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Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)

On July 22, 2014, President Obama signed into law the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which revises and reauthorizes the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). The law supports innovative strategies to keep pace with changing economic conditions and seeks to improve coordination between four core federal programs that support employment services, workforce development, adult education, and vocational rehabilitation activities. The Final Rules for AEFLA Programs and Activities (Title II) and the Joint Rule for Unified and Combined State Plans, Performance Accountability, and the One-Stop System Joint Provisions in implementing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) are published in the Federal Register. Links to additional final rules for core partners can be found below under Important WIOA Information and Resources.

The core programs consist of:

  • Adult, Dislocated Worker and Youth
    administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) under Title I;
  • Adult Education and Literacy
    administered by the Department of Education (ED) under Title II;
  • Wagner-Peyser Act employment services
    administered by DOL under Title III; and
  • Vocational Rehabilitation Act
    administered by ED under Title IV.

The law includes eight components related to the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) of Title II, which provides foundation skills and English literacy instruction to nearly 1.8 million individuals each year. The eight components are:

  1. A Unified State Plan
  2. Common Performance Measures across Core Programs
  3. Alignment between Adult Education, Postsecondary Education, and Employers
  4. Educational and Career Advancement for Incarcerated Individuals
  5. High-quality Adult Education Delivery System
  6. Professional Development Opportunities and Innovative Models
  7. Quality Improvement of Adult Education Programs
  8. Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IEL/CE)

Important ACLS Update

Important WIOA Information and Resources

WIOA Topical Fact Sheets

The Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) at the US Department of Education has posted information on their webpage pertaining to specific areas of the WIOA legislation. The links below provide guidance on how OCTAE has interpreted these areas of the legislation. The WIOA legislation went into effect in July 2016.


For more information regarding WIOA please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website.

Last Updated: July 1, 2022

 
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