Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

Overview

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act presents Minnesota with an opportunity to continue improving our workforce development system through enhancing partnerships, strategic planning, and service delivery alignment at the state, regional, and local levels. The WIOA State Plan is designed to promote and increase opportunities for cross-sector and cross-agency collaboration in order to achieve better outcomes for both workers and employers across the state.

2026 State Plan Modification

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires the Governor to submit a State Plan every four years to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Department of Education (ED). This plan outlines the One Minnesota vision and goals for our state’s workforce development activities for federal program years 2024-2027 and how a series of federal programs (described below) will align their work to the state’s vision and goals. As required by federal law, the Governor must review the State Plan after two years and make modifications “to reflect changes in labor market and economic conditions or in other factors affecting the implementation of the unified State plan.” All proposed modifications to Minnesota's State Plan reflect changes as required by federal statute and guidance.

The proposed modifications are now open for a 30-Day Public Comment Period, closing on Monday, March 16, 2026.

The WIOA 2024 – 2027 Combined State Plan Modification includes modifications from the following programs:

  • Title I of WIOA: the Adult program, the Dislocated Worker program, and the Youth program;
  • Title II of WIOA: the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act program;
  • Title III of WIOA: the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service program (authorized under the Wagner-Peyser Act, as amended by title III); and
  • Title IV: the Vocational Rehabilitation program (authorized under Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by Title IV).
  • Career and technical education programs authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, as amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.)
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)
  • Employment and Training programs under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (programs authorized under section 6(d)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(d)(4)))
  • Jobs for Veterans State Grants Program (programs authorized under 38, U.S.C. 4100 et. seq.)
  • Senior Community Service Employment program (programs authorized under title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3056 et seq.))

Public Comment

If you would like to provide comments on the draft WIOA Combined State Plan Modification for 2024-2027, please share your comments on the State Plan draft via email to  State.Plan.WIOA@state.mn.us by March 16, 2026. Please note that your comments will be public, meaning they may be shared in future publications or communications related to WIOA planning.

Contact State.Plan.WIOA@state.mn.us to request documents in alternative formats. 

WIOA State Plan

As required by federal law, the WIOA Combined State Plan for 2024-2027 was submitted to the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education on April 5, 2024. The final plan was approved on July 1, 2024 and appears below.

Annual Program Year Report

2018 Regional/Local Plans

As required by WIOA, regional and local plans are developed in accordance with the WIOA State Plan. Previous Local and Regional WIOA State Plans.

Policy and Guidance

Federal Register

Vol 81 No 161
Friday, August 19, 2016

U.S. Departments of Labor (DOL) and Education (ED) issue this Joint Final Rule to implement jointly administered activities authorized by Title I of WIOA.

Rules and Regulations

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act; Joint Rule for Unified and Combined State Plans, Performance Accountability, and the One-Stop System Joint Provisions; Final Rule (title I)

Pages 55791 - 56070 [FR DOC # 2016-15977]
PDF | Text

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (titles I and III)

Pages 56071 - 56469 [FR DOC # 2016-15975]
PDF | Text