WIOA & CA ESE Partnership Guide

This Partnership Guide provides ESEs with the knowledge and resources to navigate the California workforce system and leverage WIOA funding through grant opportunities or partnerships with Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs). The guide includes case studies and tools to help ESEs assess if WIOA funding should be considered as part of their growth strategy. While this guide was written with California’s context in mind, the recommended partnership models are also applicable to ESEs nationwide.

For 1:1 guidance on developing a relationship with your LWDB and better understanding how WIOA operates in your state, reach out to Adrienne Chuck (achuck@redf.org) and Crystal Gunter (cgunter@redf.org) for a consultation.

WIOA 101 & Partnership Opportunities for CA ESEs Webinar

WIOA 101 covers the main points of the Partnership Guide, namely: basics of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), how the CA public workforce system is governed, and partnership opportunities for ESEs. CA ESEs can look to tap into WIOA funding through formula funding by partnering with their Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB) or through discretionary grant opportunities, like the Governor’s 15% Discretionary WIOA-ESE grant that REDF provides technical assistance for. ESEs can also utilize WIOA to braid funding and maximize impact by collaboration on additional grants, referrals for services or training, and employer outreach.