8.4 Career Services

8.4.1 Overview

Effective Date: January 15, 2022

The guidance contained in this chapter pertains to career services being provided with WIOA Title I funds. Career services are one of the three types of services offered by the Adult Program and Dislocated Worker Program. The purpose of career services is to support and empower customers in making informed decisions based on economic demand and in achieving their employment and education goals.¹

Career services must be provided through the one-stop delivery system.² As outlined in sections 2.6 and 2.7, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) for each one-stop delivery system identify which one-stop partner(s) provide the various career services.³ Career services may be provided by any partner program.⁴ A local Workforce Development Board (WDB) may directly provide career services only with the written agreement of the local chief elected official and the governor.⁵

There are two categories of career services outlined in this section: basic career services and individualized career services.⁶ Basic services are those made available to each individual who accesses a one-stop center, while individualized career services are those that are tailored to each participant to meet his or her needs.⁷

There is no requirement to provide basic career services before providing individualized career services, except as described in section 8.3.1.⁸ Some individuals may only need basic career services while others may require individualized career services to obtain or retain employment.⁹

¹TEGL 16-16, pp. 12-13
²20 CFR § 680.160
³20 CFR §§ 678.420(b)(1); 678.500(b)(1)
⁴81 FR 56115
⁵20 § CFR 679.410(b)
⁶20 § CFR 680.150 outlines the three types of career services: basic, individualized, and follow-up services. However, the Final Rule at 81 FR 56111 states that, "[u]nder WIOA, the Department classifies career services into two categories: [b]asic and individualized career services." Similarly, ASSET tracks follow-up services separately from basic and individualized career services; therefore, DWD-DET discusses follow-up services in chapter 8.8 of this policy manual.
⁷81 FR 55886
⁸TEGL 19-16, pp. 2-3
⁹TEGL 16-16, p. 13

8.4.2 Basic Career Services

Effective Date: January 15, 2022

Generally, basic career services involve less staff time and involvement than individualized career services.¹ All comprehensive job centers must provide basic career services to anyone seeking assistance.² Some or all of the basic career services may also be available at affiliate job centers.³ See Section 2.2.3 for the definitions of comprehensive and affiliate job centers.

Some basic career services are participation-causing services while others are not. (See Participation-Causing Services Guidance)⁴

At a minimum, the following list of basic career services must be provided in each comprehensive job center as identified in the MOU.⁵ The table below outlines the services listed in the WIOA regulations, the corresponding ASSET service(s), and whether the service is participation-causing or not.

Basic Career Services in WIOA Regulations⁶	Basic Career Services in ASSET	Participation-Causing Service?
Eligibility Determination	Eligibility Determination	No
Outreach, Intake, and Orientation	Intake and Orientation	No
Initial Assessment	Initial Assessment of Interests, Skill Level & Supportive Service Needs	Yes
Labor Exchange Services	Job Search Assistance (this includes the following subcategories): Information about a specific job vacancy appropriate for the participant Development of a job search plan Job search workshop Job finding club Other job search assistance	Yes
	Résumé Development	Yes
	Job Referral/Placement Assistance	Yes
Referrals	Referral (this includes the following subcategories): Referral to Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Services Referral to Disabled Veteran Outreach Program (DVOP) Specialist Referral to Federal Training (WIOA Title I, TAA, Adult Education, Vocational Rehab, Job Corps) Referral to other WIOA programs (services other than training) Referral to local bonding coordinator for Federal Bonding Program Referral for a supportive service to community programs/services Referral for a supportive service to a State or Federal public assistance program Other Referral	No
Information About and Referrals to Supportive Services		No
Labor Market Information	Labor Market Information (this includes the following subcategories): Info on in-demand occupations/sectors Info on non-traditional occupations Other LMI	No
Labor Market Information	Job Requirements Information	No
Performance and Cost Information for Programs on the Eligible Training Provider List	Information about Eligible Training Programs (ETPs)	No
Local WIOA Performance Information	Information on Local Area Performance	No
Unemployment Insurance Information and Assistance	Unemployment Insurance (UI) Claim Assistance	Yes
Financial Aid Assistance for Training and Education	Financial Aid Information	No
Financial Aid Assistance for Training and Education	Financial Aid Application Assistance	Yes

This list of basic career services is not exhaustive; a local Workforce Development Board (WDB) may provide additional basic career services.⁷ If a local WDB intends to provide a service beyond those on this list, those services must have been approved by the Board and be included in their local policy. In those cases, DWD-DET recommends that the local WDB consult with their Local Program Liaison for assistance in determining how the additional service should be recorded in ASSET.

