Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Dislocated Worker Program

Focus

Provides workforce investment activities that increase the employment, retention and earnings of participants, and increase occupational skill attainment by participants, and as a result, improve the quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency, and enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the nation.

Description

The Michigan Works! Agencies (MWAs) operate Dislocated Worker programs on a year-round basis. The funds allocated to the MWAs for the dislocated worker program must be used to provide career (basic and individualized) services and training services. 

Basic Career Services
Program information and basic assessment, general information, individual job development, advanced job club, advanced screened referrals, group activities, job search.

Individualized Career Services
Comprehensive specialized assessment, individual employment planning, counseling, short-term pre-vocational skills, case management, literacy activity, out of area job search, relocation assistance, internship and work experience.

Training Services
Occupational skills training, On-the-Job training (OJT), workplace training with related instruction, registered apprenticeship (which incorporates both OJT and classroom training), incumbent worker training, pre-apprenticeship training, skill upgrading and retraining, entrepreneurial training, transitional jobs, adult education and literacy training provided in combination with any other training services.

Eligibility

An individual must be 18 years of age or older, a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen and registered with Selective Service (if applicable) to receive services under the dislocated worker program. Participant eligibility is also dependent upon also dependent upon:

• Has been terminated or laid off, or who has received a notice of termination or layoff, and
• Is eligible for or has exhausted entitlement to unemployment compensation; or
• Has been employed for a duration sufficient to demonstrate attachment to the workforce, but is not eligible for unemployment compensation; and
• Is unlikely to return to a previous industry or occupation; or
• Has been terminated or laid off, or has received a notice of termination or layoff, from employment as a result of any permanent closure of, or any substantial layoff at, a plant, facility, or enterprise; or
• Is employed at a facility at which the employer has made a general announcement that such facility will close within 180 days; or
• Is employed at a facility at which the employer has made a general announcement that such facility will close; or
• Was self-employed but is unemployed as a result of general economic conditions; or
• Is a displaced homemaker.

Procedure

Federal funds are allocated by formula to the local MWAs. The MWAs must submit annual plans to the TIA for approval. Funds are allocated on an annual basis each July and October. Additional information is available in the WIOA Dislocated Worker program overview.

Contact

Contact Michigan Works! at 1-800-285-WORKS (9675) or visit www.michiganworks.org for additional information or to locate your local service center.

Technical Questions

Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
Workforce Development
Dislocated Services Section
201 N. Washington Square
Lansing, Michigan 48913
Phone: 517-335-5858
FAX: 517-241-9846