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##  Rural Schools and the Workforce Investment Act. ERIC Digest.                 

The "Workforce Investment Act" (WIA) of 1998 authorized the                     establishment of one of the most comprehensive workforce improvement            programs ever enacted. It will have significant impacts on rural                areas, including rural minority populations such as American Indians            and Alaska Natives, Latinos, and migrants. Local schools can help               shape WIA because of the principles of local participation,                     increased skills for workers, and improved youth programs. 
WIA is             intended to mobilize states and localities to design and implement              creative employment programs for current workers, potential                     employees, and local employers. It is also intended to strengthen               the knowledge and skills of public assistance recipients, such as               those receiving food stamps, so they can compete more effectively               for better-paying jobs. 
This Digest focuses on WIA's major                    elements, with particular reference to the role rural schools can               play in influencing the local and statewide implementation                      planning. WIA'S PURPOSE AND STRUCTUREWIA embodies four major              goals: (1) investing in efforts that increase participants'                     employment, retention, and earnings; (2) increasing occupational                skills of those entering the workforce investment system; (3)                   helping improve worker quality to enhance America's workforce                   productivity and competitiveness; and (4) reducing welfare                      dependence by giving individuals skills to move effectively into the            workforce. 
States were required to begin implementing WIA by July             1, 2000. Once the WIA system was in place in a state, the "Job                  Training Partnership Act" (JTPA) ended; local workforce investment              boards superseded JTPA's Private Industry Councils (PICs). ROLE               FOR RURAL SCHOOLS IN LOCAL WORKFORCE INVESTMENT EFFORTSBy                   studying the underlying elements associated with the Workforce                  Investment Act of 1998, school administrators and faculty should                envision themselves as key players in the implementation of this act            at the local level. Given the wealth of knowledge, expertise, and               experiences that they bring to the table regarding youth                        development, school officials can play a major role in helping                  design workforce development and training models that best fit the              needs of local youth being targeted as part of the WIA legislation.             Information about various boards and planning mechanisms in which               rural educators could participate is outlined at the end of this                Digest. 
Furthermore, rural schools possess a host of resources                that are rarely present in other locally-based institutions. These              include a significant pool of well-educated faculty, meeting                    facilities, state-of-the art computer technology, educational                   materials, courses, and engaged parents and business leaders. Such              assets can position rural schools to be central players in the                  delivery of programs that facilitate the preparation of youth for               entrance into the world of work. Among the activities that schools              could provide to WIA targeted youth include: enhancement of study               skills through after-school tutoring; career exploration, guidance              and development; job shadowing, mentor-ship, and internship                     programs; and placement in summer employment opportunities. 
At the            same time, WIA offers schools a unique opportunity to step up their             role in supporting a broader array of workforce improvement                     activities intended for adults living in their communities. Since               many workforce investment areas that have been established in states            encompass a large number of counties, many rural adults needing the             services of a one-stop center may be physically located too far from            such a facility. But, these individuals are likely to reside within             a reasonable distance to a rural school. This suggests that rural               schools can serve as key sites for extending core, intensive, and               training services to local adults, particularly during the evening              and weekend periods. This can be realized if school administrators              are willing to support the notion that rural schools are vital                  resources that must be used to support the broader economic and                 workforce development needs of the communities in which they are                located. 
PROGRAM COMPONENTS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO RURAL                   EDUCATORS

Local youth councils.
WIA focuses on youth,                       particularly those with economic, physical, and social challenges.              WIA tries to marshal resources to help youth progress educationally             and obtain workplace skills. 
WIA makes youth councils into                    subgroups of local workforce investment boards. The councils                    comprise board members with expertise or interest in youth                      development or policy. Other members may include representatives of             youth-serving organizations (including educators and juvenile                   justice agencies), local public housing authorities, Job Corps                  representatives, parents of youth seeking assistance, persons with              recognized experience in youth activities, and youth. Local                     workforce investment boards, in consultation with chief elected                 officials from investment areas, appoint council members. 
