Washington Watch - The Future of Workforce Development & Current Funding Opportunities for Counties

The following publication was written by Strategics Consulting for the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners' (NCACC) County Quarterly article series “Washington Watch.”

The federal government has invested in creating jobs since Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal Era programs, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Works Progress Administration. Today, programs dedicated to workforce development aim to create a robust and efficient workforce and can help fill employment gaps in counties. As a result, the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is a federal priority for NCACC. Fortunately, North Carolina is uniquely well-positioned to influence WIOA reauthorization legislation.

WIOA was introduced in 2014 by U.S. Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5) as the reauthorization and replacement of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. The law authorizes funding for workforce development programs and provides services, including access to education, training, and other supportive programs vital to empowering employment. In the U.S. House of Representatives the Committee on Education and the Workforce oversees the reauthorization of WIOA. Representative Foxx chairs the Committee again in the 118th Congress just as she did in 2014. Two additional members of the North Carolina Congressional Delegation serve on the committee: U.S. Representative Alma Adams (D-NC-12), who serves as Ranking Member on the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, and U.S. Representative Kathy Manning (D-NC-6). All support the reauthorization of WIOA and reportedly believe it is legislation that can gather enough bipartisan support to pass Congress. Although Chairwoman Foxx has not given a detailed timeline for the reauthorization process, it is expected to be a priority in the next session of this Congress. 

The Current Status of WIOA

As the Committee on Education and the Workforce gears up for WIOA reauthorization, hearings on the subject matters have occurred. The House Higher Education and Workforce Subcommittee held its first hearing related to the reauthorization of WIOA on May 11. The hearing was titled “Examining America’s Workforce Challenges: Looking for Ways to Improve Skills Development.” The Subcommittee also held the second WIOA-specific hearing on September 20, titled “Strengthening WIOA: Improving Outcomes for Jobseekers, Employers, and Taxpayers.”  The Full Committee has held other workforce development-related hearings, such as a hearing on June 22 titled “Competencies over Degrees: Transitioning To A Skills-Based Economy.”  Recordings of these hearings and more are available on the Committee website.

WIOA consists of five titles, each playing an important part in the success of WIOA programs. Title 1 of WIOA provides crucial tools for counties that are designed to have a local approach based on the local demand of employers. It authorizes One Stop Centers, job training, and related services to unemployed or underemployed individuals and establishes the governance and performance accountability system for WIOA. Title 2 is specifically directed at workforce development for adults. It includes job training and education, focusing on secondary and post-secondary education, to improve the skills necessary for adults entering the workforce. Title 3 reauthorizes the nationwide system of public employment offices and integrates it into the One Stop Centers included in Title 1. Title 4 includes employment/vocational rehabilitation programs. Title 5 provides for general provisions.

While Congress works to reauthorize WIOA, counties should inform Members of Congress on the programs that work well and where improvements can be made. Simultaneously, counties can take advantage of the many current grant programs that include workforce development funding opportunities. 

Best Grant Opportunities

There are over 400 federal agencies, each with a unique set of priorities. Nearly every one of these agencies offer workforce development funding opportunities with a wide range of practical applications. The following are just a few examples.

The U.S. Department of Transportation offers workforce programs that focus on developing a transit-oriented workforce, and the Department of Energy’s focus is on developing a clean energy workforce. The Department of Commerce offers grants, such as the Economic Development Agency’s Recompete Pilot Program, to fill unemployment gaps for “prime age” (ages 25-54).

The Southeast Crescent Regional Commission State Economic and Infrastructure Development Grant seeks to provide funding for workforce and infrastructure development. This program focuses on southeastern states such as North Carolina and promotes workforce development and training for high-demand jobs.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides opportunities through its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program. This program offers education for interested K-14 educators, workforce training at local community or junior colleges, and other similar development strategies.

How To Be Competitive

Federal agencies look for a wide range of creative ideas when funding applications for grants. Unprecedented amounts of federal dollars are provided by legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  While each agency emphasizes the importance of unique strategies to achieve the goals of their program, projects do not always need to be specific to job creation. Agencies have underscored creative solutions as a way applicants can set themselves apart.

Innovative approaches to bolstering employment include “wrap-around services.” These services include things such as childcare and health services for employees. Developing these features unlocks a section of the workforce that previously may not have sought employment.

Agencies also look for workforce development opportunities that incorporate regional partnerships. For example, applicants can partner with local universities to provide job training. 

The current administration focuses on green energy and climate-oriented jobs. One way that counties can take advantage of this is by developing Climate Action Plans that acknowledge job training for new green jobs and careers. Creating a detailed plan for training people to participate in a green labor force can open access to more federal grants and the historical funding that is available for these purposes.

Applicants can address these staffing needs while receiving federal aid to do it. Counties can make their applications more appealing by detailing how they would train someone to work jobs that already exist. 

Funding for workforce development will garner a great deal of attention in the coming weeks and months as Congress seeks to finalize a budget. Paying attention to the requirements of these programs, weighing in on the WIOA reauthorization process, and communicating local workforce needs and challenges to the NC Congressional Delegation gives NC Counties the opportunity to help shape the future for workforce development.

Did You Know? The name of the House Committee overseeing WIOA and other job training programs changes depending on which party controls the gavel. Over the course of the Committee’s history, this uncommon practice in the House of name changing based on party control has occurred nine times, and five times since 1997. When Democrats are in the majority it is called the Education and Labor Committee. When Republicans are in the majority it is called the Education and the Workforce Committee.