Both sides now: Toward the dual customer approach under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in the United States

Abstract

The U.S. Congress passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in 2014. Some constituencies may view the new law as a radical departure from earlier approaches to human capital development at a national level. Yet the workforce investment system under Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is premised upon a dual customer approach to serve labor demand (employers) and labor supply (job seekers) concurrently. With the rhetoric about the jobs and skills debate, it is easy to take for granted what is at stake behind supply- and demand-driven approaches within a workforce system. This paper’s review is intended to revisit the characteristics and clarify the roles of the two customers in workforce policy in the United States, identify potential concerns of one customer’s dominance, and suggest some ways to complement this balancing act. As a result of this analysis, one can potentially see both sides of the vision behind an integrated workforce development system.