address these challenges are even greater.   The State is building a coalition of Partner Programs, researching and designing support structures, and shall effectively address the next stage of The State's workforce development system through strategic realignment, simplified navigation and an integrated approach to serving all its customers.