The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is a federal program that was signed into law in July 2014 and went into effect in Georgia in July 2015. WIOA is the nation’s principal workforce development legislation, providing funds to address the employment and training needs of dislocated workers, low-income adults and youth to ultimately help Georgia businesses meet the needs of today and the future.
The vision of WIOA is to increase access and opportunities to employment, education, training, and support services to COA Residents. WIOA aims to promote stronger alignment of workforce, education, vocational rehabilitation, and other human services systems to improve the structure and delivery of services to the unemployed, underemployed, and business community.
Dislocated Workers are individuals with significant attachment to the workforce but have lost their employment or income from employment for one or more of the following circumstances:
- Has been terminated through no fault of their own or laid off, or received a notice of no fault termination or layoff from employment and is eligible for or has exhausted U. I. or is not eligible for U. I. due to insufficient earnings or having performed work for a non-covered employer, but has been employed for duration to show attachment to the workforce (6 months) and is unlikely to return previous occupation without additional services or training.
- Has been terminated through no fault of their own (determined by UI review) or laid off, or received a notice of no-fault termination or layoff from employment as a result of any permanent closure of or any substantial layoff at a plant, facility or enterprise.
- Is employed at a facility at which the employer has made a general announcement that such facility will close within 180 days.
- Previously self-employed and unemployed due to natural disaster or general economic conditions.
- After layoff, have become reemployed in an income maintenance position and meets the definition of a currently employed dislocated worker (underemployed, see below).
- Individuals who have been separated for cause and/or those who voluntarily left who are also eligible for UI.
Being discharged (under honorable circumstances) either voluntarily or involuntarily from the military and unlikely to return to a previous industry or occupation.
Currently employed dislocated workers may be determined eligible for services if the customer’s current employment meets all of the following conditions:
- The individual is currently making less than 85% of former wages, and/or is in employment that uses significantly less skills or abilities than the job of dislocation and is not commensurate with the individual’s demonstrated level of educational attainment, and the individual’s current employment and job of dislocation is not in a field or occupation that is generally known for short term or contract work. In these instances, customers may be assessed for program eligibility at the time they are no longer working.
Displaced Homemakers (male or female)
- An individual who has been providing unpaid services to family members in the home and who has been dependent on the income of another family member but is no longer supported by that income and is unemployed or underemployed and is experiencing difficulty in obtaining or upgrading employment (may include spouses of dislocated workers).