In these plans, states are required to include career pathways strategies,  which help job seekers obtain employment or education, and sector  partnership strategies, which engage employers in the workforce system. States are also required to identify regions that will implement regional  planning strategies to coordinate local services, among other activities. Career pathways strategies align and integrate education, job  training, counseling, and support services to help individuals obtain  postsecondary education credentials and employment in in-demand  occupations. Selected States Reported Building on Experience, Increasing Stakeholder Involvement, and Using Multiple Sources of Labor Market Information as Approaches to Develop Flexible Plans

The five states we selected as case studies reported using three main  approaches to develop plans for implementing WIOA provisions related to  career pathways, sector partnerships, and regional planning. All Five States Reported Building on Prior Experience to Expand Their Efforts under WIOA

Each of the five selected states had experience with career pathways,  sector partnerships, or both prior to the enactment of WIOA, and officials  in these states told us that WIOA provided an opportunity to enhance the  strategies they already had in place. Similarly, Pennsylvania’s state plan  proposes building on over 10 years of experience with sector partnerships  by increasing technical assistance and seeking additional funding for  these partnerships, and exploring the development of a certification  program for such partnerships. In Ohio, officials said they involved the state  agency that oversees the Vocational Rehabilitation program and  advocates for individuals with disabilities in planning efforts for the first  time, which helped identify opportunities to better serve these individuals  through the workforce system. For example, these officials said that  including these stakeholders led them to train staff at all of their one-stop  centers on disability awareness. Some Selected States Reported That Supplementing Traditional Labor Market Information Better Aligned Strategies with Employer Needs and Helped Define Regions

Each of the five selected states consulted multiple sources of labor  market information (LMI), which helped officials in some states better  align career pathways strategies with employer needs, and helped  officials in all five states draw regional boundaries and assign local  workforce areas to those proposed regions. In Colorado, officials said one example is that when they asked  employers to review projections that the state would experience a  shortage of workers in the medical industry over the next 10 years,  employers said they actually would need more workers over a shorter  time period. Officials then used this information to focus their career  pathways strategies on preparing individuals to fill the jobs projected to  have worker shortages by identifying entry-level jobs that could eventually  lead to these higher-level jobs. Selected States Reported Addressing Challenges in Designating Regions and Creating Incentives for Regional Collaboration

Officials in the selected states reported facing challenges establishing  regions, which they addressed by revising their regional boundaries or  increasing the number of regions and by providing incentives for future  regional collaboration or innovation. As a result, in three states officials told us they  revised regional boundaries or increased the number of regions in  response to feedback or appeals from local areas. Officials said that one local area requested it be assigned to  a different region due to commuting patterns and its existing relationships  with community colleges. In addition, a Kentucky  official said the state is also using a private grant to fund regional efforts  to develop career pathways and sector partnership strategies and ensure  that they help job seekers obtain credentials that are valued by  employers. Both departments provided  technical comments, which we incorporated as appropriate. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

We examined 1) the approaches selected states have taken to develop  plans for implementing Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)  provisions related to career pathways, sector partnerships, and regional  planning, and 2) the related planning challenges, if any, these states have  encountered and how they have addressed them. To address both  objectives, we reviewed relevant federal laws, regulations, and guidance;  conducted case studies in five states; and interviewed federal Department  of Labor (DOL) and Department of Education (Education) officials. To select states that had various levels of experience with these three  strategies, we considered input from national associations and reviewed  relevant reports. The information we obtained from state officials  provides in-depth examples but is not generalizable to all states. Appendix II: Changes to Colorado’s Regions after the Department of Labor Reviewed the Initial State Plan

According to Colorado state workforce board officials, they proposed  dividing a large local workforce area that covers most of the state into four  different regions to align with regional economies.
Why GAO Did This Study

Enacted in 2014, WIOA aims, in part, to increase coordination among federal workforce development programs, which are administered primarily by DOL and Education. GAO was asked to review selected states' approaches for addressing certain WIOA provisions in their state workforce plans.
GAO examined 1) approaches selected states have taken to develop plans for implementing career pathways, sector partnerships, and regional planning strategies, and 2) related planning challenges these states have encountered and how they have addressed them.
GAO reviewed relevant federal laws, regulations, and guidance. GAO also conducted case studies in five states (California, Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania). GAO selected these states based on input from national associations about their level of experience with career pathways, sector partnerships, and regional planning strategies, and GAO's review of relevant reports. In these states, GAO interviewed state workforce board officials and agency officials who were involved in developing the state plan. The information GAO obtained provides in-depth examples but is not generalizable to all states. GAO also reviewed state plans and other relevant documentation. In addition, GAO interviewed DOL and Education officials.

What GAO Found

Officials in five selected states reported using three main approaches to develop plans for implementing career pathways, sector partnerships, and regional planning strategies under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). GAO selected states that had various levels of experience with these strategies. Specifically, as a condition of receiving funding, federal agencies require state plans under WIOA to include career pathways strategies, which align education, job training, and support services to help job seekers obtain employment. These plans must also include sector partnership strategies, which help employers in an industry address shared goals and hiring needs. In addition, states are required to establish regions, which may be made up of multiple local workforce areas. According to the Department of Labor (DOL), these regions are intended in part to align workforce activities with regional economies. To address these requirements, officials in each of the five states reported:
Building on prior experience to enhance career pathways, sector partnerships, or both strategies . For example, Pennsylvania's state plan proposes building on over 10 years of experience with sector partnerships by increasing technical assistance for them and exploring the development of a certification program for these partnerships.
Increasing the involvement of stakeholders, which uncovered ways to enhance services in most selected states . For example, Ohio officials said they involved the state agency that oversees employment services for individuals with disabilities and advocates for these individuals in planning efforts for the first time, which led them to provide training on disability awareness for staff at all local workforce centers.
Using multiple sources of labor market information, which helped better align career pathways strategies with employer needs in some selected states . For example, Colorado officials said they asked employers to review projected worker shortages in the medical industry over the next 10 years, and employers said they would need more workers over a shorter period of time. Officials used this information to focus their career pathways strategies on preparing individuals to eventually fill the jobs that were projected to have worker shortages.
Officials in four of the states GAO selected reported facing challenges establishing regions due to local areas' concerns, which they addressed by revising regional boundaries or increasing the number of regions and by providing incentives for regional collaboration or innovation. In three states, officials said they revised their regions in response to local concerns. For example, California officials said they redrew regional boundaries after a local area requested that it be assigned to a different region based on commuting patterns, among other factors. In addition, to encourage regional collaboration or innovation, officials in four states reported providing financial incentives. For example, a Kentucky official said the state is using a private grant to fund regional efforts to develop career pathways and sector partnership strategies. Additionally, DOL and Department of Education (Education) officials told us that they plan to support states with related technical assistance.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is not making recommendations in this report. DOL and Education provided technical comments on a draft of this report, which GAO incorporated as appropriate.