Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

Congress passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act on July 22, 2014, with widespread bipartisan support. The purposes of the WIOA are the following:

To increase, for individuals in the United States, particularly those individuals with barriers to employment, access to and opportunities for the employment, education, training and support services they need to succeed in the labor market.
To support the alignment of workforce investment, education and economic development systems in support of a comprehensive, accessible and high-quality workforce development system in the United States.
To improve the quality and labor market relevance of workforce investment, education and economic development efforts to provide America’s workers with the skills and credentials necessary to secure and advance in employment with family-sustaining wages and to provide America’s employers with the skilled workers the employers need to succeed in a global economy.
To promote improvement in the structure of and delivery of services through the United States workforce development system to better address the employment and skill needs of workers, jobseekers and employers.
To increase the prosperity of workers and employers in the United States, the economic growth of communities, regions and states and the global competitiveness of the United States.
For purposes of subtitle A and B of title I, to provide workforce investment activities, through statewide and local workforce development systems, that increase the employment, retention and earnings of participants, and increase attainment of recognized post-secondary credentials by participants, and as a result, improve the quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency, increase economic self-sufficiency, meet the skill requirements of employers and enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the Nation.

Additional information about WIOA can be found on the U.S. Department of Labor website.