Rebecca Loli, Assistant State Director, WIOA Title II Programs & Partner Engagement
Barriers
29% of North Carolina’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Adult Education & Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) participants identify as low income, and only 49% of them report having employment (PowerBI, Period 7). The financial and schedule pressures associated with unemployment or under-employment are among the most commonly cited barriers to student persistence. These same barriers make AEFLA programs challenging to operate; Providers must offer programs that are flexible so students can attend, coordinated with other services so students can persist, and are still robust enough that students can make progress. It is a feat that demands creativity and mutually supportive relationships amongst professionals and agencies.
Relationships with Allies
AEFLA Providers are part of a larger ecosystem of workforce development agencies, employers, non-profits, etc. that all have a vested interest in seeing AEFLA students succeed. The staff in these agencies also experience frustrations with barriers to client success, along with sometimes overwhelming workload, reporting requirements, and uncertainty regarding the security of their funding. AEFLA Providers have an opportunity to extend professional camaraderie and provide in the workforce ecosystem by inviting collaboration for shared outcomes of student credential attainment, workforce preparation, and family-sustaining employment.
Tools
The workforce development system in North Carolina has some common tools and resources. When AEFLA Providers are familiar with these, they can explore ways to embed AEFLA services into other programs, or vice versa, so that students gain opportunities to earn income and expand their overall employment prospects, while all the agencies involved report their successful achievements for grant outcomes. These tools are also key components to consider when designing Integrated Education and Training (IET) programs, or improving existing IETs (see LINCS.ed.gov IET Strategies in Action series).
Paid work experience is a component of WIOA Title I programs, Employment and Independence for People with Disabilities (EIPD), and many other Department of Labor grants. Enrollment requirements typically include proof of residency, income, barriers to employment, and eligibility to work in the United States. The programs incorporate substantial wrap-around services in addition to the paid work experience. The agency partner providing the work experience typically has grant outcome targets for participants’ credential attainment, so they will ensure the student persists in their educational journey while also completing the paid work experience. Pay rates are typically based on what is competitive in the region for the type of work completed.
- WIOA Title I Youth “NextGen.” At least 20% of Title I Youth grant funds must go towards paid work experience for participants. Age range for participant eligibility is 16-24. NextGen staff work with participants for career exploration and preparation and establish the paid workplace experience at an employer in the participant’s target career path. They can even provide some transportation assistance!
Resource: NCWorks NextGen Program | NC Careers.org - On-the-Job-Training “OJT” is a reimbursement-based program where the employer that hires the participant is reimbursed 50-75% of the participants’ wages during the training period (up to the first 1040 hours). Training is provided by the employer and/or an outside training partner. OJT can reimburse the employer 100% of the costs for the training if it is required for the position (e.g. CDL training for truck driver) once the participant successfully completes. Adult High School or High School Equivalency preparation and testing can be part of the training plan! AEFLA Providers should be sure the OJT contacts (OJT Coordinators or Business Service Representatives) at their workforce boards are familiar with their programs!
Resource: On-The-Job Training | NC Commerce - Work-Based Learning (WBL), Apprenticeships, and Federal Work-Study positions may be available to AEFLA students who already have a secondary credential, such as English language learners or students who are remediating their math or English skills in an AEFLA program while concurrently studying for post-secondary credentials.
- Work-Based Learning courses (e.g. WBL 110, WBL 120 in the NCCCS Combined Course Library) may be part of the students’ program of study and/or Apprenticeship. Employers hosting the students typically hire them and pay them for their work, and the work experience is aligned with the students’ longer-term career goals. The WBL courses earn Tier 3 FTE for the community college, and students achieve measurable learning objectives throughout the course of their work/learning experience. Registered apprenticeships lead to nationally recognized credentials. WBL could be incorporated into an IET plan!
Resources: IET Strategies in Action Series: Promising Practices for Collaborating with Industry and Workforce Development Partners in Integrated Education and Training Programs, and Trade Skills & Work-Based Learning – NCCCS - Federal Work-Study opportunities are part-time and work around the student’s class schedule. College & Career Readiness programs can host work-study positions and encourage their current or former students who are eligible to apply. Federal Work-Study students can serve as computer lab aids, support the front-desk team, help with cross-checking student attendance records, filing, recruiting, outreach, etc. all while gaining valuable work experience and earning a paycheck!
Resource: 8 Things You Should Know About Federal Work-Study – Federal Student Aid
- Work-Based Learning courses (e.g. WBL 110, WBL 120 in the NCCCS Combined Course Library) may be part of the students’ program of study and/or Apprenticeship. Employers hosting the students typically hire them and pay them for their work, and the work experience is aligned with the students’ longer-term career goals. The WBL courses earn Tier 3 FTE for the community college, and students achieve measurable learning objectives throughout the course of their work/learning experience. Registered apprenticeships lead to nationally recognized credentials. WBL could be incorporated into an IET plan!
