Operations Issuance: 2022-14

Issuance Number: 2022-14

Date: December 22, 2022

To: Workforce Partnership Staff and WIOA Subrecipients

From: Shaina Gross, VP of Client Services

Subject: Operations Manual Update: Chapter 4. Part 2 & Attachments

Purpose:

This operations issuance is to notify Workforce Partnership (SDWP) subrecipients of changes to the Operations Manual: Chapter 4, Part 2 – Title I WIOA Youth Program Activities. Updates to the chapter and attachments were made to align with federal, state and local policy changes.

Summary of Updates: Below is a summary of updates. Subrecipient should review the referenced chapter and the attachments for details.

Chapter 4 Part 2

Section II.F. Meetings, Training and Reports

  • Added: Notifications are sent to the YSP Program Contact for distribution to YSP staff via Outlook Calendar or email. It is the YSPs Program Contact’s responsibility to ensure their staff have access to applicable trainings, meetings, and reports (including Operations Manual Issuances).

Section III.D.1. Objective Assessment Guidelines

  • Added: – SDWP encourages the use of Career Coach and/or My Next Move/Mi Proximo Paso (Spanish Version) to identify occupations of interest
  • Objective Assessment Process – Updated to provide clear guidance on process requirements in both the Partner Poral (including Program Match Finder) and CalJOBS.
    • The OA is to be completed in the Partner Portal, however you must still document the activity (412) in CalJOBS on the participant form and with any subsequent updates with additional activity codes.
    • Staff should not be filling out the OA in CalJOBS

Section IV.A.a) Organized Field Trips and Events

  • Added: YSPs can use WIOA funds to pay for costs associated with field trips and events, so long as they are linked to the participating individuals’ goals identified on their Individual Service Strategy (ISS) and are documented with a corresponding youth element and activity code. Funds used for these activities are budgeted as participant costs.
    • Examples:
        • Day trip to an employer for job shadowing (Activity Code 409)
        • Civic engagement activities which promote the quality of life in a community (Activity Code 410)
        • Field trip to an employer or education facility for Career Awareness (Activity Code 433)

Section IV.C.2. Food Purchases

  • Clarification and examples added for allowable food purchases as Supportive Services. All supportive services must link to an open education, training, or employment activity code and a goal on the participant’s ISS.
  • Added: Groceries can be provided to ensure youth can participate in scheduled employment, training or education activities, including as a barrier to those who are homeless or housing insecure.
  • Added clarification of the purchase of food as part of an activity or training:
    • The activity must be four hours or longer and during a normal meal period.
    • For field trips and events, food may be provided to participant that do not have the means, time, and/or accessibility to food.
    • A one-to-two-hour training or event would not meet necessity and justification for a food purchase as a Supportive Service.

Section VI. Performance

  • Added three categories of performance accountability related to local, state, and federal requirements (Related to Contract Modification – Attachment C):
    • Youth Enrollments
    • Active Youth Services
    • WIOA Youth Contract Spending Analysis
  • Updated reference to WIOA Performance Guidance: WSD22-01

Section VI.G.3.a) WIOA Funded Non-Credentialed Certifications

  • Added: WIOA funds can be used to pay for any and all short-to-mid-term credentials, including those listed that do not meet the definition of a post-secondary credential (under Credential Attainment Limitations) to support the participant meeting their employment goals identified on their Individual Service Strategy (ISS). Any short-to-mid-term credentials that do not meet the definition of a post-secondary credential must be documented using Activity Code 417 – Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling under description #1 & #3 – preparation for post-secondary education, training, and/or unsubsidized employment opportunities. The attached case note must include a description of the training received and any applicable certifications.

Section VII. Performance Reporting

  • Added: Reporting Timeline – Reference to WIOA Youth Performance Reporting Timeline attachment
  • CalJOBS Performance Data Entry
    • Updated: Performance must be entered into all required sections of CalJOBS, including follow-up forms, MSGs and Credential Attainments by the final day of the reporting quarter.
    • There is no longer a seven-calendar day grace period for performance data entry since it can be entered any day during the quarter.
  • Performance Inquiries
    • Added policy and process for submitting performance inquiries within the performance reporting timeline

Section VII.D. Corrective Action Policy

  • Updated: The Corrective Action Policy and Process is relocated to SDWP Operations Manual, Chapter 2: Contract Administration.

Attachments

The following attachments were added:

  • WIOA Youth Performance Reporting Timeline (moved from Chapter 5)

Action:

Effective January 1, 2023 all WIOA youth providers are required to follow the updated policies and procedures in the chapter indicated above. Subrecipients and staff are required to review the entire Chapter and Attachments.

If you have any feedback or questions regarding this issuance, contact your Program Specialist.

References:

  1. To access the chapters and their attachments, go to workforce.org and click on the collapsed menu icon located on the top right-hand side of the webpage.
  2. Click on “Operations Resources” section.
  3. Click on “Operations Manual” to see the list of chapters and operational issuances.
  4. Click on “Chapter 4.  Part 2: WIOA Youth Eligibility | Attachments” to view the policy and attachments.