Eligibility Determination

DWD-DET defines eligibility determination as applying the information collected during program registration to the eligibility criteria to see if the individual is eligible for the program.⁸ This service must be used to determine if an individual is eligible for the Adult Program and/or the Dislocated Worker Program based on the eligibility criteria for those programs. Anyone interested in being considered for the Title I programs must be allowed to apply⁹ and must receive an eligibility determination.¹⁰ As outlined in the Order of Services policy, DWD-DET requires this service to be completed prior to the start of any participation-causing service.

The corresponding ASSET service is called Eligibility Determination.

Outreach, Intake, and Orientation

Outreach, intake, and orientation involves providing introductory information about the job center and the programs and services provided through the one-stop system.¹¹ This service may be provided individually or in a group setting.¹²

The corresponding ASSET service is called Intake and Orientation.¹³

Initial Assessment

The initial assessment service is provided to help the career planner gain an understanding of an eligible individual's skill levels, including literacy, numeracy, and English language proficiency, as well as aptitudes, abilities (including skills gaps), and supportive service needs.¹⁴ It is a high-level skills and needs review.

DWD-DET requires the Basic Skills Screening Tool (BSST) to be administered as part of the initial assessment to help determine if an individual is basic skills deficient. The tool alone, however, is not sufficient to constitute a complete initial assessment. Information gleaned should also include the participant's educational history, job skills and interests, and work history.

Career planners should conduct the initial assessment in a collaborative manner with the participant, and may collect information using a variety of informal and formal sources and methods available to them. These may include, for example: conversations with the participant, the Basic Skills Screening Tool, education level completed, grade point average, and so on. No particular tests or tools are required by DWD-DET for this service, other than the BSST.

By comparison, the Comprehensive Assessment, an Individualized Career Service discussed later in this chapter, typically includes more in-depth, standardized testing tools.

A career planner may use the results of a recent assessment that the participant completed for another program.¹⁵ If that other assessment provides sufficient information for the initial assessment service, as described above, the career planner may use that assessment to complete the initial assessment service. If it does not, the career planner must ensure that the missing components are completed. (For example, if the Basic Skills Screening Tool has not been completed, or one of the components listed above, such as skills gaps, remains unclear.)

Note: In this context, DWD-DET defines "recent" as having been completed within the previous six months.¹⁶ While local WDBs may develop their own policies for the use of recent assessments,¹⁷ any such policies may not allow the use of assessments that were completed more than six months before the initial assessment service.

As outlined in 8.3.1 Order of Services, DWD-DET requires career planners to provide an initial assessment service and a comprehensive assessment service to participants prior to developing a new individual employment plan (IEP) (or updating an existing IEP for a participant coming from another program, such as the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program).

DWD-DET allows information used for the initial assessment to be collected prior to the eligibility determination, so long as the process of collecting the information does not involve direct costs to the Adult Program and/or Dislocated Worker Program (e.g., the information is collected using an application form that participant completes).

The corresponding ASSET service is called Initial Assessment of Interests, Skill Level & Supportive Service Needs.

Labor Exchange Services

Labor exchange services¹⁸ include job search and placement assistance and, when needed by an individual, career counseling that includes the provision of information relating to:

in-demand industry sectors and occupations;
nontraditional employment opportunities¹⁹; and
career profiles and interest inventories.²⁰

The corresponding ASSET services are called: Job Search Assistance, Job Referral/Placement Assistance, and Résumé Development.²¹

Job Search Assistance is used to record providing a participant assistance with planning and carrying out a successful job-hunting strategy. This service includes the following subcategories, one of which must be selected in ASSET:

Information about a specific job vacancy appropriate for the participant;²²
Development of a job search plan;²³
Job search workshop;²⁴
Job finding club;²⁵ and
Other job search assistance.

