§3101. Purposes
The purposes of this Act are the following:
(1) To increase, for individuals in the United States, particularly those individuals with barriers to employment, access to and opportunities for the employment, education, training, and support services they need to succeed in the labor market.
(2) To support the alignment of workforce investment, education, and economic development systems in support of a comprehensive, accessible, and high-quality workforce development system in the United States.
(3) To improve the quality and labor market relevance of workforce investment, education, and economic development efforts to provide America’s workers with the skills and credentials necessary to secure and advance in employment with family-sustaining wages and to provide America’s employers with the skilled workers the employers need to succeed in a global economy.
(4) To promote improvement in the structure of and delivery of services through the United States workforce development system to better address the employment and skill needs of workers, jobseekers, and employers.
(5) To increase the prosperity of workers and employers in the United States, the economic growth of communities, regions, and States, and the global competitiveness of the United States.
(6) For purposes of parts A and B of subchapter I, to provide workforce investment activities, through statewide and local workforce development systems, that increase the employment, retention, and earnings of participants, and increase attainment of recognized postsecondary credentials by participants, and as a result, improve the quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency, increase economic self-sufficiency, meet the skill requirements of employers, and enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the Nation.
( Pub. L. 113-128, § 2 , July 22, 2014 , 128 Stat. 1428 .)
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This Act, referred to in text, is Pub. L. 113-128, July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1425, known as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which enacted this chapter, repealed chapter 30 (§ 2801 et seq.) of this title and chapter 73 (§ 9201 et seq.) of Title 20, Education, and made amendments to numerous other sections and notes in the Code. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out below and Tables.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Pub. L. 113-128, title V, § 506, July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1703, provided that:
“(a) In General.—Except as otherwise provided in this Act, this Act [see Tables for classification], including the amendments made by this Act, shall take effect on the first day of the first full program year after the date of enactment of this Act [July 22, 2014].
“(b) Application Date for Workforce Development Performance Accountability System.—
“(1) In general.—Section 136 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2871), as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act, shall apply in lieu of section 116 of this Act [29 U.S.C. 3141], for the first full program year after the date of enactment of this Act.
“(2) Special provisions.—For purposes of the application described in paragraph (1)—
“(A) except as otherwise specified, a reference in section 136 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to a provision in such Act (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.), other than to a provision in such section or section 112 of such Act [29 U.S.C. 2822], shall be deemed to refer to the corresponding provision of this Act;
“(B) the terms ‘local area’, ‘local board’, ‘one-stop partner’, and ‘State board’ have the meanings given the terms in section 3 of this Act [29 U.S.C. 3102];
“(C) except as provided in subparagraph (B), terms used in such section 136 shall have the meanings given the terms in section 101 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801);
“(D) any agreement negotiated and reached under section 136(c)(2) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2871(c)(2)) shall remain in effect, until a new agreement is so negotiated and reached, for that first full program year;
“(E) if a State or local area fails to meet levels of performance under subsection (g) or (h), respectively, of section 136 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 [29 U.S.C. 2871(g), (h)] during that first full program year, the sanctions provided under such subsection shall apply during the second full program year [probably means beginning July 1, 2016] after the date of enactment of this Act; and
“(F) the Secretary shall use an amount retained, as a result of a reduction in an allotment to a State made under section 136(g)(1)(B) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2871(g)(1)(B)), to provide technical assistance as described in subsections (f)(1) and (g)(1) of section 116 of this Act [29 U.S.C. 3141(f)(1), (g)(1)], in lieu of incentive grants under section 503 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (20 U.S.C. 9273) as provided in section 136(g)(2) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2871(g)(2)).
“(c) Application Date for State and Local Plan Provisions.—
“(1) Implementation.—Sections 112 and 118 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2822, 2833), as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act, shall apply to implementation of State and local plans, in lieu of sections 102 and 103, and section 108, respectively, of this Act [29 U.S.C. 3112, 3113, 3123], for the first full program year after the date of enactment of this Act.
“(2) Special provisions.—For purposes of the application described in paragraph (1)—
“(A) except as otherwise specified, a reference in section 112 or 118 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to a provision in such Act (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.), other than to a provision in or to either such section or to section 136 of such Act, shall be deemed to refer to the corresponding provision of this Act;
“(B) the terms ‘local area’, ‘local board’, ‘one-stop partner’, and ‘State board’ have the meanings given the terms in section 3 of this Act;
“(C) except as provided in subparagraph (B), terms used in such section 112 or 118 shall have the meanings given the terms in section 101 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801); and
“(D) section 112(b)(18)(D) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2822(b)(18)(D)) shall not apply.
“(3) Submission.—Sections 102, 103, and 108 of this Act shall apply to plans for the second full program year after the date of enactment, including the development, submission, and approval of such plans during the first full program year after such date.
“(d) Disability Provisions.—Except as otherwise provided in title IV of this Act, title IV [see Tables for classification], and the amendments made by title IV, shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act.”
[The first full program year after the date of enactment of Pub. L. 113-128, referred to in section 506 of Pub. L. 113-128, set out above, begins on July 1, 2015, based on section 189(g)(1)(A) of Pub. L. 113-128, which is classified to section 3249(g)(1)(A) of this title.]
