Report 2011-111 Recommendation 4 Responses

Report 2011-111: Federal Workforce Investment Act: More Effective State Planning and Oversight Is Necessary to Better Help California's Job Seekers Find Employment (Release Date: March 2012)

Recommendation #4 To: Employment Development Department

To assist the state board and other workforce investment partners in the development and implementation of state-specific performance measures, EDD should ensure that it works with the state board to develop procedures for approving the addition of data elements to its Web-based system and for the exchange of data between EDD and the state board.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2017

As stated in our prior response, EDD partnered with the California Workforce Development Board (State Board) to implement the State Workforce and Education Alignment Project (SWEAP) initiative, which captured the remaining data needed for the State-specific measures. In addition, this initiative has the secondary benefit of helping implement the provisions of Assembly Bill 2148, which requires EDD to aggregate workforce performance data from the California Job Opening Browse SystemSM (CalJOBSSM) and provide it to the State Board to assist them in producing the requisite workforce dashboard report.

As a result of the work associated with the SWEAP initiative and Assembly Bill 2148, EDD was able to gain a better understanding of the data needed for State-specific measures and implement those measures into CalJOBSSM. In May 2016, using this information in CalJOBSSM, EDD provided the State Board all of the necessary data related to the State-specific performance measures. This data included credential and degree attainment, training completion, and participant earnings from workforce education and training programs.

The California 2016 Budget Act allocated funding to the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to develop a data-sharing pilot project to build a comprehensive data warehouse on California's workforce and education programs. The data would provide policymakers, the public, and program administrators with actionable information about which workforce and education programs best improve an individual's ability to get a job. This project, led by the State Board, was created and is called Cross-System Analytics and Assessment for Learning and Skills Attainment (CAAL-Skills). CAAL-Skills has provided the framework for EDD and the State Board to finalize the data elements to be shared and systematize the procedures for the exchange of data between EDD and the State Board.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Resolved

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2016

As stated in our prior response, EDD partnered with the California Workforce Development Board (State Board) to implement the State Workforce and Education Alignment Project (SWEAP) initiative which captured the remaining data needed for the State-specific measures. In addition, this initiative has the secondary benefit of helping implement the provisions of Assembly Bill 2148, which requires EDD to aggregate workforce performance data from the California Job Opening Browse System (CalJOBS(SM)) and provide it to the State Board to assist them in producing the requisite workforce dashboard report.

As a result of the work associated with the SWEAP initiative and Assembly Bill 2148, EDD was able to gain a better understanding of the data needed for State-specific measures and implement those measures into CalJOBS(SM). Using this information in CalJOBS(SM), in May 2016, EDD was able to provide the State Board all of the necessary data related to the State-specific performance measures. These data included credential and degree attainment, training completion, and participant earnings from workforce education and training programs.

As of August 2016, the workload associated with the transitional activities required to successfully implement the final regulations of the Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is well underway. Once all Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act changes to CalJOBS(SM) have been implemented, EDD will then work with the State Board to develop, document, and finalize procedures for approving the addition of data elements to CalJOBS(SM) and exchanging data with the State Board.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Not Fully Implemented

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2015

The EDD launched an upgrade to the California Job Opening Browse System (CalJOBSSM), which included the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) module on May 5, 2014. CalJOBSSM is currently capable of collecting all of the required federal data and the majority of the data needed for the previously approved State-specific measures.

Additionally, EDD is partnering with the California Workforce Investment Board (State Board) to implement the State Workforce and Education Alignment Project initiative which will capture the remaining data needed for the State-specific measures. The objective of this initiative is the development of an annual workforce metrics dashboard to measure the State's human capital investments in workforce development. The initiative will implement new State-specific performance measures.

This initiative has the secondary purpose of implementing the provisions of Assembly Bill (AB) 2148, which was signed into law September 2014. This bill requires EDD to aggregate workforce development data provided by participating workforce program partners, including performance measures, and report this data to the State Board to assist them in producing an annual workforce metrics dashboard report. This annual report will include data on credential attainment, training completion, degree attainment, and participant earnings from workforce education and training programs. We have attached the AB 2148 text (see Attachment).

We plan to modify CalJOBSSM to include the collection of the workforce performance data required by AB 2148. However, before this can be accomplished, DOL needs to provide states with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act performance requirements which it anticipates will occur in Program Year 2015/2016. After DOL provides the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act performance data and the CalJOBSSM program modifications are made, we will then work with the State Board to develop the procedures specified in this recommendation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Not Fully Implemented

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2014

This recommendation has not been fully implemented. The EDD launched the upgraded California Job Opening Browse System (CalJOBSSM) which included the new Workforce Investment Act (WIA) module on May 5, 2014. CalJOBSSM is now capable of collecting all of the data elements identified in Training and Employment Guidance Letter 4-13 (Enclosure A) by the United States Department of Labor and the majority of the data needed for the previously approved State-specific measures. Regrettably, work on the State-specific performance measures noted in our last response, and the attendant data collection, were deferred in order to get the upgraded CalJOBSSM launched before the end of the fiscal year. On July 22, 2014, the WIA was superseded by enactment of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Enclosure B). Among the many changes this legislation brings, it "aligns the performance indicators for core programs, and adds new ones related to services to employers and postsecondary credential attainment. Performance goals must reflect economic conditions and participant characteristics."

Fundamentally, this means that the State board and EDD will be working with the United States Department of Labor over the next 21 months to develop and plan for the implementation of these new performance indicators and goals by July 1, 2016, including making the necessary changes in CalJOBSSM. Unfortunately, this will further delay work on these "state-specific performance measures," as these new federally mandated performance measures have to remain the Department's priority.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Not Fully Implemented

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2013

This recommendation has not yet been fully implemented. On September 20, 2013 the Department of Labor (DOL) approved of the State Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Strategic Plan PY 2013-2017 (Enclosure A). On August 9, 2013 the California Workforce Investment Board (State Board) approved State-specific performance measures (Enclosure B). On August 28, 2013, DOL released the Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 4-13 (Enclosure C) requiring additional data elements for WIA funds. Based on the new data elements required by DOL, the State Board and EDD are working to determine if additional changes will need to be made to California Workforce Services Network (CWSN) to implement the State-specific performance measures.

The EDD plans to launch the WIA module of CWSN in Spring 2014. At that time, CWSN will include the additional required data elements that were released in TEGL 4-13 by the DOL. Additional elements required to meet the State-specific performance measures will be developed and procedures will be in place to start collecting and reporting on the State-specific measure for Program Year 2014-2015.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Not Fully Implemented

1-Year Agency Response

According to the EDD, it launched its new Web-based system on March 11, 2013. EDD also stated that once the integrated strategic workforce development plan is submitted to Labor, EDD and state board representatives plan to conduct formal discussions to develop procedures for approving additional data elements in the new Web-based system.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented

6-Month Agency Response

According to the EDD, it convened preliminary meetings with the state board to ensure that procedures are put in place for considering and approving the collection of additional data elements. EDD also stated that after Labor approves the integrated strategic workforce development plan, EDD will develop and disseminate new procedures in collaboration with the state board and its staff that will allow for the identification of possible new state performance measures and the sharing of additional information with the state board and other stakeholders. (See 2013-406, p. 149)

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2011-111

Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.