Job Referral/Placement Assistance is used to record bringing to an employer's attention one or a group of participants who are available for a posted job.

Résumé Development²⁶ is used to record assisting a participant in creating or improving a résumé or cover letter.

Note: DWD-DET considers the career counseling component of labor exchange services to overlap with the Group Employment Counseling and Individual Employment Counseling individualized career services. As such, DWD-DET does not include a separate basic career service for career counseling in ASSET.

Referrals²⁷

Referral services involve helping connect an individual to, and coordinating activities with, other programs and services, including programs and services within the one-stop delivery system and, when appropriate, other workforce development programs.²⁸ This also involves providing information about and making referrals to appropriate supportive services.²⁹ Information provided to individuals should be in usable and understandable formats and languages.³⁰ When appropriate, career planners are expected to share information about, and make referrals to, the following: child care; child support; medical or child health assistance available through the state's Medicaid program and Children's Health Insurance Program; benefits under FoodShare; assistance through the earned income tax credit; housing counseling and assistance services sponsored through U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and W-2 assistance and other supportive services and transportation provided through that program.³¹ Career planners are encouraged to share information about, and make referrals to, other supportive services that would benefit the individuals they are serving.³²

The corresponding ASSET service is called Referral and has the following subcategories, one of which must be selected in ASSET:

Referral to Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Services;³³
Referral to Disabled Veteran Outreach Program (DVOP) Specialist;³⁴
Referral to Federal Training (WIOA Title I, TAA, Adult Education, Vocational Rehab, Job Corps);³⁵
Referral to other WIOA program (services other than training);³⁶
Referral to local bonding coordinator for Federal Bonding Program;³⁷
Referral for a supportive service to community programs/services;³⁸
Referral for a supportive service to a State or Federal public assistance program;³⁹ and
Other Referral.

Labor Market Information

Labor market information services include the provision of information on national, state, regional and/or local labor market conditions and employment statistics,⁴⁰ from data sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, WisConomy, O*NET, etc. This includes the provision of the following information:

job vacancy listings in labor market areas;
information on job skills necessary to obtain the vacant jobs listed; and
information relating to local occupations in demand and the earnings, skill requirements, and opportunities for advancement for those jobs.⁴¹

The corresponding ASSET services are called Labor Market Information and Job Requirements Information.

Labor Market Information is used to record providing a participant information related to the following subcategories, one of which must be selected in ASSET:

Info on in-demand occupations/sectors;
Info on non-traditional occupations; and
Other LMI.

Job Requirements Information⁴² is used to record reviewing the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for a specific job or type of job.

Performance and Cost Information for Programs on the Eligible Training Programs List⁴³

Provision of performance and cost information for programs on the Eligible Training Programs List (ETPL) involves sharing Wisconsin's ETPL website with the participant and, when needed, informing them how to search for programs and locate performance and cost information for programs of interest.⁴⁴ The ETPL is maintained by DWD-DET and is used by Adult Program and Dislocated Worker Program participants to research and select Individual Training Account (ITA)-eligible occupational classroom training.

The corresponding ASSET service is called Information about Eligible Training Programs (ETPs).

Local WIOA Performance Information

The local WIOA performance information service involves providing information, in usable and understandable formats and languages, about how the local area is performing on local performance accountability measures, as well as any additional performance information relating to the area's one-stop delivery system.⁴⁵

The corresponding ASSET service is called Information on Local Area Performance.

