Public Act 101-0654, the Education and Workforce Equity Act called upon the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) to "conduct a feasibility study regarding the consolidation of all workforce development programs funded by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and conducted by the State of Illinois into one solitary agency to create greater access to job training for underserved populations."
Designing a Workforce System to Improve Access and Outcomes: Workforce Consolidation Feasibility Study. is presented to the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor in response to this mandate.
This report examines several scenarios from other states that could result in greater access to job training for underserved populations within the workforce system. Four goals guide this report:
- Give a picture of both the ongoing accomplishments of the Illinois workforce system and the areas where there is room for improvement;
- Describe the range of workforce consolidation choices while reviewing fundamental questions that still need to be answered;
- Use lessons from other states before engaging in major state agency infrastructure changes; and
- Use this report to start a dialogue with the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor's Office about how to use this information to make decisions that are in the best interests of WIOA customers and the systems that support workforce service delivery.
