The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO, Office of Employment and Training (OET), in collaboration with the Illinois WorkNet (iwN) team, is upgrading the Illinois Workforce Development System (IWDS) platform to create "IWDS 2.0". This new, more intuitive application will be the system of record for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I programs starting July 2026. It will feature a modern, user-friendly interface designed with accessibility and responsive design standards, focusing on an ideal customer workflow to meet federal and state reporting and case management requirements for Title I and Trade data.
This system update is part of OET's broader commitment to a consistent, statewide customer-centered service delivery approach for the workforce development ecosystem. This approach prioritizes the participant's unique strengths, needs, goals, and challenges, ensuring efficient and streamlined services for all, regardless of their entry point. For more information
Printable PDF link (The Illinois Workforce Development System Transition Project.pdf) of the graphic above to be used for a handout.
Project Timline:
- 2023-2025: Project Kickoff, Assessment of user needs, development of individual modules, and user testing
- Fall 2025 - Recruitment and Onboarding of Career Planner Trainers
- Spring 2026 - Data Migration
- Beginning Spring 2026 - User Training
- July 2026 - Go Live Ready
Statewide Approach to User Training:
To support the transition to IWDS 2.0, OET plans a collaborative training and capacity-building initiative for career planners, providing curriculum, online courses, mentors, and train-the-trainer support. For more information abotu this planned approach, please view the recorded webinar linked below.
As you navigate through this project page, please consider taking a moment to provide any feedback or suggestions to iwdst.info@illinoisworknet.com.
If you are a LWIA subject matter expert, activly working on IWDS 2.0 Development, please visit https://www.illinoisworknet.com/iwdstransitionproject to access the transition project page.
