§2.Assessments to measure the prior knowledge, skills, competencies, and experiences of an individual
This section revises the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act’s statewide, local, and allowable employment and training activities to add competency-based assessments and skills-based hiring support. It directs States, local areas, training providers, employers, local boards, and institutions of higher education to coordinate on developing or identifying valid and reliable assessments for adults and dislocated workers to measure prior knowledge, skills, and abilities for three purposes: (1) awarding a recognized postsecondary credential or credit toward a credential aligned with an in-demand industry sector or occupation; (2) developing individual employment plans that identify in-demand sectors or occupations and any upskilling needed; and (3) helping individuals present their skills to employers through skills-based resumes, profiles, or portfolios. It also requires States to disseminate information about those assessments, including any credential or credit awarded, which employers and institutions recognize the validated skills, how the assessments can be accessed through the one-stop delivery system, and how individual employment plans can incorporate that information.
This section further adds skills-based hiring support as an allowable statewide activity and a permissible local activity. As background, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funds State and local workforce systems that provide career services, training, and employment assistance through one-stop centers. Under the new statewide authority, States may provide technical assistance on the use and validation of employment assessments, including competency-based assessments, and support the creation of skills-based job descriptions for employers seeking to evaluate applicants based on demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities rather than postsecondary degree requirements. Under the local provisions, career services must consider whether an individual would benefit from a competency-based assessment, taking into account prior work experience, military service, education, and in-demand sectors and occupations in the local area, and individual employment plans may include such assessments. Local areas may also provide technical assistance or other support to employers implementing skills-based hiring practices, including assistance with assessment validation and skills-based job descriptions, and may provide competency-based assessments at initial skill assessment or after completion of training services or other learning experiences.