Short Title of 2015 Amendment
Pub. L. 114-18, § 1, May 22, 2015, 129 Stat. 213, provided that:
“This Act [amending sections 780, 3112, 3121, 3122, 3141, 3164, 3172, and 3174 of this title and enacting provisions set out as notes under sections 780 and 3112 of this title] may be cited as the ‘WIOA Technical Amendments Act’.”
Short Title
Pub. L. 113-128, § 1(a), July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1425, provided that:
“This Act [see Tables for classification] may be cited as the ‘Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act’.”
Pub. L. 113-128, title II, § 201, July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1608, provided that:
“This title [enacting subchapter II of this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Adult Education and Family Literacy Act’.”
Declaration of Policy
Pub. L. 102-367, title I, § 101(a), Sept. 7, 1992, 106 Stat. 1022, provided that:
“In recognition of the training needs of low-income adults and youth, the Congress declares it to be the policy of the United States to—
“(1) provide financial assistance to States and local service delivery areas to meet the training needs of such low-income adults and youth, and to assist such individuals in obtaining unsubsidized employment;
“(2) increase the funds available for programs under title II of the Job Training Partnership Act ([former] 29 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) by not less than 10 percent of the baseline each fiscal year to provide for growth in the percentage of eligible adults and youth served above the 5 percent of the eligible population that is currently served; and
“(3) encourage the provision of longer, more comprehensive, education, training, and employment services to the eligible population, which also requires increased funding in order to maintain current service levels.”
Executive Documents
Executive Order No. 13845
Ex. Ord. No. 13845, July 19, 2018, 83 F.R. 35099, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 13853, § 5, Dec. 12, 2018, 83 F.R. 65073; Ex. Ord. No. 13931, § 1, June 26, 2020, 85 F.R. 39455, which established the President’s National Council for the American Worker and the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 14025, § 4(a), Apr. 26, 2021, 86 F.R. 22831, set out in a note under section 141 of this title.
[Ex. Ord. No. 13931, June 26, 2020, 85 F.R. 39455, which continued the President’s National Council for the American Worker and the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board until Sept. 30, 2021, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 14025, § 4(a), Apr. 26, 2021, 86 F.R. 22831.]
Ex. Ord. No. 14278. Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future
Ex. Ord. No. 14278, Apr. 23, 2025, 90 F.R. 17525, provided:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. To maximize my Administration’s historic investments in America’s reindustrialization and economic growth, my Administration will fully equip the American worker to produce world-class products and implement world-leading technologies. My Administration will also consolidate and streamline fragmented Federal workforce development programs that are too disconnected from propelling workers into secure, well-paying, and high-need American jobs.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to optimize and target Federal investments in workforce development to align with our country’s reindustrialization needs and equip American workers to fill the growing demand for skilled trades and other occupations. My Administration will further protect and strengthen Registered Apprenticeships and build on their successes to seize new opportunities and unlock the limitless potential of the American worker.
Sec. 3. Comprehensive Worker Investment and Development Strategy. Within 90 days of the date of this order [Apr. 23, 2025], the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Education shall review all Federal workforce development programs and submit to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget a report setting forth strategies to help the American worker. That report shall identify the following:
(a) Opportunities to integrate systems and realign resources to address critical workforce needs and in-demand skills of emerging industries and companies investing in the United States as determined, to the extent permissible by law, by prospective employers. The report shall include:
(i) administrative reforms to agency policies and programmatic requirements;
(ii) process improvements to better the experience for program participants; and
(iii) recommendations to further restructure and consolidate programs.
(b) Federal workforce development and education programs, or related spending within these programs, that are ineffective or otherwise fail to achieve their desired outcomes. Each identified program should be accompanied by a proposal to reform the program, redirect its funding, or eliminate it.
(c) Available statutory authorities to promote innovation and system integration in pursuit of better employment and earnings outcomes for program participants.
(d) Opportunities to invest in the upskilling of incumbent workers to meet rapidly evolving skill demands of their industries, including the use of Artificial Intelligence in the workplace.
(e) Strategies to identify alternative credentials and assessments to the 4-year college degree that can be mapped to the specific skill needs of prospective employers.
(f) Efficiencies to streamline information collection, including through:
(i) harmonizing performance measures;
(ii) reducing the burden on grantees; and
(iii) ensuring that performance outcomes are measured using the most reliable data sources.
Sec. 4. Expanding Registered Apprenticeships. Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Education shall submit to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget a plan to reach and surpass 1 million new active apprentices. That plan shall identify the following:
(a) Avenues to expand Registered Apprenticeships to new industries and occupations, including high-growth and emerging sectors.
(b) Measures to scale this proven model across the country, improve its efficiency, and provide consistent support to program participants.
(c) Opportunities, including through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (Perkins V) Act and Federal student aid, to enhance connections between the education system and Registered Apprenticeships.
Sec. 5. Delivering Unprecedented Transparency and Accountability. The Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Education shall improve transparency on the performance outcomes of workforce development programs and credentials supported through Federal investments, including earnings and employment data, for all Federal workforce development programs.
Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
Donald J. Trump.