The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is the federal law that applies to adult education programs across the country. WIOA updates and replaces the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Adult Education is defined in Title II of WIOA - the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA).
It's important to note some key elements of WIOA that affect our ABE system here in Minnesota:
- WIOA requires federal ABE funds to be competed. More information about the competitve process in Minnesota and the resulting grantees is available in the Federal Competitive Application section of this website.
- One key principle of WIOA is the alignment of services across titles. This places an emphasis on partnership between Title II (Adult Education) and Title I (Workforce Development), Title III (Wagner-Peyser) and Title IV (Vocational Rehabilitation).
WIOA state, regional and local plans
WIOA requires states to create plans at the state, regional and local levels for collaboration between programs in all titles. Minnesota's statewide WIOA plan, as well as regional and local plans, are available on the DEED website here.
Additional resources
- The WIOA Overview Information Packet gives more detailed information about WIOA.
- Find the full text of the law at this link: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
- Regulations, accountability information, and federal guidance on WIOA and AEFLA can be found at https://aefla.ed.gov/
- Federal Policy Memos on adult education from the U.S. Department of Education can be found at: www2.ed.gov/policy/adulted/guid/memoranda.html
- Open the National Reporting System (NRS) Website to see updated reports associated with WIOA accountability, including tables and reports submitted by each state and territory/district.
- View an extensive Technical Assistance Guide for Performance Accountability under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Note that the Educational Functioning Level Descriptors for both ABE and ESL can be found in Appendix B of this document.)
- For more information about technical terms used in WIOA statute and regulations that relate to adult education, open WIOA regulations and definitions.