 Montana Workforce Investment Act
Description: Title I of the Workforce Investment Act
of 1998, establishes a One-Stop Delivery System for workforce investment
activities. The one-stop delivery system is a system where entities responsible
for administering separate workforce investment, educational and other
human resource programs and funding streams (referred to as one-stop
partners) collaborate to create a seamless system of service delivery
designed to enhance access to the programs’ services and improve
long-term employment outcomes for individuals receiving assistance.
WIA requires partnerships in the one-stop delivery system. Those partners
include: Title IB adult, youth and dislocated worker programs; Job Corps;
Native American programs; Migrant Seasonal Farmworker programs; Veterans’ workforce
programs; Wagner-Peyser Act programs; Adult Education and Literacy Activities;
programs authorized under Title I parts A&B of the Rehabilitation
Act; welfare-to-work programs; Senior Community Service Employment activities;
Carl Perkins postsecondary vocational education programs; TAA and NAFTA
assistance programs; HUD; UI; employment and training programs authorized
under Community Services Block Grant programs; and veterans’ employment
and disabled veterans outreach programs. Other entities such as TANF
and Food Stamp are not required partners but may serve as partners in
the one-stop delivery system.
There are many certified One-Stop Systems
and Centers in Montana. Please click on
the link to the left titled “One-Stop Center Locations” for a list of the locations and addresses.
Purpose: Individuals seeking to manage their career
need access to information and high quality services and Montana businesses
need skilled workers. It is the purpose of WIA and the one-stop delivery
system to help facilitate meeting both of those needs. This program is
intended to empower individuals through better integration of services
and meaningful labor market information (employment statistics) so that
individuals can make informed choices about their careers.
Services:
Core services consist of activities such as determining eligibility
to receive assistance under WIA Title I, outreach, intake and orientation
to the information and other services available through the one-stop
delivery system, initial assessment of skill levels, aptitudes, abilities,
and supportive service needs (child care and transportation and referral
to other services as appropriate); job search and placement assistance,
and where appropriate career counseling; provision of employment statistics
information relating to the local, regional and national labor market
areas; and provision of performance information and cost information
on eligible providers of training services, youth activities, adult
education, post-secondary vocational education, vocational education
activities available to school dropouts, and vocational rehabilitation;
and information regarding filing claims for unemployment compensation.
All individuals can access “core” services through the
one-stop centers and affiliate sites.
Intensive services are provided to adults and dislocated
workers who are not able to obtain employment or who remain underemployed
after utilizing core services. An individual must have received at least
one core service such as an initial assessment that determines that individual’s
need for these services. Individuals may be employed but need these services
in order to obtain or retain employment that allows for self-sufficiency.
Intensive services may include comprehensive assessments of skill levels
and need; in-depth evaluation to identify employment barriers and appropriate
employment goals; group and individual counseling and career planning;
case management; short-term prevocational services that might include
development of learning and communication skills and professional conduct
to prepare individuals for unsubsidized employment; supportive services;
and development of an individual employment plan to identify employment
goals, appropriate achievement objectives and services that will help
the individual employment goals.
Training services are available to employed and unemployed
adults and dislocated workers who have met the eligibility requirement
for intensive services, have received at least one intensive service
and have been determined to be unable to obtain or retain employment
through intensive services; are in need of training services and have
the skills and qualifications to successfully complete the selected training
program; are unable to obtain grant assistance from other sources such
as PELL grants or TAA or require WIA assistance in addition to other
sources of grant assistance; or meet the priority of services established
by the local workforce area. The training program should be directly
linked to the employment opportunities in either the local area in which
they reside or in areas where they are willing to locate.
Training services are provided through Individual Training Accounts
that allow adults and dislocated workers to purchase training services.
Training services are intended to be provided in a manner that maximizes
informed customer choice and may only be purchased through training providers
that are on the State’s list of eligible training providers (ETPL).
The ETPL is continuously updated with the most current information on
training programs and providers in order to give individuals a wide variety
of training programs and occupational choices. A training program may
consist of one or more courses or classes, or structured regimen, that
leads to a certificate or degree or the skills or competencies needed
for a specific job or jobs or occupation(s). The eligible training provider
list may be viewed at: https://jobs.mt.gov/jobs/provider/provider.seek
Check out the adult, youth and dislocated worker websites for information
specific to each program as well as the list of adult and youth service
providers.
http://wsd.dli.mt.gov/wia/wiaadult.asp
http://wsd.dli.mt.gov/wia/wiayouth.asp
http://wsd.dli.mt.gov/wia/wiadislocatedworker.asp
Economic Development: The program is intended to help
Montanans make wise career choices and educational/training decisions.
Workforce development plus educational development equals economic development.
Business and industry must have access to a highly skilled workforce
in order to compete globally. The complete Workforce Investment Act (all
five titles) is designed with this in mind.
Administration:
The Statewide Workforce Programs and Oversight Bureau (Bureau) provides
statewide program oversight and also acts as the fiscal agent and
administrative entity for the State Workforce Investment Board (SWIB).
Bureau functions include fiscal tracking, participant data tracking,
reporting to the U.S. Department of Labor, monitoring the Workforce
Investment Board and local service providers for compliance and quality
issues, providing training and technical assistance to the system
and policy interpretation and development. A portion (15%) of the
funding for each program (adult, youth and dislocated worker) allotted
to states is reserved for the Governor’s set aside and the remainder
(85%) of the adult and youth funds are passed through to the local
areas. Montana reserves twenty-five percent of the dislocated worker
funds alloted to the state for rapid response activities provided
by Job Service Workforce Centers, 15% is reserved for the Governor’s
set aside and 60% is passed through to the local areas. On behalf
of the SWIB, the Bureau contracts with local providers who then provide
services to adults, youth and dislocated workers.
Statewide
Programs & Oversight
Gary Wright, Bureau Chief
P.O. Box 1728
Helena, MT 59624
E-mail:
wia@mt.gov
Phone (406) 444-4100
Fax (406) 444-3037
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