Policy
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No Additional Local Requirements
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Under the customer-centered design principle, local boards may not add additional criteria, forms, or questions for customers at any stage of the process. This standardized statewide experience ensures consistent customer access.
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March 16, 2026
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5/15/26
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Policy
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No Wrong Door
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A “No Wrong Door” approach ensures individuals can access workforce services through any entry point—online, in person, or through a partner agency—and still be connected to the full range of WIOA services. Customers should never be turned away or told they are in the wrong place. Instead, they must be guided to appropriate resources or referred as needed.
Local boards retain authority to set funding priorities and identify target populations; however, they may not restrict access or limit customer choice based on where an individual lives or works.
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March 16, 2026
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5/15/26
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Policy
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Customer Entry
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Under the customer-centered design model, local boards may not add additional requirements at any stage of the process as a condition of eligibility. This includes extra criteria, forms, or questions. A standardized statewide process must be followed to ensure consistent and equitable customer access.
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March 16, 2026
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5/15/26
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Policy
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Assessment
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TABE or CASAS assessments should only be administered when necessary to establish eligibility. If a customer qualifies through another pathway, staff must not require these assessments
However, the Basic Skills Screening Tool (BSST) must always be completed at intake, as it is required to identify Basic Skills Deficiency (BSD) at program entry.
TABE or CASAS may still be administered later if they support the customer’s services or goals, but they cannot be required for eligibility or data collection. If a customer has a previously completed assessment, that test may be entered after enrollment and used to document BSD at program entry, provided the test date meets requirements. Previously completed assessments may also be used for SAM reporting.
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March 16, 2026
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5/15/26
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Policy
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Certify Eligibility
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If a customer is determined to be eligible after the application has been submitted and all required documentation has been uploaded into the system and verified, career planners must certify the customer eligible. As a reminder, certifying eligibility does not trigger performance metrics. The IWDS 2.0 customer and career planner process is designed for local area staff to have a conversation with each customer to ensure WIOA aligns with their goals and expectations prior to enrollment.
To ensure consistent statewide access, supporting our customer-centered vision, local boards may not add extra forms, steps, or procedures beyond what is required in policy and IWDS 2.0.
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March 16, 2026
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5/15/26
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Policy
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Social Security Numbers (SSNs)
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Local board policy must include language that requests Social Security Numbers (SSNs) for performance reporting and wage matching purposes. Local policies cannot require SSN disclosure as a condition of service.
Career planners will request SSNs during the application process. Services may not be denied if a customer chooses not to provide their SSN. When an SSN is not provided, an alternative unique identifier will be used.
In the instance where an alternate identifier is used, the career planner should routinely encourage the participant to provide the number.
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March 16, 2026
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5/15/26
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Policy
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Responding to Customer Inquiries and Scheduling Appointments
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Local boards must have procedures in place to ensure the following actions occur within five (5) business days of application submission:
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Customer inquiries are addressed
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Staff assigned
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The customer is contacted to schedule an appointment
Career planners have thirty (30) calendar days from application submission to determine eligibility. If this timeframe is exceeded, information must be re-verified before proceeding.
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March 30, 2026
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5/15/26
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Policy
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Required Documentation
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While self-attestation is allowable, it should only be used when other source documentation isn’t reasonably available. Reasonable efforts to obtain documentation should continue as career planners serve the customers after enrollment. Local policies must align with statewide guidance and cannot impose stricter documentation requirements.
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March 30, 2026
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5/15/26
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Policy
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Career Plan
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Local areas must ensure that all locally developed publications—including, but not limited to, flyers, websites, and social media posts—accurately reflect IWDS 2.0 processes and policies. Materials should be reviewed and updated as needed to avoid referencing or reinforcing outdated local procedures that are not aligned with IWDS 2.0.
In accordance with 16-NOT-03 and 21- NOT-03, the following language must be on every public-facing materials: “This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of
any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it.”
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N/A
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5/15/26
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