The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA; P.L. 113-128), which succeeded the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220) as the primary federal workforce development legislation, was enacted in July 2014 to bring about increased coordination among federal workforce development and related programs. Most of WIOA’s provisions went into effect July 1, 2015. WIOA authorizes appropriations for each of FY2015 through FY2020 to carry out the programs and activities authorized in the legislation.
Workforce development programs provide a combination of education and training services to prepare individuals for work and to help them improve their prospects in the labor market. They may include activities such as job search assistance, career counseling, occupational skill training, classroom training, or on-the-job training. The federal government provides workforce development activities through WIOA’s programs and other programs designed to increase the employment and earnings of workers. https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44252.pdf
The Workforce and Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and its implementing regulations are designed to strengthen and improve the nation’s public workforce development system and help Americans with significant barriers to employment, including individuals with disabilities, into high quality jobs and careers and help employers hire and retain skilled workers. Title IV of WIOA amended title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Read more on the RSA: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act page.
The Vocational Rehabilitation Youth Technical Assistance Center (Y-TAC) is funded under Title IV of WIOA and started October 1, 2015 and is funded through September 30, 2020. The Y-TAC is a U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration-funded Technical Assistance Center that is charged with providing State VR agencies and related rehabilitation and youth service professionals with technical assistance to help more effectively serve students and youth with disabilities, including disconnected youth who need to re-engage with education and/or work such as those involved in the juvenile justice system, the foster care system, and other traditionally underserved and/or isolated youth populations.