The primary objective of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is to help job seekers access employment, education, training and support services to succeed in the labor market. In this presentation attendees will learn more information about the current programs, eligibility requirements, intake process and how WIOA  supports participants with finding a job, obtaining a better paying job or the skills training leading to a job. In addition to learning more about the self-service programs such as the Career Centers.

WIOA was enacted to help job seekers to access employment, education, training, and provide services to be succesful in the job market. The WIOA staff and contractors serve a wide range of local residents. You may be eligible for WIOA as a dislocated worker, who has been laid off when a company is downsizing or closing. Adult funds are used with the general public – people who are not dislocated workers or in another category. Priority for those funds is for county residents. Youth ages 16-24 are served through the Sueños program, operated by the County Office of Education.  Current WIOA programs for eligible participants in both Adult/Dislocated Worker Programs in Santa Cruz County include: Individual Training Accounts Scholarships (ITA), On-the-Job Training (OJT), Transitional Job Program (TJ), National Dislocated Worker Grant-Fire Impact Recovery Effort (FIRE).  Services available for eligible youth participants  in Sueños in Santa Cruz County include: Career Development, Jobs readiness Activities, Work Experience (paid/unpaid), Job Placement, Leadership Opportunities, Tutoring, and Supportive Services.

This event is part of the Santa Cruz County Workforce Collaborative. This Collaborative is a partnership including the Santa Cruz Public Libraries, the Workforce Development Board of Santa Cruz County, the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, Cabrillo College, and Goodwill Central Coast. The Collaborative brings a holistic approach to assist jobseekers at various levels of need by bringing together information about local workforce programs in the library's Navigation Center, creating a roadmap of services, and providing bilingual, 1-on-1, and workshop-based support to individuals in navigating the career development process.