Operations Issuance: 2023-15

Issuance Number: 2023-15

Date: December 22, 2023

To: WIOA Youth Subrecipients & Youth Services Providers (YSPs), SDWP WIOA Youth Staff, and SDWP Operations & Compliance

From: Crystal Gunter, Sr. Supervisor of Youth Services

Subject: Operations Manual Update: Chapter 4, Part 2: WIOA Title I Youth Program Activities

Purpose:

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

Below is a summary of updates and/or clarifications. Subrecipients should review the referenced chapter in its entirety to ensure compliance. 

Chapter

Section III.D: Program Enrollment & Service Strategy

  • Educational Functioning Level (EFL)
    • For a Measurable Skills Gain (MSG), the post-test must be completed prior to the end of the program year to get performance credit for the MSG. 
  •  

Section IV: Program Services  

  • Supportive Services
    • CalJOBS must have a concurrent service activity entered to support the need for the supportive service based on the Individual Service Strategy (ISS) 
    • CalJOBS case note must include the amount of the supportive service. 
    • If documentation is missing from the participant’s file (Workforce eFile), including acknowledgement of receipt of the supportive service, no other supportive services may be provided. Missing documentation will result in disallowed costs. 
      • Subrecipient staff are required to audit their active and follow up participant files (comparing with CalJOBS activity codes entered) to ensure all required documentation is accounted for in eFile. 
      • If documentation is missing and cannot be recovered, YSPs must report it to SDWP and must have written approval to provide additional supportive services to the participant if the documentation cannot be obtained.
  • Incentives
    • Close the related CalJOBS service activity as “successful” or enter a 413 (ISS) if the incentive is tied to completion of a goal/objective. 
    • CalJOBS case note must include the amount of the incentive. 
  • Stipends 
    • CalJOBS case note must include the amount of the stipend paid to the participant and the number of hours. 
    • Stipend payments must have their own case note within the service activity named “Stipend Payment.” It should not be hidden within the original attached case note. 

Section V.C: Participant File Content  

  • Intake & Eligibility Documentation
    • If a male participant turns 18 while enrolled in the program, the YSP is required to assist the participant with registering for selective service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. Services must be suspended until the documentation is uploaded to Workforce eFile. (Reference: WSD16-18). The YSP is responsible for tracking participants Selective Service requirements. 
  • Follow Up
    • Follow up services may begin immediately following the last expected date of service and after a closure form is completed. Follow up services do not cause the exit date to change and does not trigger re-enrollment in the program. 
  • Date of Exit
    • The date of exit is the last date of service. An exit occurs when the participant has not received program services for 90 consecutive calendar days. The program exit date is applied retroactively after 90 days to the last service’s actual end date. The date of exit can be triggered by a system soft exit, which is considered a “90 day no service” or by staff creating a closure form prior to a system soft exit. YSPs must make sure that exits are planned based on the ISS and/or the participant’s engagement in the program. 