Unemployment Insurance Information and Assistance

The unemployment insurance (UI) information and assistance service involves providing information and meaningful assistance to individuals seeking help with filing a claim for unemployment compensation.⁴⁶ "Meaningful assistance" means the following:

staff providing the assistance are well-trained on the claims filing process and a claimant's rights and responsibilities;⁴⁷
only merit staff (WI State employees) provide advice, or make decisions, that could affect a claimant's UI eligibility;⁴⁸ and
the assistance must be provided within a reasonable time and may occur in-person, by phone, or via other technology.⁴⁹

If an individual in a one-stop center is referred to UI claims assistance via telephone, the phone number given must be to a line dedicated to serving one-stop customers in a timely manner; it cannot simply be for a general information/dial-in line with the state UI agency contact center where the individual is placed into a phone queue along with other claimants in the state.⁵⁰ If the assistance is provided remotely using technology, it must be technology that enables trained staff to provide the assistance. Examples of technology that enables remote assistance include live web chat application, video conference applications, or other similar technology.⁵¹

Note: Career planners can and should collaborate with their one-stop partners where needed, including when this service is being provided. For example, Title III Job Service personnel have access to the dedicated UI phone line. Career planners can connect participants to those staff to ensure access to this required phone line.

The costs associated with providing this assistance may be paid for by the state's Unemployment Insurance program, the Wagner-Peyser Program (WIOA Title III), or the WIOA Adult Program or Dislocated Worker Program, or some combination thereof.⁵²

DWD-DET requires all Adult Program and Dislocated Worker Program career planners to take the DET-UI Partner Certification Training: WIOA/WDB/Job Center. The training, prepared by DWD's Unemployment Insurance Division, can be accessed by state staff in Cornerstone. External, non-state staff access the training through the DWD Learning Center (instructions for external staff wishing to access the training can be found in the adjoining Resource Box). This requirement helps ensure that career planners are equipped to provide meaningful UI-related assistance when individuals need it; however, they must not provide advice that could affect a claimant's UI eligibility.⁵³

The corresponding ASSET service is called Unemployment Insurance (UI) Claim Assistance.

Financial Aid Assistance for Training and Education

The financial aid assistance service involves providing information and/or resources about, or providing application assistance for, financial aid from non-WIOA sources to support the cost of training and education programs.⁵⁴

The two corresponding ASSET services are called Financial Aid Information and Financial Aid Application Assistance. The former, which is not a participation-causing service, entails simply providing information regarding financial aid opportunities and the latter, a participation-causing service, actual assistance in applying for such aid.

