Katherine L. Grasso

This document outlines the State of Delaware's Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) combined State Plan, spearheaded by the Delaware Workforce Development Board. The plan aims to empower individuals, enrich communities, and drive economic prosperity by preparing Delawareans for high-demand jobs through learning and skills advancement. Key strategic goals include prioritizing sectors vital for immediate employment and long-term growth, raising educational attainment beyond high school, increasing alignment between learning and work through career pathways and employer partnerships, and expanding opportunities to foster equity and economic prosperity for all residents, especially marginalized populations.

The Delaware 2024-2027 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Combined State Plan focuses on preparing Delawareans for high-demand jobs by addressing the economic and labor market impacts of the recent pandemic. The plan emphasizes skill development, including durable skills, critical thinking, teamwork, digital literacy, and technical training, to improve literacy, graduation rates, and post-secondary education and training options. The state maintains a single service delivery area, leveraging existing successes and partnerships to maximize the impact of resources. The plan includes the six core WIOA programs and partner programs such as the Delaware Department of Education Career and Technical Education, Migrant Seasonal Farmworker program, and the Jobs for Veterans State Grant (JVSG). The plan's vision is to empower individuals, enrich communities, and drive economic prosperity through learning and skills advancement, focusing on a holistic approach to workforce preparation and lifelong learning opportunities.

The Delaware Workforce Development Board's 2023-2025 Strategic Plan focuses on building a skilled workforce responsive to business and community needs. Four key priorities are outlined: 1) Prioritizing sectors with high job demand, focusing on both immediate needs (enabling sectors like healthcare and education) and long-term growth (growth sectors like advanced manufacturing and technology); 2) Raising educational attainment, aiming for 60% of Delawareans (age 25-64) to achieve post-secondary education or certification by 2030; 3) Increasing alignment between learning and work by focusing on durable and digital skills, and improving career pathways; and 4) Expanding opportunity to promote economic prosperity for all Delawareans, addressing equity gaps based on race and ethnicity. The plan includes specific action steps and metrics to measure progress across these priorities, utilizing data from various sources to track outcomes and make necessary adjustments.