Workforce Strategic Planning Collaborative
Today’s tight labor market, coupled with historic federal investments through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), make the 2024 Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) state planning cycle a unique opportunity for Governors to set the strategic direction for their state’s public workforce system. Yet the IIJA, CHIPS and IRA do not contain dedicated funding or mandated role for the workforce system, presenting a challenge for Governors and state policymakers to leverage WIOA strategic planning, funding, and infrastructure to prepare the necessary workforce for these new economic opportunities.
To help states capitalize on this opportunity, the United States Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and the National Governors Association, Center for Best Practice (NGA Center) have partnered to create the Workforce Strategic Planning Collaborative (WSPC). The WSPC will engage Governors’ policy advisors, state workforce development boards, and other state workforce development agencies and policymakers to use their 2024 WIOA State Plan to reshape workforce development service delivery by taking advantage of the federal investments in infrastructure and other opportunities created through IIJA, CHIPS and IRA.
Resources
Aligning the Workforce System and Economic Growth: Best Practices from State WIOA Planning
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires Governors to submit strategic and operational plans to the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) on a 4-year planning cycle. For program years (PY) 2024–2027, Governors submitted their WIOA State Plans to USDOL on March 4, 2024. In the run-up to WIOA State Plan Submission, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and USDOL partnered to support states as they developed their 2024 WIOA State Plans.
In December 2023, the NGA Center released a publication to support states as they set the strategic direction for implementation of these new laws through their State WIOA Plan. The five-part publication outlines opportunities within the Strategic Planning Elements of State WIOA Plans for Governors and state workforce development boards to steer new investments from IIJA, CHIPS, and IRA. It also features analysis of each of the three new federal programs and the corresponding opportunities for state workforce systems to play a key role in implementation.
Following the submission of 2024 – 2027 plans, the NGA Center and USDOL reviewed 23 plans for exceptional examples of strategic planning. Plans were assessed using a rubric incorporating criteria derived from USDOL’s State Plan Training and Employment Guidance Letter 04-23. This publication highlights exemplar states that strategically leveraged labor market information; outlined a vision for strategic partnerships; and detailed plans for IIJA, CHPIS, and IRA implementation. The report highlights four states: Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, and Virginia – each of which used its WIOA State Plan as a strategic document to improve its system and services.
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This publication provides Governors and state workforce development boards with a menu of actionable steps they can take to play a proactive role in implementing these laws through their WIOA plan and in the four years that follow.
It consists of five parts. Part I outlines high-impact opportunities related to the IIJA, CHIPS, and IRA for Governors and state workforce development boards to consider as they review and finalize the Strategic Planning Elements section of their WIOA plan. Parts II, III, and IV feature content specific to the IIJA, CHIPS, and IRA, respectively, and contain the same fundamental items. These include but are not limited to:
- analysis of key provisions that offer high-impact opportunities for Governors and the state workforce development board to carry out under the IIJA, CHIPS, and IRA;
- a menu of opportunities to consider for proactive implementation of new federal investment, including through the WIOA planning process;
- examples of state best practices; and
- links and descriptions to existing resources.
Part V contains a graphic that depicts the 2024–2027 WIOA planning period and illustrates opportunities for alignment with the programs highlighted in Parts II-IV.
NGA and US DOL Launch the Workforce Strategic Planning Collaborative
The Workforce Strategic Planning Collaborative will include three distinct phases:
- Phase I – State Planning Tool Development: The NGA Center and USDOL will create and publish a state planning tool that will provide Governors with a menu of options to consider as they develop their WIOA plans in partnership with their State Workforce Development Board.
- Phase II – Tool Deployment and Application: The NGA Center and USDOL will provide training opportunities to ensure the tool’s utility and impact for state planning. These opportunities will be provided through both virtual and in-person convenings.
- Phase III – Continued Action: Once state plans are submitted, the NGA Center and USDOL will provide opportunities for states to engage in peer learning activities that elevate best practices and outline the road ahead for implementation of the four-year plans.
“Today’s labor market has made workforce development a top priority for Governors. We look forward to helping Governors capitalize on this strategic opportunity, address widespread talent shortages, and carry out their vision for building a stronger workforce in their states through this new collaborative.”
Timothy Blute, Director, NGA Center for Best Practices
Developed through a comprehensive review of WIOA’s statute, final rule, and relevant guidance (as well as through years of collaboration with local, state and federal workforce development leaders), this brief outlines high-impact opportunities for Governors in the following three key areas:
- Creating, communicating, and executing the state’s vision and priorities for workforce development;
- Directing funding toward those priorities by leveraging authority over funding formulas and Governor’s Reserve funds; and
- Ensuring quality service delivery to employers and jobseekers by overseeing system performance and accountability.
This toolkit draws on insight from federal officials to outline the most pertinent programs and opportunities for state workforce development policymakers to consider as they seek to play a proactive role in implementing IIJA, CHIPS, and IRA.
