“A bill to amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act regarding employer-directed skills development, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section amends the definitions section of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA, 29 U.S.C. 3102) by striking the definition of "customized training" at paragraph (14), redesignating paragraphs (15) through (18) as (14) through (17), and inserting a new paragraph (18) defining "employer-directed skills development" as a program selected or designed to meet an employer's (or group of employers') specific skill needs pursuant to a local board contract, with the employer committing to hire completers and paying at least 10% of costs (for employers with 50 or fewer employees), 25% (for 51-99 employees), or 50% (for 100 or more employees). (WIOA authorizes workforce development grants to states and localities for training adults, youth, and dislocated workers through one-stop centers and local boards.) It further (1) revises primary statewide performance indicators at WIOA §116(b)(2)(A)(i)(VI) to measure the ratio of participants completing on-the-job training or employer-directed skills development before exit to total training recipients who exit (replacing the prior indicator and striking clause (iv)); (2) replaces "customized training" with "employer-directed skills development" in provisions on eligible provider data collection (WIOA §122(h)), statewide employment and training activities (WIOA §134(a)(2)(B)(v)(II) and (a)(3)(A)(i)), and allowable training services (WIOA §134(c)(3)(D)(xi) and (G)(ii)(II)); and (3) in WIOA §134(c)(3), adds an employer referral exception to required individual assessments for certified candidates needing on-the-job training or employer-directed skills development with the referring employer, and authorizes local board contracts for such programs based on employer applications specifying provider, length, credential, costs, employer share, and hiring commitment.