Glossary

Career and Technical Education has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education.

Career and Technical Education is—

  • a sequence of courses that include rigorous academic content and relevant technical knowledge and skills that prepare secondary or post-secondary students for further education and careers in high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand occupations;
  • applied learning that supports the development of academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, employability skills, occupation-specific technical skills, and knowledge of all aspects of an industry;
  • to the extent practicable, coordinated between secondary and postsecondary education programs through programs of study, which may include early college high school programs, dual credit, and other articulations; and
  • may include career exploration as early as the middle grades.

The chief elected official is:

  • The chief elected executive officer of a unit of general local government in a local area; and in a case in which a local area includes more than one unit of general local government, the individuals designated under the agreement described in section 107(c)(1)(B).

An Economic Development Region is a designated region consisting of a combination of local areas (or a single local area) that are partially or completely in a single planning region, labor market area, or other appropriate contiguous sub-area of a State, that is designated by the State under WIOA section 106(a), or a similar interstate region that is designated by two or more States under WIOA section 106(b). The State of Illinois has designated 10 Economic Development Regions (EDR).

An Illinois workNet Center is a facility (as described in Section 121(e)(2)) where the six core programs (Title I adult, dislocated worker, and youth programs; Title II adult education and literacy programs; Title III Wagner-Peyser program; and Title IV vocational rehabilitation program), as well as other required and optional partners identified in WIOA provide access to information and services, along with service providers, to job seekers and businesses.

A Local Workforce Innovation Area is a single county or multiple counties designated by the Governor, which allows for the receipt of an allotment under Sec. 127(b) or 132(b), with considerations consisting of the extent to which the areas – (i) are consistent with labor market areas in the State; (ii) are consistent with regional economic development areas in the State; and (iii) have available the Federal and non-Federal resources necessary to effectively administer activities under subtitle B and other applicable provisions of this Act, including whether the areas have the appropriate education and training providers, such as institutions of higher education and area career and technical education schools.

A Local Workforce Innovation Board is a group of business, workforce, governmental, and community leaders established and certified by the Governor, to carry out the functions described at Sec. 107(d).

Any entity described as a) section 121(b)(1); or b) section 121(b)(2) that is participating, with the approval of the local board and chief elected official, in the operation of a one-stop delivery system. WIOA specifies sixteen (16) required program partners to deliver career services, employment, and training services through the one-stop delivery system and in the one-stop centers. All required partners must make career services applicable to the partner’s programs available to participants through the one-stop delivery system. All required partners must contribute funds to maintain the one-stop delivery system. Each partner is required to pay a capped share of the infrastructure costs for the comprehensive one-stop centers. The required partners must also enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Local Board relating to the operation and funding of the One-Stop system that meets the requirements of WIOA and participates in the operation of the one-stop system consistent with the terms of the MOU and requirements of authorizing laws.

List of Eligible Providers – Part of the WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) federal legislation provides funding for individuals to retrain for a new occupation. If an individual is eligible for WIOA retraining money, they are awarded an Individual Training Account (ITA). ITAs can be used only at approved schools for WIOA certified programs. Eligible Training Providers offer training programs that are currently eligible by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (Commerce) and the Illinois Workforce Development System (IWDS).

The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program provides a statewide comprehensive, coordinated, effective, efficient, and accountable State program as an integral part of a statewide workforce development system; and to assess, plan, and provide VR services to individuals with disabilities so that those individuals may prepare for and engage in competitive integrated employment consistent with their unique strengths, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice. VR agencies provide a wide variety of services to individuals with disabilities, including career counseling, work-based learning experiences (e.g., internships, apprenticeships, and short-term employment), financial support for vocational training and postsecondary education, rehabilitation technology, and training in its use, transition and pre-employment transition services, supported employment services, transportation, and other services and supports necessary for individuals with disabilities to achieve employment.

