The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) is a federally funded program to implement job training and employment programs. It offers a wide range of services such as workshops, career counseling and planning, referral to training, resource room equipment (internet access on computers, fax, copier, printers, etc.) and services to youth, dislocated workers, and older workers.
The Workforce Investment Network, or WIN, is the primary framework for the delivery of WIA services in Mississippi. It is an innovative strategy designed to provide convenient, one-stop employment and training services to employers and individuals searching for a job. Combining federal, state, and community workforce programs and services, WIN in Mississippi creates a system that is both convenient and user-friendly.
Three levels of WIA services are provided through the WIN Job Centers with service at one level being a prerequisite to moving to the next level.
The first level consists of core services. Core services include activities such as outreach, intake and eligibility determination as well as information on services available through the WIN Job Center. Other services include basic assessment of skill levels, aptitudes, abilities, and supportive service needs; job search and placement assistance and the provision of labor market information.
The second level consists of intensive services. Intensive services may include comprehensive and specialized assessments of the skill levels and service needs of adults and dislocated workers, a variety of counseling services, the development of an individual employment plan, case management for participants seeking training services; and short-term prevocational services, including development of learning skills, communication skills, interviewing skills, punctuality, personal maintenance skills, and professional conduct to prepare individuals for unsubsidized employment or training.
The third and final level of WIA service is training services. Training services may be made available to adult and dislocated workers who have received at least one core and one intensive service.