Section VI: Performance  

  • All performance measures are quantified by the data that is entered into CalJOBS. Therefore, it is mandatory that all performance related data (i.e., activity codes, MSGs, credentials, etc.) are entered accurately. If data in CalJOBS is incorrect, staff should follow the guidance for Data and Documentation Change Requests.
  • Enrollment – Participation Date
    • A youth becomes an enrolled participant in the program when they complete all four steps, including eligibility determination (WIOA Application), an objective assessment, an individual service strategy and receive on of the 14 WIOA youth program elements (TEGL 10-16, Change 2, Attachment 7, Table B). A supportive service cannot be the first service unless provided in conjunction with another service.
  • WIOA Performance Measure Definitions
    • Updated reference to the Workforce Services Directive WSD23-03
    • Employment (Placement) Rate – 2nd Quarter After Exit
      • All participants are included in this indicator
    • Employment (Placement) Rate – 4th Quarter After Exit
      • All participants are included in this indicator 
    • Median Earnings – 2nd Quarter After Exit 
      • Included participants who are found to be employed in the 2nd quarter after exit 
    • Credential Attainment 
      • Includes all youth participants enrolled as in-school, as well as out-of-youth enrolled into occupational skills training, secondary or postsecondary education, adult education, YouthBuild and/or Job Corps during participation. 
    • Measurable Skill Gains 
      • Includes all youth participants enrolled as in-school, as well as out-of-youth enrolled into occupational skills training, secondary or postsecondary education, adult education, YouthBuild and/or Job Corps during participation. 
  • Placement Definitions
    • Placement in Unsubsidized Employment – Employment in the private or public sector when the employer does not receive a subsidy from public funds to offset all or part of the wages and costs of employing the individual.
    • Placement in Secondary School Education – Instruction at or above the 9th grade level that leads to a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent.
    • Placement in Post-Secondary Education/Training – Instruction from an accredited postsecondary education institution where technical or industry/occupational skills are attained that lead to a recognized postsecondary credential.
    • Placement in Occupational Skills Training – Instruction that includes vocational education and classroom training that is designed to provide technical skills and information required to perform a specific job or group of jobs. 
  • Documentation of Placement (Q2 & Q4) 
    • For placement in education or training (including AmeriCorps or JobCorps), one the following documents must be included to verify the placement: 
      • School records 
      • Transcript or report card 
      • Vendor/training provider documentation; OR 
      • A case note including the participant status, date obtained, and the staff verifying the placement information 
  • Median Earnings 
  • Credential Attainment 
    • California has approved the use of two high school equivalency tests (HSET): GED® and HiSET® (the third option was removed by EDD). 
    • There are various HSET preparation programs available for free through the California Adult Education Provider Directory. 
    • A copy of the degree, certificate, or credential must be uploaded under the Credential Attainment section of CalJOBS. 
      • To be counted, the credential must be attained within 365 days of exit, whereas employment can be any of the four quarters of follow up. 
  • Credential Verification 
  • Measurable Skills Gain 
    • Subrecipients are required to document all MSGs during the PY (July 1 – June 30) that a participant is enrolled in education or training, regardless if the participant exits in the same PY. 
      • All MSGs that the participant earns must be documented and recorded (not just their most recent gain). 
    • (#4 Progress Towards Established Milestones) Milestones should be established in advance of the education or training program, or in advance of the program year being measured, to qualify as an “established milestone.” 
    • (#5 Skills Progression) Documentation may include the following: Passage of an exam in an occupational program, employer-required knowledge-based exam, passage of an occupational competency-based assessment, or completion test necessary to obtain a credential. 
      • If there is documentation indicating the training/education curriculum includes the passage of an exam in order to earn a certificate of completion, then the certificate of completion is sufficient evidence to meet this MSG. However, if the participant will not complete the program in the PY, then documentation of the passed exam is necessary. 
  • Effectiveness in Serving Employers
    • The guidance on Effectiveness in Serving Employers will be updated when the finalized guidance from DOL is issued. Local Areas are required to provide the federally required data to EDD at the end of the PY to ensure all the data is captured and reported to the DOL, therefore subrecipients are required to provide the data on a quarterly basis to SDWP by the 15th of each month following the quarter end. For more information, review SDWP Operations Manual, Chapter 11: Business Services Policy and Procedures. 

Attachments 

  • Updated WIOA Youth Performance Reporting Timeline 
    • Added due date for Effectiveness in Serving Employers reporting (Reference Chapter 11) 

Action:

Effective January 1, 2024, all subrecipients are required to follow the guidelines outlined in the updated Chapter and attachments. This issuance replaces and supersedes the chapter and attachments. If you have any feedback or questions regarding this issuance, please contact your Contract Administrator (619) 228-2900. Training for subrecipients was provided on December 6, 2023 with additional information provided at the December 18th WIOA Youth Provider Leadership Team meeting. If your program staff requires additional training, contact your Program Specialist. 

 

References: 

WSD 23-03 – Performance Guidance 

WSD 22-15 – WIOA Data Validation Source Documentation 

  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 7. Part 2: WIOA Title I Youth Eligibility” to view the policy and attachments.