Workforce Investment Act in Eight States: Overview of Findings from a Field Network Study. Interim Report

摘要

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 (Public Law 105-220) was enacted in August of that year, replacing programs that had operated under the Job Training Partnership Act of 1982 and amending several other pieces of workforce legislation. A handful of states implemented WIA as early as July 1999. All states and local areas were required to implement WIA by July 2000. This report addresses broad WIA service delivery issues in a number of states and local areas that are now well past dealing with early implementation concerns. The Workforce Investment Act is based on a series of guiding principles and parameters for a national workforce investment system, while the detailed design and service delivery features are the responsibility of states and localities. Our broad objective in this study has been to understand not only how states and localities interpreted and operationalized the provisions of WIA, but also to identify the strengths, weaknesses, and accomplishments of state and local service delivery. Basically, we sought to become well informed about what the states are trying to do and how they are de livering services to attain their objectives as a prerequisite to understanding the barriers and accomplishments associated with these efforts. Finally, the field researchers wanted to identify those policies and practices at each level of government that shape service delivery, their relative success, and the degree to which these are constrained or supported by provisions of the Act.