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North Carolina

35 the method of communication (telephone, email or U.S. mail) and the transit method (U.S. mail or email). WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT (WIOA) North Carolina’s TANF/Work First program is a required and active partner with WIOA. Collaborative meetings are held quarterly to develop and implement best practices. • State and County TANF/Work First representatives participate in the planning of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) “unified plan” to identify career pathways for TANF/Work First participants. Career pathways includes a combination of education, training, credentials and career counseling that align with skill needs of state/ local industries. • Support services needed by TANF/Work First participants to participate in career pathways through WIOA and/or the NC Community College System are included.

• TANF/Work First participants are considered a “priority of service” for WIOA. State and County TANF/Work First representatives work collaboratively with WIOA and NCWorks Career Centers to develop and implement “priority of services” policies, referral procedures and disposition tracking. • County TANF/Work First programs partner with local NCWorks Career Centers to provide TANF/Work First participants with an array of services and labor market information offered through one-stop career services centers. State and county TANF/Work First representatives assist WIOA, Vocational Rehabilitation Services and NCWorks Career Centers in planning work-based training strategies for TANF/Work First participants with barriers to employment (including on the job training, subsidized employment and work experience programs). • State and county TANF/Work First representatives partner with state and local workforce development boards to engage employers and stakeholders to develop workforce strategies to ensure that TANF/Work First participants have access to emerging job opportunities with local businesses and industries. • Increase cross-program (TANF/Work First & WIOA) knowledge and training among staff members. • Coordination of services of TANF/Work First with Workforce Development partners through a formalized appraisal/referral process. • Coordinate co-location of Work First staff in the NCWorks Career Centers to more directly connect Work First recipients to employment activities. WIOA includes six core programs: Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Formula Grants under Title I; Adult Education State Grants under Title II; Wagner-Peyser Employment Services under Title III; and Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants under Title IV.

Priority of Service Requirements

WIOA includes enhanced “priority of service” requirements to ensure recipients of public assistance and other hard-to-serve populations may access critical employment and training services through the NCWorks system. TANF programs should work with workforce development boards and NCWorks Career Centers’ staff to develop and