2 Nuts and Bolts assessments; information about local education and training service providers; help in filing claims for unemployment insurance; career counseling, including counseling on non-traditional occupations and up-to-date labor market information on employment trends, local vacancies, and skills necessary for in-demand jobs. These services may be funded through the Adult, Youth, and Dislocated Worker programs; Adult Education; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; or other programs that are co- located at American Job Centers. The Adult, Youth, and Dislocated Worker programs overseen by DOL serve 8 million individuals, including those that receive virtual services. Nearly 2 million individuals received staff-assisted services at American Job Centers between April 2012 and May 2013 (the most recent data available), and 214,000 of them received training. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act requires states to develop unified plans across all WIOA-authorized programs. This complements the Administration’s job-driven training efforts by requiring these programs to be more coordinated and aligned within each state. DOL will issue guidance to state workforce agencies and Workforce Investment Boards to incorporate the Job- Driven Checklist elements into their operations. Unified state plans will be required to be submitted to the Secretaries of Labor and Education within the next two years. Prior to plan submission, DOL and ED will issue guidance on how the states should incorporate the Job-Driven Checklist into their new plans. Asking states to incorporate the Job-Driven Checklist into their plans should lead them to review their own programs, determine which best meet the job-driven goals, and figure out ways to spread best practices across their states, resulting in better services for individuals and employers. Using Waivers to Promote the Job-Driven Approach The Workforce Investment Act authorizes DOL to waive some rules that apply to DOL programs at the request of states. These waivers range from waivers of procurement requirements to waivers that directly relate to training, such those relating to waivers of the maximum employer reimbursement amount for on-the-job training. States use the flexibility afforded by waivers to implement initiatives within State Strategic Plans and to improve the statewide workforce investment system for both job seekers and employers. As a commitment to job-driven training, DOL will now ask that states demonstrate how they are achieving job-driven goals, such as engaging in sector partnerships, prioritizing work-based learning approaches, and making data available on training provider outcomes when states apply for waivers as authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Integrating the Job-Driven Checklist into Economic Development DOC has made a skilled workforce a central priority. Although DOC does not fund training programs, the department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) funds economic development capacity-building efforts that help communities with strategic planning to identify regional assets and vulnerabilities, including the status of the workforce; technical assistance to improve economic development decision-making, such as workforce needs assessments; and construction assistance to help build foundational physical infrastructure, such as workforce training centers. These activities are crucial in helping communities build the capacity to support a workforce that is attractive to business growth and investment. Without these activities and investments, businesses may not have access to the skilled workforce they need to compete in the global economy. 38