Passed in July 2014, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is the first federal reform of the workforce system in 15 years. WIOA replaces and modifies the Workforce Investment Act, which started in 1998. WIOA is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy. Congress passed the Act by a wide bipartisan majority; it is the first legislative reform in 15 years of the public workforce system. The majority of WIOA provisions became effective July 1, 2015. The goal of WIOA is to improve the quality of the workforce, increase economic self-sufficiency, reduce welfare dependency, meet employer skill requirements, and enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the nation. These core programs are included in WIOA:

  • Employment and Training Programs (Title I):
  • Disadvantaged Youth Services
  • Economically Disadvantaged Adult Services
  • Dislocated Worker Programs
  • Re-employment Services under Wagner-Peyser
  • Disabled persons employment support through Vocational
  • Rehabilitation Services https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/wioa

Key Terms

The WIOA final regulations promote increased public identification of the one-stop delivery system (Illinois workNet® system in Illinois) through the use of a common identifier across the nation. “American Job Center” is designated as the common identifier for the one-stop delivery system. This was a process started under WIA, and many one-stop centers are already incorporating the use of either the ‘‘American Job Center’’ title or the associated tagline ‘‘proud partner of the American Job Center network’’ into their branding.

A Community-Based Organization is a private nonprofit organization (which may be a faith-based organization), that is representative of a community or a significant segment of a community and that has demonstrated expertise and effectiveness in the field of workforce investment.

Any person seeking assistance to find employment or training, whether employed or unemployed, and employers who need qualified workers for their company or training for workers who are already employed with them.

The provision of direct connection at the one-stop, within a reasonable period of time, by phone or through a real-time Web-based communication to a program staff member who can provide program information or services to the customer.

An individual who: A)i) has been terminated or laid off, or who has received a notice of termination or layoff, from employment; ii)I) is eligible for or has exhausted entitlement to unemployment compensation; or (II) has been employed for a duration sufficient to demonstrate, to the appropriate entity at a one- stop center referred to in section 121(e), attachment to the workforce, but is not eligible for unemployment compensation due to insufficient earnings or having performed services for an employer that were not covered under a State unemployment compensation law; and 3) is unlikely to return to a previous industry or occupation; B)(i) has been terminated or laid off, or has received a notice of termination or layoff from employment as a result of any permanent closure of, or any substantial layoff at, a plant, facility, or enterprise; ii) is employed at a facility at which the employer has made a general announcement that such facility will close within 180 days; or ii) for purposes of eligibility to receive services other than training services described in section 134(c)(3) career services described in section 124(c)(2)(A(xii), or supportive services, is employed at a facility at which the employer has made a general announcement that such facility will close;

C) was self-employed (including employment as a farmer, a rancher, or a fisherman) but is unemployed as a result of general economic conditions in the community in which the individual resides or because of natural disasters; or D) is a displaced homemaker, or (D)(i) is a spouse of a member of the Armed Forces on active duty (as defined in section 101(d)(1) of title 10, United States Code), and who has experienced a loss of employment as a direct result of relocation to accommodate a permanent change in duty station of such member; or (ii) is the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces on active duty and who meets the criteria described in paragraph (16)(B).

The Eligible Training Provider List is a statewide collection of providers that are approved to give services through the One-Stop system. These lists contain consumer information, including cost and performance information for each of the providers, so that participants can make informed choices on where to use their Individual Training Accounts.

The Employment and Training Administration is the part of the U.S. Department of Labor with direct responsibility for WIOA programs.  Learn more here.

Equal Employment Opportunity laws prohibit specific types of job discrimination in certain workplaces. The Department of Labor has two agencies which deal with EEO monitoring and enforcement, the Civil Rights Center and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

Defined by WIOA as low-income individuals; individuals with disabilities; returning citizens (ex-offenders); homeless individuals; youth in foster care or who have aged out of the foster care system; individuals who are English language learners, individuals who have low levels of literacy, and individuals facing substantial cultural barriers; eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers; single parents (including single pregnant women); and long-term unemployed individuals.

The Governor-appointed Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) includes leaders from state, business, industry, labor, education, and community-based organizations with the goal of evaluating and meeting the workforce needs of Illinois’ employers and workers.