The                 youth council is the major architect of the local board's strategic             plan for youth. The council also submits recommendations to the                 board regarding eligible providers of youth activities and oversees             providers' services. 
Youth programs and services target low-income            youth aged 14-21 who fall into at least one of the following                    categories: deficient in basic literacy skills, dropout, behind in              grade level, disabled, pregnant or a parent, homeless, runaway,                 foster child, criminal offender, or in need of added assistance to              complete an education program or acquire and retain employment. At              least 30 percent of funds devoted to youth initiatives must be                  dedicated to assisting local youngsters who are not enrolled in                 school. 
Entities selected as providers of youth programs and                  services must promote educational progress and/or workforce                     preparation. WIA states that targeted youth must have the following             opportunities: 
* tutoring, study skills training, and instruction             that result in completion of high school (includes drop-out                     prevention activities) 
* access to and involvement in alternative             high school programs 
* work experiences, paid or unpaid, with area            employers, including organized internships and job shadowing                    programs 
* summer employment opportunities that promote academic              and occupation-related learning 
* appropriate occupational skills             training 
* linking youth with adult mentors for at least one                  year 
* comprehensive guidance and counseling to help youth make               informed choices regarding academic and/or occupational pursuits 
*            leadership development to build self-confidence and the capacity to             work with others (includes community service and peer-centered                  activities that encourage positive, responsible behavior during                 non-school hours) 
One-stop delivery system for adults. 
WIA's                one-stop delivery system is aimed at adults and dislocated workers              aged 22-72. Every local workforce investment area must have a                   one-stop center located within that local area. These could be                  operated in conjunction with school family service centers.                     Affiliated sites, which also could be located in schools, may offer             physical, electronic, or technological access to the area's one-stop            center. 
The one-stop system contains three levels: core services,             intensive services, and training services. Core services are                    available to anyone aged 22-72, but individuals must meet certain               conditions to gain access to intensive or training services. 
"Core            services" include: 
* outreach activities by one-stop operators to             orient adults and dislocated workers to information and services                available through the one-stop center; 
* initial assessment of the            skills, aptitudes, and abilities; 
* career counseling, job search,            and job placement assistance; 
* access to accurate employment                 statistics for local, regional, and national labor markets (includes            job vacancies, skills needed for these jobs, local occupations in               demand, and the wages and skill requirements for these local                    employment slots); and 
* information on local support services,               such as child care and transportation, and referral to these                    services. 
"Intensive services" are limited to unemployed adults               who have been unable to find employment after using the core                    services. The one-stop operator must designate such persons as being            in need of more in-depth job-related assistance. Intensive services             also are offered to employed individuals who may need intensive                 services to secure or retain jobs that could give them economic                 self-sufficiency. Intensive services include comprehensive and                  specialized assessments of individuals' skill levels and service                needs; development of individual work plans, group counseling,                  individual counseling and career planning; and short-term vocational            services, including communication and interviewing skills,                      punctuality, and work conduct. 
"Training services" are limited to             adults and dislocated workers who, in the judgment of one-stop                  operators, need more in-depth services than those offered as part               of "intensive services." If resources for an adult employment and               training program are limited, the local workforce investment board              must request that one-stop operators give priority to low-income                individuals and public assistance recipients. 
Individual training             accounts. 
The process for establishing local training services is             important. First, the one-stop system operator must develop a list              of eligible training providers and information on past performance              and costs for their training services. Each qualified adult then                selects a training services provider from the list and is given an              individual training account (ITA) to help pay for the program that              best meets his or her needs or interests. WIA lets states establish             reciprocal relationships so one-stop providers can accept ITAs from             other states. OPPORTUNITIES FOR RURAL PARTICIPATION IN DECISION               MAKINGState workforce investment boards. Each governor                      established a state workforce investment board. The board's chair               and a majority of members represent state businesses. Other members             include chief elected local officials and legislators, as well as               representatives from labor organizations; youth-serving                         organizations (such as schools); community colleges and                         community-based organizations; the lead WIA state agency; and state             agencies with related missions. 
