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2024 - 2027 West Virginia Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Combined Strategic Plan

West Virginia's four-year WIOA Combined State Plan submitted on March 6, 2024, pursuant to sections 102(c)(3)(A) and 103(b)(1) of WIOA has been approved. The Combined State Plan will take effect July 1, 2024 and cover program years 2024 through 2027.

Click here to view the submitted version.

West Virginia Strategic Plan Goals 2024 – 2027

Approved by WV Workforce Development Board December 13, 2023

Work-Based Learning

Statement

West Virginia will expand and implement high-quality work-based learning opportunities for youth and adult learners.

Impacts

Improve prime-age labor force participation rate
Increase youth employment (smooth connection between education and employment)
Retain more WV high school students with WV employment and employers
Improve job-matching for workers outside the labor market (dislocated, etc)

Key Strategies

Increase proportion of statewide workforce funding going to work-based learning investments
Increase number of WV pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs and learners
Expand number of quality work-based learning opportunities at WV secondary education institutions and k12 Career and Technical Education programs
Increase the number of students who gain college credit through work-based learning options, including articulation of knowledge

Reduce Barriers to Sustainable Employment

Statement

West Virginia will increase referrals and integration of services to improve access to supportive services customized for individuals needing education and employment.

Impacts

Improve prime-age labor force participation rate
Address prevalent barriers such as transportation and child care
Address prevalent population risk factors such as substance use disorder, citizens returning to society (reduce recidivism), and low educational attainment

Key Strategies

Implement comprehensive referral system and increase organizational database of service providers
Produce in-depth research analysis (including lessons learned) of the populations most impacted by the top two challenges of transportation and child care to better understand where to target investments
Consolidate and publish the available universe of supportive services and successful programs addressing the top 2-3 barriers.

Sector Strategies

Statement

West Virginia will implement comprehensive sector strategy approaches to reduce skills mismatches and enhance faster labor market attachment while informing education and training priorities.

Impacts

Improve prime-age labor force participation rate
Align secondary and postsecondary education and training programs
Respond to rapid business relocation and growth in West Virginia
Create direct linkages to employment opportunities, reducing unemployment duration

Key Strategies

Convene partners and develop three sector initiatives aimed at improving employment and the skills of workers aligned to jobs
Implement and maintain cross-agency business engagement teams, including sharing data through customer relationship management system(s)
Implement a small business sector strategies initiative to develop key activities that address small business workforce challenges, including challenges associated with a thriving wages
Incorporate work-based learning strategies into sector strategies design, utilizing these tools for both small and large business growth

Integration and Innovation in Service Delivery

Statement

West Virginia will implement the Blue Ribbon Franchise Model of workforce service delivery to increase the efficiency of service delivery and effectiveness in serving businesses, workers, and job seekers.

Impacts

Increase ROI for workforce investments
Increase amount of federal dollars being utilized for training services
Ensure workforce system customers throughout West Virginia realize a consistent customer experience
Increase engagement of state, local, and community stakeholders in the service delivery and outcomes of the workforce system

Key Strategies

Publish comprehensive workforce and partner program handbook
Develop cross-cutting one-stop infrastructure assessment and recommendations
Increase the number of affiliated one-stop centers managed by state agencies
Increase the amount of WIOA title I funding spent on training services
Undertake Data System Integration initiative to better share information and improved data quality
Develop and continually publish Workforce Outcomes Dashboards to improve transparency and understanding of performance results

West Virginia Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act Strategic Plan 2020-2023

West Virginia Workforce Development Board Bylaws

Operations Committee

The Operations Committee supports the State Plan’s goal of utilizing a variety of strategies to align the core programs, one-stop partners and other resources to achieve fully integrated customer services. This includes creating workforce development activities regarding gaps identified in the state’s workforce analysis; setting collaborative performance goals, certifying one-stop centers, sharing information/data and working together to resolve problems and addressing gaps; and collaborating and coordinating on training, marketing and feedback by utilizing existing committees, workgroups and programs while aligning and sharing resources when appropriate.

Industry Partnerships and Employer Engagement Committee

The Industry Partnerships and Employer Engagement committee includes multiple employers within several industries to collaborate with colleges, high schools, labor, workforce agencies, community organizations, and other community stakeholders. These partnerships align training with the skills needed for that industry while facilitating training, hiring, and career advancement for workers.

Performance and Accountability Committee

The Performance and Accountability Committee is established to develop metrics and measurements for publishing comprehensive workforce data that will enable the West Virginia Workforce System to measure comprehensive accountability and performance.

The Performance and Accountability Committee will, in consultation with other committees and the Board, recommend policy, budget, and administrative action to the Governor to ensure that West Virginia can measure what matters for business, job seekers, and government.

Elements from the Board’s Strategic plan specifically assigned to this committee include:

• Design and implement a statewide business satisfaction with the workforce system survey.

• Develop and deliver a consolidated budget report including performance data that improves transparency in workforce funding to enable smarter policy decisions.

• Advance recommendations to the Governor to improve system alignment, accountability, and efficiencies.

• Endorse a set of common state performance measures and champion the delivery of a Performance Accountability System to track workforce program outcomes.

• Promote a model that determines the return on public investment for workforce system programs in order to inform policy and resource allocation.

The committee will be particularly engaged in cross-agency, cross-program performance metrics, in identifying common performance metrics, and in ensuring that decisions made by the Workforce Board are informed by sound data and analysis.

Career Pathways Committee

The Career Pathways Committee is comprised of education, community organizations, employers and workforce organizations. This committee meets with partners from around the state and gathers information and ideas on how these groups can align, share resources and collaborate.