LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Workforce Centers across the state aim to help people find jobs, but also companies find employees, all through Arkansas Workforce Connections.
Arkansas Workforce Connections, through the Arkansas Department of Commerce, currently operates under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
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Cody Waits, Executive Director of Arkansas Workforce Connections, discussed with lawmakers a potential change at the federal level that would transition them over to the Make America Skilled Again Initiative.
He noted that the transition would consolidate 11 different grant programs into one block grant.
“I think part of this effort from WIOA, whether they reauthorize WIOA as it exists today, or they make this transition to the Make America Skilled Again, they somewhat simplify the flow of funds and how that operates on the state level,” Waits said.
He told lawmakers there are three main areas where funding goes right now: adults, youth and dislocated workers.
“You would no longer really have those three buckets, you would just have one bucket of funding, that local areas would be able to leverage to the best of their ability and the population that seem most likely to fit,” Waits said.
Waits also said Make America Skilled Again would require 10% of the money to go to apprenticeship expansion. He also believes that less bureaucracy will take place and more local funding flexibility.
“Designing services that fit regional and industry community needs, instead of having to look and play the game of how many youth we’re going to serve, or what youth funding we have available, versus of adult or dislocated worker funds,” Waits said.
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Yet, the change could come with a funding decrease.
“From a regional provider perspective and a local board perspective, depending on how the funding flows and what makes sense and what happens, if we have a 24% cut in funding, whatever that dollar amount may be, 20, 30 or anything it could cause us to relook at our entire workforce development system,” Waits said.
The full presentation to lawmakers can be read online.
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