Located in:
- III. Operational Planning Elements
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an Operational Planning Elements section that supports the State’s strategy and the system-wide vision described in Section II(c) above. Unless otherwise noted, all Operational Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs. This section must include—
- a. State Strategy Implementation
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include–
- 2. Implementation of State Strategy
Describe how the lead State agency with responsibility for the administration of each core program or a Combined Plan partner program included in this plan will implement the State’s Strategies identified in Section II(c). above. This must include a description of—
- 2. Implementation of State Strategy
- a. State Strategy Implementation
III. a. 2. E. Partner Engagement with Educational Institutions and other Education and Training Providers.
Describe how the State’s Strategies will engage the State’s community colleges, adult education providers, area career and technical education schools, providers on the State’s eligible training provider list, and other education and training providers, as partners in the workforce development system to create a job-driven education and training system. WIOA section 102(b)(2)(B)(iv). Include how the State’s strategies will enable the State to leverage other Federal, State, and local investments to enhance access to workforce development programs at these institutions.
Current Narrative:
Educational institutions are represented on all levels in the WIOA state and local structure. Leaders of Arkansas’ finest institutions are members of local workforce boards and help to shape and frame policies that ensure optimum effectiveness.
Core and non-core programs have strong partnerships with the State’s two- and four-year institutions of higher education, especially at the community college level. Several Arkansas Workforce Centers are located on community college campuses, which enable a streamline process to move jobseekers into needed training or resources to upgrade their skills on the campus. Community colleges are at the forefront of workforce development in Arkansas and have strong connections with local employers, which enable core and non-core programs such as the WIOA Title I Youth, Adult, and Dislocated Worker programs, Trade Adjustment Assistance, and the TANF program to connect their customers to training that leads to occupations that are in-demand.
Arkansas Career Pathways Initiative provides funding to the State’s community colleges to provide post-secondary training to low-income custodial parents that are TANF eligible. This program provides supports to eligible parents to begin training in a career pathway that will enable them to move up the ladder of success in their chosen field.
Adult Education has a strong partnership with educational institutions. Community colleges comprise 25 or 66% of local education agencies, whereas school districts comprise 7 or 19% of adult education providers in the state. Most adult education providers are located directly on community college campuses and, therefore, are often feeders to the community college regarding student enrollment. Adult education providers work closely with the college to provide adult learners with workforce training opportunities through the integrated education and training program. At the Northwest Technical Institute, North Arkansas College, and Eastern Arkansas Community Colleges Adult Education programs, learners are dually enrolled in the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program. SAU-Tech allows the ASU-Tech Adult Education program to use its classroom space and equipment for a CNA program. The adult education program hires technical and ABE instructors. Grant funds from TANF are used to pay for the TB test, supplies, and certification exam of eligible TANF participants.
The Adult Education state staff also works with the Arkansas Department of Education, Career Technical Education (CTE) Division to identify workforce training programs that adults can access after-hours. At the PEAK Innovation Center, a technical and career training center for high school students in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, the Ft. Smith Adult Education program plans to offer workforce training opportunities to adults in Advanced Manufacturing, Construction Technology, and Adult Apprenticeships after hours and possibly weekends. As mentioned, the state office and providers also work with Arkansas Virtual Academy (AVA), the state’s virtual high school, to offer online career technical education courses to adult learners. Since adult education providers are required to have an integrated education and training (IET) program, the partnership helps recruit qualified CTE instructors to teach the contextualized portion of a training program while an ABE instructor does the basic skills portion. The IET model quickly teaches students literacy, work, and college-readiness skills so they can move through school and into living wage jobs faster.
Adult education also strongly partners with the local workforce development boards (LWDBs). Oftentimes, adult learners are referred to one-stop centers to pay for training through Title I WIOA funds. Career Coaches work with adult learners at the local adult education program to identify a career pathway and find training programs using the Eligible Training Provider List. If the adult learner qualifies for services, they can enroll in the program and still access adult education services for more academic support to complete the training successfully.
The best way to ensure that activities continue to be aligned with programs and activities provided by mandatory one-stop partners is through communication. The purpose of the WIOA law is to ensure that core state agencies work together to enhance the workforce development system. As a state, we have created a combined state plan that will serve as the blueprint of how the system will work. Local Workforce Investment Boards have been restructured to ensure that all core agencies are represented including employers and other optional-one stop partners. It is up to the local Workforce Investment Board to ensure that local activities are aligned with the State Plan and the law.
To best align services and resources, core and optional programs will develop joint policies and initiatives that spur collaboration, braiding of resources, and support the inclusion of key stakeholders in development and implementation. In order to continue to be inclusive of other programs and align with all workforce development resources in Arkansas, it is imperative that the work of the WIOA Partners Roundtable continue and transition from an implementation body to a coordination and continuous improvement body. By doing so, we set ourselves up to more efficiently bring in other federal, state, and private or non-profit resources to the benefit of our citizens. By utilizing this design, the WIOA Partners Roundtable can approach additional partner programs with a united front.
Through the WIOA Partners Roundtable, optional partners are at the table including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Trade Adjustment Assistance, Career and Technical Education, Carl D. Perkins (secondary and post-secondary), SNAP Employment & Training, and Job for Veterans State Grant. While these partners are optional, we consider their input as vital to making the Arkansas workforce development system streamlined and effective. Every policy developed for statewide implementation is reviewed by subject matter experts from both core and non-core programs.
Arkansas Rehabilitation Services provides training for individuals with disabilities through partnerships with two-year/four-year colleges and career technical education programs to create job-driven education and training opportunities for individuals with disabilities. ARS’ leadership are members of The Advisory Council for the Education of Children with Disabilities and the Arkansas affiliate of the Association of Higher Education and Disability (Ark-AHEAD).
The Division of Services for the Blind provides training for individuals with disabilities through education and training programs. DSB partners with World Services for the Blind to promote credential earning training programs for individuals who are Blind and Visually Impaired, such as the medical coding and billing certification and the licensed massage therapist program.