The Workforce Investment Act

Abstract

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) authorizes anew workforce investmentsystem thatis rooted in the One-Stop concept, enabling customers to access a wide array of training, education, and employment services from multiple agencies at a single location. Because of the organizational change required by the legislation, including the important collaborations it has sought to create, assessing its implementation in terms of the relationships that have developed between agencies mandated to work together is crucial, particularly in regard to the potential to expand employment for individuals with disabilities served by the One-Stop system. Using Matland's analytic framework for policy implementation, which considers policy conflict and ambiguity, this article addresses WIA implementation in 3 states. Case study research in Maine, Minnesota, and Kentucky provides the opportunity to examine how certain characteristics of the legislation have affected WIA implementation and the collaboration of its partners. Implications from the research can help inform future reauthorization of the legislation.