	Introduction

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA; P.L. WIA includes five titles:
Title I—Workforce Investment Systems—provides job training and related services to unemployed or underemployed individuals; Title II—Adult Education and Literacy—provides education services to assist adults in improving their literacy and completing secondary education; Title III—Workforce Investment-Related Activities—amends the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933 to integrate the U.S. Employment Service (ES) into the One-Stop system established by WIA; Title IV—Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998—amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which provides vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities, to integrate vocational rehabilitation into the One-Stop system; and Title V—General Provisions—specifies components of State Unified Plans and provisions for state incentive grants. Workforce development programs provide a combination of education and training services to prepare individuals for work and to help them improve their prospects in the labor market. The federal government provides workforce development activities through WIA's programs and other programs designed to increase the employment and earnings of workers. Workforce development may include activities such as job search assistance, career counseling, occupational skill training, classroom training, or on-the-job training. Title III of WIA amends the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933, which establishes the Employment Service (ES), to make the ES an integral part of the One-Stop system created by WIA. Because the ES is a critical part of the One-Stop system, it is discussed briefly in this report even though it is authorized by separate legislation (Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933). 113-128 ). P.L. Title I programs are administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), primarily through its Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA). 97-300 ). A system of "One-Stop" centers through which state and local WIA training and employment activities are provided and in which certain partner programs must be co-located. Characteristics of WIA Title I Programs

This report provides details of WIA Title I state formula program structure, services, allocation formulas, and performance accountability. In addition, it provides a program overview for national grant programs. This system is supposed to provide employment and training services that are responsive to the demands of local area employers. The demand driven nature of WIA is manifested in elements such as Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), a majority of whose members must be representatives of business. Under the state formula grant portion of WIA, which accounts for nearly 60% of total WIA Title I funding, the majority of funds are allocated to local WIBs (after initial allocation from DOLETA to the states) that are authorized to determine the mix of service provision, eligible providers, and types of training programs, among other decisions. The WIA system provides central points of service by its system of One-Stop centers. Unlike its predecessor, the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), WIA provides universal access to its services. WIA is oriented toward a work first approach to workforce development. That is, placement in employment is the first goal of the services provided under Title I of WIA. Required statewide employment and training activities, which are funded by the 15% reserve funds from each of the youth, adult, and dislocated worker state allocations, include
dissemination of the state list of eligible providers of training services (including performance and program cost information for these providers) and eligible providers of youth activities; evaluations of state workforce investment programs for the purpose of "continuously improving" state activities to "achieve high-level performance" within the workforce development system and "high-level outcomes" from the workforce development system; distribution of incentive grants to local workforce investment areas for regional cooperation, local coordination of activities, and "exemplary performance" on local performance measures; technical assistance to local areas not meeting required performance measures; assistance to local areas in establishing One-Stop delivery systems; statewide activities and additional assistance to local areas with high concentrations of eligible youth to carry out program design and program elements for youth; and operation of a fiscal and management accountability system in order to report on and monitor the use of WIA funds.
The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA; P.L. 105-220), which succeeded the Job Training Partnership Act (P.L. 97-300) as the main federal workforce development legislation, was enacted to bring about increased coordination among federal workforce development and related programs. WIA authorized the appropriation of "such sums as may be necessary" for each of FY1999 through FY2003 to carry out the programs and activities authorized in the legislation. Authorization of appropriations under WIA expired in FY2003 but has been extended annually through the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (Labor-HHS-ED). In 2014, Congress passed, and the President signed, a new law—the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA; P.L. 113-128)—that replaced WIA, the provisions of which start to be implemented in 2015. This report covers WIA and will not be updated.
Workforce development programs provide a combination of education and training services to prepare individuals for work and to help them improve their prospects in the labor market and may include activities such as job search assistance, career counseling, occupational skill training, classroom training, or on-the-job training. The federal government provides workforce development activities through WIA's programs and other programs designed to increase the employment and earnings of workers.
The WIA system provides central points of service by its system of around 3,000 One-Stop centers nationwide through which state and local WIA training and employment activities are provided and through which certain partner programs must be coordinated. This system is supposed to provide employment and training services that are responsive to the demands of local area employers. Administration of the One-Stop system occurs through Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), a majority of whose members must be representatives of business and which are authorized to determine the mix of service provision, eligible providers, and types of training programs, among other decisions. Unlike its predecessor, the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), WIA provides universal access to its services. Finally, WIA is oriented toward a work first approach to workforce development, such that placement in employment is the first goal of the services provided under Title I of WIA
WIA includes five titles: Workforce Investment Systems (Title I), Adult Education and Literacy (Title II), Workforce Investment-Related Activities (Title III), Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 (Title IV), and General Provisions (Title V). Title I, whose programs are primarily administered through the Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), includes three state formula grant programs, multiple national programs, Job Corps, and demonstration programs. Title II, whose programs are administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), includes a state formula grant program and National Leadership activities. Title III of WIA amends the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933, and Title IV amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Title V includes provisions for the administration of WIA.
This report provides details of WIA Title I state formula program structure, services, allocation formulas, and performance accountability. In addition, it provides a program overview for national grant programs. It also provides brief overviews of Titles II and IV. Title III of WIA amends the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933, which establishes the Employment Service (ES), to make the ES an integral part of the One-Stop system created by WIA. Because the ES is a central part of the One-Stop system, it is discussed briefly in this report even though it is authorized by separate legislation (Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933).