¹ TEGL 19-16, p. 3
² 20 CFR § 678.305(b)(1) and 81 FR 55883. Note that TEGL 19-16, p. 3 states, "basic career services are universally accessible and must be made available to all individuals seeking employment and training services in at least one comprehensive American Job Center per local area." This is inconsistent with 20 CFR § 678.305(b)(1) which states that "the comprehensive one-stop center must provide: career services, described in § 678.430." Since the Federal Regulations supersede TEGLs, DWD-DET's policy is consistent with the Federal Regulations which require career services to be provided at all comprehensive job centers.
³ TEGL 16-16, p. 13
⁴ TEGL 10-16, Change 2, Attachment 7A
⁵ 20 CFR §§ 678.420(b)(1); 678.500(b)(1); 678.430(a)
⁶ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)
⁷ 81 FR 55886-7
⁸ Eligibility determination is a basic career service outlined in 20 CFR § 378.430(a)(1); however, the regulations do not provide a definition.
⁹ WIOA Sec. 188(a)(2) and (5); 20 CFR § 680.110(c); 29 CFR part 38
¹⁰ 29 CFR §§ 38.4, 38.5, 38.6(b) and (d), & 38.41 combine to require that applicants must not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or belief, citizenship, or participation in any WIOA Title I-financially assisted program or activity. An "applicant" is an individual who is interested in being considered for WIOA Title I assistance. To ensure that discrimination does not occur, recipients of WIOA funding must maintain records on the race/ethnicity, sex, age, and disability status of every applicant. See also WIOA Sec. 188(a); 20 CFR § 683.285; and 81 FR 56113.
¹¹ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(2)
¹² While the WIOA regulations do not contemplate how this service is provided, DWD-DET recognizes that this service can be provided either individually or in a group setting.
¹³ DWD-DET considers the "outreach" portion of this service to be an activity that engages individuals who have not yet connected with Title I programs; therefore, DWD-DET does not include outreach in this ASSET service.
¹⁴ WIOA Sec. 134(c)(2)(A)(iii); 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(3); TEGL 16-16, p. 13
¹⁵ TEGL 4-20, p. 8 reads in part: "The use of other partner programs' assessments can increase efficiency, ensure that [individuals] receive appropriate … services, and quickly identify those [individuals] requiring a more comprehensive and specialized assessment of their skills."
¹⁶ 81 FR 56120 states, "[t]he Department recommends that Governors and Local WDBs develop policies for the use of recent assessments that are appropriate for the individual and the one-stop center. The recent assessment must have sufficient information to make an eligibility determination for training services." While this statement is in reference to assessments for determining eligibility for training services, DWD-DET is using this reference to develop a general definition for "recent." DWD-DET has adopted the guidance from TEGL 21-16, p. 8 (WIOA Title I Youth Program Guidance), when developing its definition for "recent."
¹⁷ 81 FR 56120
¹⁸ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(4)(ii). DWD-DET intentionally excluded the business services portion from the definition in this manual since business services are not provided to Adult Program or Dislocated Worker Program participants.
¹⁹ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(4)(i)(B)
²⁰ TEGL 16-16, p. 13
²¹ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(4)(ii). Consistent with footnote 29, ASSET does not include business services on behalf of employers since it is a case management system for participants.
²² DWD-DET added this service to ASSET so career planners can record tailored assistance to an individual participant related to job postings; it is not to be used to record general information provided to a group of customers.
²³ ETA 9172, element 1104 (referred to as "job search planning" in the PIRL).
²⁴ ETA 9172, element 1104
²⁵ ETA 9172, element 1104
²⁶ ETA 9172, element 1104 (referred to as "résumé assistance" in the PIRL). The Résumé Development service was not included in the Job Search Assistance service as its own subcategory per Title III/Job Service's preference.
²⁷ The WIOA regulations has "Referrals" and "Information about and Referrals to Supportive Services" as two separate services (20 CFR § 678.430(a)(5) and 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(9)). DWD-DET combined these two services into one service in ASSET.
²⁸ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(5)
²⁹ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(9)
³⁰ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(9)
³¹ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(9); TEGL 16-16, p. 14
³² 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(9); the list cited in the regulations was not intended to be exclusive.
³³ ETA 9172, element 1115
³⁴ ETA 9172, element 1114
³⁵ ETA 9172, element 1106
³⁶ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(5)
³⁷ ETA 9172, element 1116
³⁸ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(9)
³⁹ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(9)
⁴⁰ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(6)
⁴¹ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(6)
⁴² 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(6)(ii)
⁴³ WIOA refers to this list as the "Eligible Training Provider List;" however, Wisconsin uses the title "Eligible Training Programs List" to emphasize that the list is used by participants to select eligible training programs. Additionally, states are required to report at the individual program level for the ETA-9171.
⁴⁴ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(7)
⁴⁵ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(8)
⁴⁶ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(10)
⁴⁷ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(10)(i)(A)
⁴⁸ TEGL 16-16, p. 14
⁴⁹ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(10)
⁵⁰ TEGL 16-16, p. 14
⁵¹ TEGL 16-16, p. 14
⁵² 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(10); TEGL 16-16, p. 15
⁵³ TEGL 16-16, p. 14
⁵⁴ 20 CFR § 678.430(a)(11), states the service involves "Assistance in establishing eligibility for programs of financial aid assistance . . . ." DWD-DET is unsure how Title I staff can perform this function. DWD-DET believes the intended purpose of this service is to provide individuals with information and/or resources about financial aid opportunities, and to offer application assistance if appropriate. Therefore, DWD-DET created two separate financial aid-related services in ASSET to address both types of assistance envisioned under this section.

8.4.3 Individualized Career Services (Comprehensive and Specialized Assessment and Individual Employment Plan only)

Effective Date: TBD

Comprehensive and Specialized Assessment

After the initial assessment, a comprehensive and specialized assessment is provided to assess additional skill levels and determine the service needs of Adult Program and Dislocated Worker Program participants.¹

DWD-DET Order of Services requires career planners to complete the comprehensive and specialized assessment after eligibility is determined and an initial assessment has been completed. Comprehensive and specialized assessment information may be collected before eligibility determination, so long as it is without a direct cost to the Adult or Dislocated Worker Program. This information includes collecting results from recent formalized assessment instruments or diagnostic testing.

