The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity administers Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth, and Trade Adjustment Assistance services.
Since 2005, Commerce has administered the Illinois Workforce Development System. This is the state's WIOA case management, dislocated event tracking, and state/federal reporting system that includes customer and outcome information from all Local Workforce Investment Areas. The agency also sponsors the Illinois workNet Web Portal System. This is the state's online workforce system available to all citizens, employers, and service partners. These systems have integrated data sharing in place to facilitate, manage and track customer services.
In 2012, Commerce and IDES received an award through the Workforce Data Quality Initiative (WDQI) grant program from the U.S. Department of Labor. The purpose of the grant was to establish a more comprehensive and integrated workforce longitudinal data system that can be more easily and consistently linked with state educational longitudinal data systems for performance management, policy research, and consumer information applications. An interagency working group formed for the WDQI grant has helped develop many aspects of the technical architecture recommendations for the ILDS.
Commerce and IDES are using longitudinal workforce development data systems to manage performance and evaluate and improve workforce development policies and programs. For example, Commerce has used longitudinal data including WIA Title I and UI data to evaluate sector initiatives and state policies on WIA training.
