On July 22, 2014, President Obama signed the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act, the first legislative reform of the public workforce system in more than 15 years, which passed Congress by a wide bipartisan majority. WIOA supersedes the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) and amends the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), the Wagner-Peyser Act, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. WIOA presents an extraordinary opportunity for the workforce system to accelerate its transformational efforts and demonstrate its ability to improve job and career options for our citizens through an integrated, job-driven public workforce system that links diverse talent to our nation’s businesses. It supports the development of strong, vibrant regional economies where businesses thrive and people want to live and work. Colorado WIOA Implementation
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act provides unemployed, or underemployed individuals, ages 18 and older with intensive case management which might include:
- Career Counseling
- Resume Writing Assistance or Workshop Referrals
- Intensive Job Search
- Assessment Testing and Interpretation
- Labor Market Information Exploration
- Potential Short-term Training Opportunities
- Work Experience, On-the-Job Training or Registered Apprenticeship Opportunities
- Follow-up Services
- Supportive Services
- Occupational Skills Training
To be eligible for the WIOA Adult Program, you must be:
- Unemployed or underemployed
- Between the ages of 18 and 72
- Eligible to work within the United States
Applicants may also need to meet at least one of the following categories:
- Recipient of Public Assistance
- Low-income individual (including underemployed)
- Basic skills deficient
- Displaced homemaker
- Eligible Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker
- Ex-offender
- Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians
- Individuals with a disability
- Individuals who face substantial cultural barriers
- Long-term unemployed individuals (27 or more consecutive weeks)
- Older individuals (age 55 and older)
- Single parents (including single pregnant women)
To be eligible for the WIOA Dislocated Worker Program, you must be:
- Recently laid off or terminated, received a notice of termination or layoff from employment, and eligible for or has exhausted entitlement to unemployment compensation; or
- Self-employed but is unemployed as a result of general economic conditions in the community or because of natural disasters; or
- Is Unemployment Insurance profiled through the RESEA program; or
- Is a displaced homemaker; or
- Is the spouse of a member of the Armed forces on active duty; or
- Call (970) 400-6792 to determine if you can be eligible under other circumstances.