Preliminary: please do not quote or cite without permission.

Investment Act (WIA) on July 1, 2015, presents a new opportunity to strengthen federally funded workforce development programs and the benefits they generate for workers, employers and the economy and society more generally. A number of new WIOA provisions appear to be based squarely on rigorous evidence of proven and promising strategies, such as incentivizing the development of sectoral training partnerships with Workforce Innovation Funds and Sector Partnerships National Emergency Grants and requiring active coordination across agencies in developing training priorities and strategies to help meet employer needs for middle-skill workers. In addition, WIOA grants states more flexibility to transfer funding between Adult and Dislocated Worker programs, which will enable states to spend more on the Adult programs that produce higher returns on average and to support a more equitable distribution of training opportunities in the economy, as disadvantaged adults are less likely to be offered training on the job from employers. The implementation of WIOA should also draw on the compelling arguments and evidence for beginning training earlier for youth (in secondary schooling) through approaches that blend vocational and on-the-job training and involve employers as partners in delivering the training