8.4 Career Services

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.

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

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.

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