The federal government provides funding to states’ workforce development boards, to help with job training, education, workforce development and more through its Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which was passed in 2014. The state governors have a great deal of authority as to how those funds are spent. 

Yet, according to a new workforce development report from the National Governors Association, “little research explores how they use those powers to strengthen their economies and expand access to employment and training.”

The NGA embarked on a recently released important survey to find out how “Governors are leveraging WIOA and other policies to design, fund, and implement workforce development strategies in an evolving economic landscape.

It derived its findings from interviews with workforce policy advisors in 34 states and technical surveys of workforce administrators in 17 states.  Here’s a synopsis of five trends that emerged: 

• “States are shifting organizational structures to improve workforce governance. Over half of advisors reported that organizational structure has a significant impact on how they address workforce challenges and administer public funds. To elevate workforce development as a policy priority, some Governors have designated advisors or created offices within their Executive Office to serve as central workforce policy coordinators.” 

• “States are adopting stakeholder-driven approaches to WIOA planning. Some states are integrating the WIOA planning process into broader economic development planning, elevating stakeholder engagement to a core strategy. Other states continue to view WIOA planning as a compliance exercise that is more burdensome than it is valuable.”

• “States are investing in workforce services to attract and retain businesses. As of 2024, many states were investing in workforce development in high-growth sectors, with more than 1 in 4 states mentioning clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing, and 1 in 5 states discussing broadband infrastructure and healthcare.”

• “WIOA funding challenges are prompting states to seek alternative solutions. Eligibility restrictions and unpredictable funding levels constitute key obstacles to reaching state workforce objectives. Some states are supplementing WIOA by (pooling) other funding sources, like federal education grants, state funds, or philanthropic dollars. Many rely on the Governor’s Reserve Fund just to administer programs, with more than two thirds using it to backfill administrative costs. Meanwhile, 54% of states are also using the Governor’s Reserve Fund to seed innovative pilots.”

• “States are expanding training programs and supportive services to engage new workers. More than 80% of Governors’ advisors mentioned initiatives to strengthen the youth workforce pipeline, including by engaging K-12 students in youth apprenticeships. Others are focusing on growing the workforce by reaching populations with barriers to employment, including justice-involved individuals and Indigenous populations.”

#StateGovernmentWorkforceManagement #NGAWorkforceDevelopmentReport #StateGovernmentWorkforcePerformance #StateWorkforcePolicyAdvisors #StateWorkforceEmploymentAndTraining #WIOA #StateWorkforceDevelopmentGovernance #StateStakeholderOutreach #StateWorkforceDevelopmentOrganization #StateWorkforceStakeholderOutreach #WorkforceInnovationAndOpportunityAct #StateManagementWIOA #GovernorLeverageWorkforceDevelopment #NationalGovernorsAssociation #StateWorkforceDevelopmentForCleanEnergy #NGA #StateWorkforceDevelopmentForInfrastructure #StateWorkforcePlanning #StateGovernmentYouthApprenticeshipPrograms #StateWorkforcePilots #WorkforceDevelopmentFundingChallenge #StateWorkforceTrainingExpansion #BandGWeeklyManagementSelection #StateandLocalManagementNews #StateandLocalPerformanceNews #StateandLocalWorkforceNews #BarrettandGreeneInc