Alabama Department of Commerce Workforce Development Division
In addition to the WIOA State level functions provided by the Workforce Development Division (WDD), Division staff also serve as the administrative entity for six of the seven Local Workforce Development Areas. Section 107 (d) of WIOA Title I-B, requires Local Workforce Development Boards to set policy for the local workforce systems within the local areas, with the agreement of the chief elected official (the Governor). WDD staff serves as the staff for the administration of funds and the operation of WIOA activities within the six local areas with functions including those given below. This includes the administration of the annual WIOA “formula” funds allocated to the local areas as well as the portion of any additional funds received by the Alabama Department of Commerce for workforce activities, to include National Dislocated Worker Grants (DWG’s), Regional Initiatives Grants, and any other workforce related grants as they become available.
The WDD staff prepares annual budgets in the form of Funding and Obligation Summaries for WIOA Adult, Youth, and Dislocated Worker funding provided by the US Department of Labor for the local areas for presentation initially to the five Local Boards Executives and/or Budget committees for concurrence/negotiation and then for presentation to the full Local Boards for approval. Recommendations include funding level/amounts for the WIOA Title I-B portion of the Alabama Career Center System (Career Centers), and funding for the various participant training activities within the local areas. Youth funded activities include the funding of Youth only programs procured via a Request for Proposal process administered by WDD staff. Training activities common to all WIOA funding streams and managed by WDD staff are Individual Training Accounts, On-the-Job Training, and “stand-alone” classes dedicated to serving only WIOA eligible participants. Brief descriptions of these training activities are as follows.
The WIOA requires local workforce development areas to develop and maintain a financial management function as well as provide oversight and monitoring of local workforce area programs. WDD staff are responsible for the financial management of all WIOA funds allocated to the six local workforce development areas as well as special grant funds such as National Dislocated Worker grants which may be allotted or contracted with the local areas for workforce services for adults, dislocated workers, and youth. WDD conducts a desk top audit of all expenditures reported by service providers to ensure that funds are expended in accordance with the approved budget for that program.
Oversight and programmatic monitoring of the local workforce development area workforce programs is also required by the WIOA to ensure compliance with the WIOA Law and Implementing Regulations. The WDD staff is responsible for programmatic monitoring of the six local area programs and includes the development of monitoring policies and procedures. Staff go on-site and conduct reviews, prepare written reports on results of the reviews, and provide these reports to the service providers, to include corrective actions to alleviate any findings resulting from the monitoring review.
WDD staff is responsible for developing policies pertaining to the operations of the WIOA Title I-B portion of the Career Center operations within the six local areas and for issuing guidance in the form of Directives, numbered memos and/or handbooks (OJT Guidelines, ITA Guidelines, Career Center Guide for Customer Services, Eligibility Guidelines etc.). Workshops are conducted by WDD staff as needed to train career center staff on new policies and/or procedures and periodically to provide training to new career center employees.