DWD-DET defines comprehensive and specialized assessments as a collaborative review by a participant and their career planner to help identify the participant's employment goals and barriers, including supportive service needs. Assessments may include information collected via:

in-depth interviewing to identify employment barriers and appropriate employment goals, which, when achieved, will lead to economic self-sufficiency;²
a formalized assessment instrument;
diagnostic testing, including evaluations conducted by licensed professionals (e.g., for learning disabilities or other work-related disabilities)
and/or
basic skills assessments which capture additional basic skill levels.
- These must be used when a participant is identified as deficient in basic skills through the Basic Skill Screening Tool.

DWD-DET requires local areas to use comprehensive and specialized assessments that are valid, reliable, and appropriate for the individual being assessed, and when necessary, to provide reasonable accommodation in testing to individuals with disabilities.³

DWD-DET requires staff administering standardized assessments to meet all training, education, and other minimum requirements established by the test publisher before administering the assessments. An explanation must be provided to the participant of each assessment's purpose and expectations during the assessment process.⁴ At a minimum, this explanation must include the following information:

why the test is being administered;
confidentiality of test results;
AND
how the test results will be used in the assessment process.⁵

DWD-DET requires career planners to document assessment results in ASSET Assessments and applicable services in ASSET Services. Planned and Actual services must be added based on the individual's identified needs.

Career planners may review the results of a recent assessment administered by another (non WIOA Title I) program as part of the comprehensive and specialized assessment. In this context, DWD-DET defines "recent" as completed within the previous six months.⁶ Local WDBs may establish policies for using recent assessments.⁷ However, assessments older than six months are not allowed.

Note: DWD-DET allows use of personality inventories if the WDB has an established policy based on the guidance in Testing and Assessment: A Guide to Good Practices for Workforce Investment Professionals for additional guidance.

Note: DWD-DET prohibits the use of clinical instruments. Such instruments are not appropriate for career counseling or development because they have been devised to detect psychopathology, not to assess job-relevant characteristics.⁸

Note: DWD-DET prohibits the use of any assessment tool, which can identify a mental disorder or impairment, which is considered a medical exam under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).⁹

Note: See the WIOA Title I Adult Program and Dislocated Worker Program Assessment Resources document for more details and examples.

Individual Employment Plan

An individual employment plan (IEP) identifies a participant's employment goals, establishes appropriate achievement objectives, and identifies an appropriate combination of services to help the participant achieve their employment goals, including providing information on eligible training providers and career pathways.¹⁰ Career planners must develop and update IEPs jointly with the participant when determined appropriate by the one-stop center, one-stop partner,¹¹ or Adult Program or Dislocated Worker Program staff.¹² DWD-DET defines developed and updated jointly as both the participant and the career planner signing or otherwise acknowledging¹³ the agreed upon IEP.

DWD-DET requires Adult Program and Dislocated Worker Program career planners to work with their participants to complete an IEP after the initial assessment and the comprehensive assessment and before they receive any other Title I funded participation-causing service, as outlined in 8.3.1 Order of Services.

DWD-DET requires career planners to develop the IEP using the Employment Plan located in Comprehensive Employment Planning Toolkit (CEPT). The IEP must capture appropriate long and short-term employment/career goals, achievement objectives, interim objectives, and planned outcomes.¹⁴

DWD-DET requires IEPs be guided by the results of the initial and comprehensive and specialized assessments.¹⁵ They must include how the participant will address the following items identified during the assessment process:

Employment barriers;
Skills needed for the participant to accomplish their goals;
Educational needs, including any applicable training plan and Individual Training Account (ITA) which align with the training eligibility criteria and purpose and type of training service;
Job readiness steps;
and
Services needed (including supportive services both WIOA and non-WIOA funded ) to ensure successful completion of the program. Services identified on the IEP must be those recorded in ASSET.

