A primary function of the Governor's Workforce Development Board as it relates to the implementation of the Workforce Investment Act is the development of a
comprehensive five year state plan. The Act provides a list of the required contents of the state plan, two of which involve consideration of state criteria for local service
delivery.
A) The plan must include a description of state-imposed requirements for the statewide workforce investment system.
B) The plan should describe the procedures that will be taken by the state to assure coordination of and avoid duplication among the required one-stop partners at the
local level.
Developing state-imposed requirements is permitted in the Act but not required. Ohio has taken a long-standing position that state-imposed requirements should be minimal
and local flexibility and control should be preserved where possible.
Procedures to assure coordination do not need to be State imposed requirements. They could include such things as technical assistance, suggested models to avoid
duplication, and other non-mandatory activities designed to promote coordination and avoid duplication.
It is consistent with Ohio's view of Ohio Works First (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), Ohio's welfare reform initiative, as a key workforce development
program, to require that Ohio Works First be a required one-stop partner in local one-stop service delivery systems, both in the sub-local areas within the larger Ohio Option Area, and
the local areas not selecting the Ohio Option. House Bill 470 (the merger legislation), does not specifically address this issue.
A) In local areas not selecting the Ohio Option, local elected officials are required to include a representative for Ohio Works First on the Local Workforce
Investment Board as a one-stop partner. The local board, with the agreement of the local elected official, and as part of the local plan, will design and implement the one-stop service
delivery system for the local area. County Human Service Departments (soon to be local Departments of Job and Family Services) are required to execute Memoranda of Understanding with
the Local Workforce Investment Board that details how their Ohio Works First workforce development services will be made accessible in the one-stop service delivery system in accordance
with the design of the local one-stop system.
B) In sub-local areas within the Ohio Option Area, the one-stop partners are not required to be members of Local Workforce Policy Boards. Therefore, it is the
responsibility of the local elected officials to convene the one-stop partners and work with the Local Workforce Policy Board to design and implement the one-stop service delivery
system for the local area. Ohio Works First agencies (now County Department of Human Services and soon to be local Departments of Job and Family Services) will be included in the
one-stop partners to be convened for this purpose. As discussed above, the Ohio Works First agencies will also be required to execute Memoranda of Understanding with the Local Workforce
Policy Board that details how their Ohio Works First workforce development services will be made accessible in the one-stop service delivery system in accordance with the design of the
local one-stop system.
Distribution: WIA Policy Letter Expiration Date: Continuing