- Other Department of Labor grants that are good partners for AEFLA Providers include WIOA Title I Adult, WIOA Title I Dislocated Worker, WIOA Title IV Employment & Independence for People with Disabilities, Demonstration Grants, YouthBuild, WORC, and more. These grants and programs sometimes provide paid work experiences or stipends for student participation or milestone achievements and generally include educational attainment targets also. AEFLA Providers could be the partners that support participants with English language acquisition, college-prep, or studies towards secondary credential attainment! Each grant will have different eligibility requirements, but many of their target populations overlap with special populations served by WIOA Title II.
- Workplace Literacy programs are AEFLA services usually provided on-site at the employer to help their employees improve their English skills, digital skills, or earn a high school equivalency credential within the context of the workplace and for the purpose of improved workplace performance. Best practice is for the employer to pay for class time, either as part of the normal shift, as overtime, or as a bonus. Workplace Literacy programs may also lead to opportunities for increased pay for the student, and/or opportunities for advancement within the company.
Resource: Career Pathways – NCTitle2
- More-Than-a-Job NC (MTAJ-NC), is a Department of Health & Human Services program that uses US Department of Agriculture grant funds to support Food & Nutrition Services SNAP recipients in their education and employment journey. Community Colleges are the training partners. They pay for GED® testing fees, training registration costs, and in some cases may offer stipends while students are participating! MTAJ-NC and NextGen providers often work together.
Resource: More Than A Job NC Program | NCDHHS - North Carolina Community College scholarships include options for Workforce Continuing Education as well as Curriculum courses of study. Scholarships – NCCCS
- Some AEFLA providers work with private donors or foundations to establish financial support programs for students, which can allow for greater flexibility regarding student eligibility and program design. For example, Amy Galla at Isothermal Community College has established a program where participants in transitional housing who are studying for their high school equivalency can earn up to $599. Keeping the amount under $600 annually allows the college business office and the students to minimize paperwork to do at tax time. Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College has connected some AEFLA students pursuing post-secondary education to a program called Counterbalance, funded by Dogwood Health Trust, in addition to leveraging funds from other donors to support student tuition, fees, and books for postsecondary education.
Considerations
Taxes – Paid work experience positions generally require a student complete an I-9 and W4 form, and their earnings from employment, including work-study, factor into their gross income. They may be required to file and pay federal and state taxes. However, this should not prevent programs from using these resources! One of our primary goals is for students to successfully enter the workforce, and this is a part of that journey.
“Braided Funding” is Complicated – Scholarship or support funds used to offset costs of tuition, books, registration fees, etc. are not usually counted as income, especially if they are paid directly to another organization (e.g. uniform supply company, college bookstore, etc.) on the student’s behalf. The AEFLA program should map out who pays whom for what, and how. This flow chart may need a guardian, such as a student advisor or education navigator, who can make sure the student’s obligations are clear and the payments are posted by the responsible agencies ahead of important deadlines.
Enrollment & Eligibility Determination – If working with NCWorks, WIOA Title I Youth, WIOA Title I Adult, WIOA Title I Dislocated Worker, On-the-Job Training, MTAJ-NC, etc.
AEFLA Providers should meet with the partner agency to discuss ways to make the enrollment process as smooth as possible for students and both agencies. They should identify how to communicate with students about the required enrollment or eligibility documents, and who will help them overcome barriers to gathering them. Partner agency staff generally recognize that documentation of eligibility is a common barrier, and they are motivated to improve students’ experience!
Terms – Language varies from one organization to the next. For example, “work-based learning” may mean a particular course to a community college registrar or advisor, but it could mean paid work experience (not-for-credit, outside the college) to a WIOA Title I Youth program. Likewise, terms like “apprenticeship” and “internship” and “on-the-job training” often mean slightly different things to different groups. Avoid assumptions and clarify terms when communicating with partners!
Student Engagement – In spite of many students having a need for employment and financial support, sometimes it can be difficult to attract them to programs that provide these very things. They may have more immediate priorities, distrust particular agencies, or be unfamiliar with program options. For example, Isothermal Community College’s “Learn & Earn” program for students in transitional housing has not had students participate yet. While individual programs may need to be re-designed based on participant or partner feedback, professional relationships built through this process can still be valuable!
Next Steps
AEFLA Providers can use these tools to start conversations, build professional networks, design programming, and help ensure our workforce system works for everyone. To take the next steps –
- Identify one tool above to learn more about locally.
- Reach out to one partner agency and schedule a time to invest in the partnership relationship. What problems are they facing? What are they worried about? Where do their concerns and objectives align with those of the AEFLA Provider?
- Evaluate current AEFLA offerings and find one area where students could benefit from increased access to financial support.
- Make a plan to educate AEFLA staff and other WIOA Partners | AEFLA about areas of alignment and synergy.
