What Is WIOA?
Finding opportunities in education can be difficult at the best of times. Still, over the last couple of years, a government program called WIOA has been trying to make the process more accessible than ever.
You may have heard the term WIOA occasionally bandied about during recent political years, or even online if you are looking for employment or educational support. But what exactly is WIOA? The term itself stands for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and it does exactly what it claims on the tin. The bill’s purpose was to ease the employment hardship that many Americans had found in the previous years.
Enforced in 2014 during the Obama presidential years, the original bill was founded because many senators believed that there was a strong disparity between job creation and unemployment. This idea was often spoken about by Senator Lamar Alexander, who said that:
“it’s too hard to find a job. It’s too hard to create a job. We have some differences of opinion on what to do about it, but I think we agree that matching job skills to a job is a solution to millions of Americans.”
The bill found support and was signed with Obama’s approval on the 22nd of July, 2014. The intention of the bill was to reduce unemployment, not only for those simply out of work but who found it harder than most to find work. The main force behind the bill is described well by this official government page, which is dedicated to all things WIOA.
“WIOA is landmark legislation that is designed to strengthen and improve our nation’s public workforce system and help get Americans, including youth and those with significant barriers to employment, into high-quality jobs and careers and help employers hire and retain skilled workers.”
You may find that this description resonates with you if seeking employment has been far from easy. So whether you are looking to jump straight into a job or are planning on going back to school and choosing to study in a particular field, you may find WIOA beneficial. Schools, such as ICOHS, offer to take a WIOA grant, meaning you can study one of their courses for a lower price.
Who Can Use WIOA?
So who exactly can use WIOA? If you’ve researched the topic before, you may have found that it wasn’t the easiest concept to understand. Like we reiterated earlier, the main idea is providing a fairer working or skill-building opportunity to those who are considered to be in a more vulnerable position than most. And you may find this list broader than you initially thought. It can mean individuals who live with a mental or physical disability, those who have experienced incarceration, veterans, individuals who have grown up within the foster care system, or those who simply need to re-enter the workforce with a new skill-set.
What Resources Can WIOA Provide?
With the bill supporting 2,400 American job centers across the country, it can help you find access to an extensive range of jobs. Not only is this great for the people searching for jobs, but it enables job sectors who are struggling to find employees a new resource pool, helping to stabilize the economy.
WIOA offers a range of tools that you can use to further your education and career; they can be allocated into four different ‘titles’. These are summarized below.
Title I: This encompasses a large portion of the act and primarily oversees the ‘workforce development system’. It ensures that those from lower-income backgrounds are still able to express a degree of choice in their education.
Title II: This is the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, or AEFLA. This title not only promotes but provides learning and support to adults who need to gain functional English literacy.
Title III: This title is an evolution of the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933, which traditionally controls the Employment Service or ES.
Title IV: This amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; it aims to provide care, support, and rehabilitation for adults and families who live with a disability.
How Can WIOA Help You Study?
The WIOA act has tried to cover all aspects of employment in its policy. There are many other ways in which a WIOA can help prepare you for work:
● By assisting with your job search, and providing counsel to the current job market
● Giving you access to a variety of self-help tools, including; computers, online programs, and photocopiers
● Social services, such as practice interviews and techniques
● Providing knowledge about compensation for unemployment
● Group services, such as workshops and job clubs
● Funding and grants for those who wish to learn a skill-set
WIOA is a great step to take if you want to re-enter the working world, and that can begin with education. Many career paths require a level of education, or a specialized skill-set in order to excel in that field. So whether you want to specialize in holistic medicine or business theory, further education is essential. However, this doesn’t come cheap, and college fees can often amas to crippling debt and unsavory repayments.
By applying for an educational grant from WIOA, you can make these goals accessible. They can support you financially so that you can learn all the essential skills you need to achieve the job of your dreams.
How to Use WIOA?
If you think you might be eligible to apply for a WIOA, you can follow the application process through each state’s webpage. For applicants in the state of California, you can access it from the CaliJobs site.
Many schools, such as ICOHS, accept the WIOA grant increasing your course diversity. At ICOHS, you can study a range of holistic and wellness programs that include; Professional Massage Therapist and Holistic Health Practitioner. We also offer classes geared towards technology education; this includes courses such as IT Systems Administrator and IT Network Specialist.
We make the application process as easy as possible and even offer WIOA guidance for those who are searching for it. Reach out and discover if you qualify for the WIOA grant and work towards your future career and goals. Get more information at ICOHS College.