Responsibilities of these boards              include (1) assisting the governor in developing a detailed                     five-year statewide workforce investment plan, including activities             that address needs of special populations, such as low-income                   youth; (2) monitoring the workforce investment system and exploring             strategies to refine state activities; (3) designating local                    workforce investment areas and reviewing plans by local workforce               investment boards; (4) determining the formula for allocating WIA               funds to workforce investment areas; and (5) developing and                     improving state performance measures, including documenting how                 needs of special populations have been met and whether participants             and employers are satisfied. The state board also must help the                 governor develop a statewide labor market information system                    outlining current and projected employment opportunities, skills                required for capturing employment opportunities, workforce skills               and economic development needs, and the types and availability of               workforce investment activities. 
Local workforce investment areas             and boards. 
Choosing local workforce investment areas is largely              the purview of each governor and state workforce investment board               with input from local elected officials (such as county                         supervisors/commissioners) and other public entities, such as                   schools. Functions of local boards include  submitting to the                   governor a strategic plan for local workforce investment; selecting             one-stop operators and providers of youth services; identifying and             approving eligible providers of training and intensive services;                preparing a budget; overseeing activities; helping develop                      performance measures to document progress toward meeting local                  workforce needs; helping develop a local labor market information               system; and challenging employers to hire individuals who have                  sought help from the local one-stop services system, particularly               those from special populations. CONCLUSIONThe 1998 "Workforce             Investment Act" empowers local areas with a major voice in shaping              WIA. The success of this landmark legislation depends on active                 involvement and commitment of school, community, and business                   leaders, government officials, organizations, and citizens                      representing all segments of the community. Rural schools have a                crucial role to play in WIA, helping to respond to local workforce              needs and providing services to local youth and adults. LEARNING              MORE ABOUT THE WIAThe following Web-based resources were                    available at the time of publication of this Digest. This list will             be kept up-to-date in the on-line version of this                               Digest 
(http://www.ael.org/eric/rural/). 
Interstate Conference              of Employment Security Agencies, Center for Employment Security                 Education and Research. 
http://www.icesa.org/ 
John J. Heldrich              Center for Workforce                                                            Development. 
http://heldrich.rutgers.edu 
National Alliance of               Business.                                                                       
http://www.nab.com/Content/WorkforceDevelopment/WorkforceInvestmen            tAct/ index.htm 
National Association of State Workforce Board                 Chairs. 
http://www.subnet.nga.org/workforcecouncilchairs/index.htm            
National Governors' Association Center for Best                               Practices. 
http://nga.org/CBP/Activities/WorkforceDev.asp                     
http://nga.org/Workforce/WIAOneStopPartners.htm 
National Youth              Employment Coalition. 
http://www.nyec.org 
U.S. Department of                Agriculture. 
http://www.reeusda.gov/wfp 
U.S. Department of Labor            Employment & Training Administration 
http://usworkforce.org/ (15              November 1999). 
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Lionel J. Beaulieu is director of the                 Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State,                           MS. 
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This publication was prepared with funding from the               Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of              Education, under contract no. ED-99-CO-0027. The opinions expressed             herein do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of OERI,            the Department, or AEL.                                                      **Title:** Rural Schools and the Workforce Investment Act. ERIC Digest.                 **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC/CRESS, P.O. Box 1348, Charleston, WV 25325-1348; Tel:                      800-624-9120. Full text at Web site:                                            http://www.ael.org/eric/digests/edorc009.htm.                                **Descriptors:**  Adult Programs,  Disadvantaged Youth, Education Work Relationship,              Employment Services, Job Training, Labor Force Development,                    Postsecondary Education,  Rural Schools, Rural Youth,  School Role,             Secondary Education, State Programs,  Youth Programs                         **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests,  Workforce Investment Act 1998                                 
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