IEP Review

The IEP is an ongoing activity to help participants reach their employment goals.¹⁶ The review of an IEP aims to identify changes to a participant's service needs and/or goals, including but not limited to the following :

newly planned or provided services;
newly planned or completed activities;
newly planned or attained benchmarks;
and/or
accomplishments.

DWD-DET requires career planners to conduct an IEP review with each participant at least once every 180 days. Local WDBs may create their own IEP review policy requirements with a shorter duration.

See the Individual Employment Plan Resources for Sample questions to consider for the IEP review.

DWD-DET requires career planners to complete an IEP review before exit, unless the participant is non-responsive, to determine if the participant needs additional services and the employment aligns with the participant's occupational goals and current career and training services progress.

IEP review documentation requirements

Career planners must document the results of the IEP review in an ASSET IEP Review Service and Case Notes, regardless of the service outcome. CEPT IEP documentation requirements are located in the CEPT Employment Plan Policy.¹⁷

A Note on Co-Enrollment

For participants co-enrolled in multiple programs, the IEP review is an opportunity to review any changes made by partner staff and determine how services can best be integrated or coordinated. For co-enrolled participants, DWD-DET recommends working with partner staff to provide joint case management, including joint IEP development and review. This collaboration will enhance service integration and reduce the administrative burden placed on the participant by acknowledging multiple IEPs.

¹ WIOA Sec. 134(c)(2)(A)(xii)(I); TEGL 16-16, p.15
² WIOA Sec. 134(c)(2)(A)(xii)(I)(bb); 20 CFR § 678.430(b)(1)(ii);
³ TEN 21-07, p.14 Accommodation in the assessment process may involve ensuring physical accessibility to the test site, modifying test equipment or tests, or providing qualified assistance. Giving extra time on certain kinds of tests to test takers with dyslexia or other learning disabilities and administering a larger print version of a test to a person who is visually impaired are examples of reasonable accommodation. See reference for complete details.
⁴ TEN 21-07, p.62
⁵ TEN 21-07, attachment, p.82
⁶ 81 FR 56120. This section of the Federal Register says, "The Department recommends that Governors and Local WDBs develop policies for the use of recent assessments that are appropriate for the individual and the one-stop center. The recent assessment must have sufficient information to determine eligibility for training services." While this section refers to assessments for training services eligibility purposes, DWD-DET has defined "recent" for all purposes. TEGL 21-16, p.8 for the youth program states local programs may use previous assessment results if conducted within six months. DWD-DET has adopted this for the Adult Program and Dislocated Worker Program. 81 FR 56116 states DOL has decided that the use of prior interviews, evaluations, and assessments of participants for eligibility is to be determined by state and local policies.
⁷ 81 FR 56120
⁸ TEN 21-07, attachment, p.45
⁹ TEN 21-07, attachment, p.45
¹⁰ WIOA Sec. 134(c)(2)(A)(xii)(II); 20 CFR § 678.430(b)(2); 20 CFR § 680.170
¹¹ 20 CFR § 680.170
¹² 81 FR 56113-4
¹³ DWD-DET defines otherwise acknowledging as a participant statement submitted through electronic means (e.g., emails, screenshots of text messages, etc.)
¹⁴ DWD-DET will require the use of CEPT once this policy becomes effective. Until then, any existing employment plan process is acceptable.
¹⁵ In ASSET, the applicable services are "Initial Assessment of Interests, Skill Level & Supportive Service Needs" and "Comprehensive Individualized or Specialized Assessment." This DWD-DET requirement for Adult Program and Dislocated Worker Program IEPs is consistent with WIOA's Youth Program requirement and the TAA Program requirement that individual service strategies and IEPs, respectively, be based on assessment results. This requirement also helps provide seamless transitions from Dislocated Worker to TAA services as required by TEGL 19-16, p. 35.
¹⁶ 20 CFR § 680.170
¹⁷ DWD-DET will require the use of CEPT once this policy becomes effective. Until then, any existing employment plan process is acceptable.