Designing a Ready Workforce
Opportunities for state leaders to align ESSA, Perkins V and WIOA funds
The federal Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century (Perkins V), Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and Every Student Succeeds Act statutes have recently been reauthorized, giving states an opportunity to coordinate education and workforce development efforts. To support states as they finalize their new Perkins V and WIOA plans and consider updates to their ESSA plans, SREB reviewed a sample of states’ existing plans and identified six ways states have missed opportunities in the past to align work funded by the three federal statutes. For each missed opportunity, SREB provides questions for policymakers to consider and gives examples from states of well-aligned plans.