WIA is now WIOA. But what does that mean? That’s the question that Bob Lanter, Executive Director of the California Workforce Association (CWA), focused on during the CWA presentation “WIOA—An Overview of Legislation, Options and Implementation” at San Diego State University on Nov. 3.
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San Diego Workforce Partnership staff members attended the daylong training with approximately 60 other
attendees representing various sectors of workforce development, including local America’s Job Center of California managers, staff from the Employment Development Department and the Department of Labor, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program directors and tribal directors.
The presentation was part of a statewide program designed to explain the new Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and how the legislation will impact California’s workforce system. WIOA does not make drastic structural changes to the workforce system, but it does include provisions that will streamline programs, strengthen the emphasis on serving local employers, and increase the transparency of training providers. The focus is on aligning employment, training and education systems, which allows for an emphasis 
on the particular local needs of each region.
In the training Lanter (pictured, far left) led attendees through an overview of WIOA focusing on five main areas:
- Adult Education and Literacy
- Amendments to the Wagner-Peyser Act
- Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- General Provisions
- Workforce Development Activities
Attendees then broke into small groups to discuss a variety of topics, including regional planning, performance accountability and improving business services.
WIOA will be enacted on July 1, 2015.