The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act’s (WIOA) Dislocated Worker Program focuses on workers who lost their jobs due to plant closures, company downsizing, or some other change in market conditions. Other conditions can lead to eligibility, such as being self-employed (but not working as a result of poor economic conditions), or being a displaced homemaker. The program tailors employment and training services to meet the needs of dislocated workers while assisting employers facing substantial layoffs by encouraging labor, management, and community and government partnerships.
Dislocated workers are eligible for services such as comprehensive and specialized skills assessment, development of an Individual Employment Plan, labor market information, and job search/placement assistance. Additional services are available for eligible dislocated workers who need additional help in getting jobs. The sequence of services is individualized and may include more intensive assessments such as: career counseling, occupational skills training, Individual Training Accounts, On-the–Job training, and job readiness training. These services are often conducted with a commitment by an employer to hire an individual upon successful completion of training.
The program goal is to increase employment and employment retention for its participants and to provide employers with a skilled workforce.