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—
- b. State Operating Systems and Policies
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include a description of the State operating systems and policies that will support the implementation of the State strategy described in section II Strategic Elements. This includes—
- 5. Distribution of Funds for Core Programs
Describe the methods and factors the State will use in distributing funds under the core programs in accordance with the provisions authorizing such distributions.
- A. For Title I Programs
Provide a description of the written policies that establish the State's methods and factors used to distribute funds to local areas for—
- A. For Title I Programs
- 5. Distribution of Funds for Core Programs
- b. State Operating Systems and Policies
III. b. 5. A. i. Youth Activities in Accordance with WIOA Section 128(b)(2) or (b)(3)
Current Narrative:
Youth Activities in accordance with WIOA section 128(b)(2) or (b)(3). The AWDB coordinates and establishes policy for conducting all employment and training activities within the workforce investment system created by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 and Arkansas Code §15-4-3707 through 15-4-3713, including all activities conducted in and through Arkansas’s one-stop centers. The criteria for funding the programs included in this plan will be consistent with the federal and state laws governing those programs and are described in detail in the funding sections below.
The chief elected official or lead elected official in a local workforce development area will serve as the local grant recipient for, and shall be liable for any misuse of, the grant funds allocated to the local area for youth, adult, and dislocated worker activities under Sections 128, 129, 132, and 133 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
In a case in which a local workforce development area includes more than one unit of general local government, the chief elected officials of such units will execute an agreement that specifies the respective roles of the individual chief elected officials, including responsibility for maintaining the integrity of the allocated funds. If, after a reasonable effort, the chief elected officials are unable to reach agreement about this responsibility, the Governor makes the determination. The local plan must include the agreement concerning this responsibility.
In order to assist in the disbursement of the grant funds, the chief elected official or lead elected official of a local workforce development area may designate an entity to serve as a local grant sub-recipient for such funds or as a local fiscal agent. Such designation shall not relieve the chief elected official or lead elected official of the liability for any misuse of grant funds. The local grant recipient or sub-recipient will disburse such funds for workforce development activities at the direction of the local board. The local grant recipient or sub-recipient will disburse the funds immediately on receiving such direction from the local board. The local board, in partnership with the chief elected official(s), will conduct oversight with respect to local programs of youth activities authorized under WIOA Section 129, local employment and training activities authorized under WIOA Section 134, and the One-Stop delivery system in the local area.
WIOA Title I Youth Funding Allocation Formula The in-state allotment of funds to local workforce investment areas for Title I youth activities under the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act will be made using the formula required in WIOA Section 128(b)(2)(A)(i), as follows:
- 33 1/3 percent of the funds to the local workforce development areas will be based on the relative number of unemployed individuals in areas of substantial unemployment in each workforce development area compared to the total number of unemployed individuals in all areas of substantial unemployment in the state.
- 33 1/3 percent of the funds will be based on the relative excess number of unemployed individuals in each workforce development area compared with the total excess number of unemployed individuals in the state.
- 33 1/3 percent of the funds will be based on the relative number of disadvantaged youth in each workforce development area compared to the total number of disadvantaged youth in the state.
To ensure that youth funds are distributed equitably and to avoid significant shifts in funding levels to local areas, a hold-harmless provision will be applied. Under this provision, a local area will not receive an allocation percentage for a fiscal year that is less than 90 percent of the average allocation percentage of the local area for the 2 preceding fiscal years, as required in WIOA Section 128(b)(2)(A)(ii). Amounts necessary for increasing such allocations to local areas to comply with the preceding sentence will be obtained by ratably reducing the allocations to be made to other local areas, as also required in WIOA Section 128(b)(2)(A)(ii).
In accordance with WIOA law, Arkansas Workforce Development Board has adopted a funding allocation methodology for those Local Areas with High Concentrations of Eligible Youth (HCY). This methodology calculates each Local Area’s weighted average of “eligible youth” and, if the average exceeds the overall state average, additional funding will be awarded.
Arkansas received a comment during the public comment period requesting that language be aligned with WIOA Title I Policy 5.3, describing the HCY methodology further.
Response:
The revised language, contained within WIOA Policy 5.3, Change 1- High Concentration of Youth Award, includes the following:
- Calculate the individuals for each county in each of the categories relying on available data provided by LMI.
- Group the State's 75 counties into LWDAs and add the total number for each county in the LWDA to determine the total number in each LWDA.
Some individuals will meet the criteria for more than one category. This calculation considers the number of barriers versus the number of individuals.
- In all category calculations for the City of Little Rock LWDA and Central LWDA, a percentage of Pulaski County totals are used. Percentage used for the City of Little Rock LWDA is City of Little Rock Population divided by Total Pulaski County Population.
- The LWDA’s weighted number of "Eligible Youth” is divided by the LWDA’s total population to determine what weighted percentage of the LWDA's population consists of Eligible Youth.
- Any LWDA that has a weighted percentage of Eligible Youth, as compared to its overall population, that is equal to or greater than the risk factor designated by ADWS, will be deemed as having a "High Concentration of Eligible Youth" for purposes of the funding formula.
- Each LWDA meeting the aforementioned criteria, will be awarded additional youth funding. This is based on a formula of total Eligible Youth divided by the total dollars available to be awarded under the part one methodology. This multiplier is used to determine each LWDA’s amount to be awarded. (Note: this weighted percentage of Eligible Youth risk factor will be adjusted annually as required to meet ADWS’s goal of no less than 50% of the LWDAs receiving funding.)