Through a committee and task force structure, representatives from private/public partner programs present the IWIB with policy recommendations on strengthening Illinois’ workforce system. All policies developed or commented upon through the IWIB structure include input from the public and partners.

The individual employment plan (IEP) is an individualized career service, under WIOA sec. 134(c)(2)(A)(xii)(II), which is developed jointly by the participant and career planner when determined appropriate by the one-stop center or one-stop partner. The plan is an ongoing strategy to identify employment goals, achievement objectives, and an appropriate combination of services for the participant to achieve the employment goals.

Labor Market Information is labor-related information about unemployment, industries, occupations, etc. LMI covers economic, social, demographic, and labor force data. It describes the characteristics of the supply of labor (the people who are workers or potential workers in the labor market) and provides information on the job opportunities in the labor market (current and projected needs of current and future employers). Sources of LMI often give historical, current, and forecast information to satisfy the different user’s needs. Citation Here. 

A Memorandum of Understanding is a nonbinding agreement between two or more parties outlining the terms and details of an understanding, including each parties’ requirements and responsibilities.  Learn more here.

A Nondiscrimination Plan – is required to be established and implemented by the Governor and provides that discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, disability, age (40 or older) or genetic information (including family medical history) is illegal and will not be tolerated.

The plan must outline procedures for ensuring that recipients comply with the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity requirements of services regarding race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, transgender status, and gender identity), national origin (including limited English proficiency), age, political affiliation or belief, citizenship, or participation in any WIOA Title I-financially assisted program or activity;

The plan must be designed to give a reasonable guarantee that all recipients will comply, and are complying, with the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions of WIOA and this part.

The network of workforce products and services that meets business and jobseeker needs in whatever manner and location is most effective and convenient for the customer. Customers can choose to use the system’s products and services in different ways. They may call a toll-free number or connect through a personal computer at home or in a neighborhood library. They may receive individualized assistance in a community-based agency, an educational institution, or a one-stop career center.

A reportable individual who has received staff-assisted services after satisfying all applicable programmatic requirements for the provision of services, such as eligibility determination. The following individuals are not participants: (i) Individuals who have not completed at least 12 contact hours in the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) program; (ii) Individuals who only use the self-service system; and (iii) Individuals who only receive information services or activities.

Performance measures are the set of accountability measures that apply across the core programs to assess the effectiveness of States and local areas (for core programs described in subtitle B) in achieving positive outcomes for individuals served by those programs. Performance across the various Titles is reported on Illinois workNet website here.

Personal Identifiable Information means–

Any representation of information that permits the identity of an individual to whom the information applies to be reasonably inferred by either direct or indirect means. Further, PII is defined as information: (i) that directly identifies an individual (e.g., name, address, social security number or other identifying number or code, telephone number, email address, etc.) or (ii) by which an agency intends to identify specific individuals in conjunction with other data elements, i.e., indirect identification. (These data elements may include a combination of gender, race, birth date, geographic indicator, and other descriptors). Additionally, information permitting the physical or online contacting of a specific individual is the same as personally identifiable information. This information can be maintained in either paper, electronic or other media.

Means an individual who has taken action that demonstrates an intent to use program services and who meets specific reporting criteria of the core program, including: (1) Individuals who provide identifying information; (2) Individuals who only use the self-service system; and (3) Individuals who only receive information on services or activities.

The United States Department of Labor is the federal department (agency) which regulates and funds state workforce activities under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

Acronyms

  • DOL – Department of Labor
    • (See United States Department of Labor)

Department of Human Services

Department of Human Services – Division of Rehabilitation Services

Department of Human Services – Division of Human Capital Development

Department of Education

Division of Rehabilitation Services

Equal Opportunity

Illinois Board of Higher Education

Illinois Community College Board

Illinois Department of Employment Security

Illinois Workforce Innovation Board

  • See Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB)

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Office of Employment and Training

Training and Employment Guidance Letter

Training and Employment Notice

Unemployment Insurance

United States Department of Education