For fiscal year 2009, we identified 47 federally funded employment and training programs administered across nine agencies, primarily the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services (HHS) (for a list of programs and agencies, see appendix I). These programs reported spending approximately $18 billion on employment and training services in fiscal year 2009. Seven programs accounted for about three- fourths of this spending, including the WIA Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs, which spent nearly $6 billion on employment and training services (see table 1). Most participants received employment and training services through one of two programs: Employment Service/Wagner- Peyser Funded Activities (Employment Service) and WIA Adult. Together, these two programs reported serving over 18 million individuals, or about 77 percent of the total number of participants served across all programs. Almost all programs overlap with at least one other program, but differences may exist in eligibility, objectives, and service delivery. Forty- four of the 47 programs, which include broad multipurpose block grants, overlap with at least one other program, in that they provide at least one similar service to a similar population. Some of these overlapping programs serve multiple population groups, while others target specific populations, and some programs require participants to be economically disadvantaged. The target populations being served by the most programs are Native Americans, veterans, and youth. For example, all 8 programs that target Native Americans provide seven similar types of employment and training services. However, some individuals within a population group may be eligible for one program, but not another because program eligibility criteria differ. One of the programs targeting Native Americans, for example, serves only disabled Native Americans residing on or near a federal or state reservation, and another program serves only Native Hawaiians. Some efforts have been made to address overlap in programs and services. Officials from 27 of the 47 programs reported that their agencies have coordinated efforts with other federal agencies that provide similar services to similar populations. For example, Labor and HHS issued a joint letter encouraging state-administered youth programs to partner together using funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) to promote subsidized employment opportunities. In addition, an official from the Department of the Interior reported that the agency works with Labor and HHS to coordinate programs for Native Americans. Under law, Native American tribes are allowed significant flexibility to combine funding from multiple programs. Moreover, as part of its proposed WIA reforms, the Administration is proposing consolidating 4 employment and training programs administered by Education into 1 program. The Administration also proposes consolidating Education’s Career and Technical Education – Basic Grants to States and Tech-Prep Education programs, at the same time reducing program funding. In addition, the budget proposal would transfer the Senior Community Service Employment Program from Labor to HHS. Three of the largest programs maintain separate administrative structures to provide some of the same services. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Employment Service, and WIA Adult programs provide some of the same employment and training services—such as job search and job referral services—to low-income individuals, although there are differences between the programs (see figure 1). The TANF program serves low-income families with children, while the Employment Service and WIA Adult programs serve all adults, including low-income individuals. All three programs share a common goal of helping individuals secure employment, and the TANF and WIA Adult programs also aim to reduce welfare dependency. However, employment is only one aspect of the TANF program, which also has three other broad social service goals: to assist needy families so that children can generally be cared for in their own homes, to reduce and prevent out-of-wedlock pregnancies, and to encourage the formation and maintenance of two- parent families. As a result, TANF provides a wide range of other services beyond employment and training, including cash assistance. Although the extent to which individuals receive the same employment and training services from TANF, the Employment Service, and WIA Adult is unknown, the programs maintain separate administrative structures to provide some of the same services to low-income individuals. Data limitations make it difficult to assess duplication of services, but Labor officials estimate that in program year 2008 approximately 4.5 percent of all WIA Adult participants who received training—about 4,500 of the nearly 100,000 participants who exited the program—were also receiving TANF. However, it is unclear whether the WIA Adult participants who self- identify as TANF recipients have received TANF employment and training services. Nonetheless, the three programs maintain separate administrative structures. At the federal level, the TANF program is administered by HHS, and the Employment Service and WIA Adult programs are administered by Labor. At the state level, the TANF program is typically administered by state human services or welfare agencies, while the other two programs are typically administered by state workforce agencies. At the local level, Employment Service and WIA Adult services are generally provided through the one-stop centers, while TANF employment and training services may be administered through the one- stop or through other structures. Federal agency officials acknowledged that greater administrative efficiencies could be achieved in delivering these services, but also said that other factors, such as the proximity of services to clients, could warrant having multiple entities providing the same services. Congress passed WIA partly in response to concerns about fragmentation and inefficiencies in federal employment and training programs. WIA authorized several employment and training programs—including Job Corps and programs for Native Americans, migrant and seasonal farmworkers, and veterans—as well as the Adult Education and Literacy program. WIA replaced the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs for economically disadvantaged adults and youths and dislocated workers with three new programs—WIA Adult, WIA Dislocated Worker, and WIA Youth. The Adult and Dislocated Worker programs provide three tiers, or levels, of service: core, intensive, and training. Core services include basic services such as job search assistance and labor market information and they may be self-service in nature. Intensive services may include such activities as comprehensive assessment and case management—activities that require greater staff involvement. Training services may include occupational skills or on-the-job training. Beyond authorizing these programs, WIA also established one-stop centers in all local areas and mandated that many federal employment and training programs provide services through the centers. Under WIA, sixteen different categories of programs, administered by four federal agencies, must provide services through the one-stop system, according to Labor officials. Thirteen of these categories include programs that meet our definition of an employment and training program, and three categories do not, but offer other services to jobseekers who need them (see figure 2). These thirteen program categories represent about 40 percent of the federal appropriations for employment and training programs in fiscal year 2010. Figure 2. Categories of Programs Required to Provide Services Through the One-Stop System and Related Federal Agencies D e pt. of E■ Adlt Edtion nd Litercy ■ WIA Adlt, Yoth, nd Dilocted Worker ■ Voctionl Edtion (Perkin Act) One-stop centers serve as the key access point for a range of services that help unemployed workers re-enter the workforce—such as job search assistance, skill assessment and case management, occupational skills and on-the-job training, basic education and literacy training, as well access to Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits and other supportive services— and they also assist employers in finding workers. Any person visiting a one-stop center may look for a job, receive career development services, and gain access to a range of vocational education programs. In our 2007 study, we found that a typical one-stop center in many states offered services for 8 or 9 required programs on-site, and one state offered services for 16 required programs on-site. In addition to required programs, one-stop centers have the flexibility to include other, optional programs in the one-stop system, such as TANF, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training Program, or other community-based programs, which helps them better meet specific state and local workforce development needs. The Dayton, Ohio one-stop center, for example, boasts over 40 programs on- site at the 8-1/2 acre facility, including an organization that provides free business attire to job seekers who need it, an alternative high school program that assists students in obtaining a diploma, and organizations providing parenting and self-sufficiency classes. Under WIA, services may also be provided at affiliated sites—designated locations that provide access to at least one employment and training program. While WIA requires certain programs to provide services through the one- stop system, it does not provide additional funds to operate one-stop systems and support one-stop infrastructure. As a result, required programs are expected to share the costs of developing and operating one- stop centers. In 2007, we reported that WIA programs and the Employment Service program were the largest funding sources states used to support the infrastructure—or nonpersonnel costs—of their comprehensive one- stop centers. For program year 2005, of the 48 states that could provide funding information, 23 states identified WIA programs as the primary funding source and 19 states reported it was the Employment Service program. In addition, 27 states reported using TANF funds to pay for part of their one-stop center infrastructure costs, and 3 states identified TANF as the primary funding source. In 2007, TANF was on-site at a typical one- stop in 30 states. One-stop centers required under WIA provide an opportunity for a broad array of federal employment and training programs—both required and optional programs—to coordinate their services and avoid duplication.