Our mission:
Implementing a demand-driven, integrated national workforce investment system that supports economic growth and that provides workers with the information, advice, job search assistance, supportive services, and training in demand industries and occupations they need to get and keep good jobs and provides employers with skilled workers,
by: Providing national leadership, oversight, policy guidance, and technical assistance to the workforce investment system;
Working collaboratively with other federal agencies and partners and stakeholders in business and industry, the continuum of education, and state and local governments to promote a strong economy by building a prepared and competitive workforce, and
Managing strategically in order to ensure high performance, greater public accountability, and service quality.
OWI's Functions:
Advises the Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training and other departmental executives in matters of policy, program operation, performance, and legislation.
Works collaboratively within ETA to support one-stop career centers, respond to worker dislocation, improve worker reemployment.
Interprets federal legislative requirements for state adult and youth employment and training programs and one-stop systems in cooperation with the Office of the Solicitor of Labor; guides and assists states in adopting laws, regulations and policies that conform with and Support federal law.
Formulates and recommends national policies and federal legislation; identifies research to support policy formulation in cooperation with the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs and the Office of Policy Development, Evaluation and Research. Provides technical assistance to congress and other policymakers outside the department.
Provides technical assistance and training to state agencies and facilitates the exchange of best practices among states.
Works in collaboration with other federal agencies and advisory bodies, Congressional staff, groups representing state officials, business interests, workers, and the academic community on workforce issues.
Provides policy leadership, program direction, and administrative oversight for the workforce investment system for the WIA and Wagner-Peyser funded formula programs administered by the states for adults, dislocated workers and youth as well as targeted initiatives for these populations.
Provides policy leadership, program direction, and administrative oversight for WIA funded programs for targeted populations including older workers, migrant and seasonal farmworkers, individuals with disabilities, and Indian and Native Americans.
Oversees the operation of the one-stop system, providing a central point of contact for systems' questions and issues; serves a coordination role with other ETA offices and Regions on system building and linking with all programs and services in a most effective manner for customers.
Develops, in conjunction with states, locals, and other programs/grantees, clear outcome measures and standards by which to gauge the success of One-Stop systems.
Develop, negotiate, and monitor reimbursable agreements with the states to administer the Work Opportunity and Welfare to Work Tax Credit programs.
Develops and maintains a nationwide monitoring system to measure the impact of the employment service system in meeting the special needs of migrant and seasonal farm workers.
Provides policy guidance to the system on the development and use of workforce information and career guidance products and services and oversees the development and implementation of national automated systems and data bases for this purpose such as the Career One-Stop tools (ACINET, ASL, and others); O*NET, Career Voyages, etc.
Coordinates the state plan and waiver approval processes under WIA.
Providing national leadership, oversight, policy guidance, and technical assistance to the workforce investment system;
