Workforce Investment Act

Allegheny County is the grant recipient, fiscal agent and program operator for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funding coming to the Allegheny County Local Workforce Investment Area (LWIA).  County LWIA programs serve residents of Allegheny County who reside outside the City of Pittsburgh.

Allegheny County has received WIA stimulus funds in these categories: 

• WIA Adult $851,231
• WIA Dislocated Worker $800,194
• WIA Youth $1,879,062

The funds have an effective date of February 17, 2009 and are available through June 2011.  The federal and state governments, however, have made it clear that their preference is that the funds be expended over the next year.

The state is mandating that at a minimum 60% of the WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker stimulus funding be used for training, and the County plans to exceed that percentage.  Clients are authorized for training funds through counselors at CareerLink and must be eligible under the usual WIA eligibility criteria, i.e. adults from families at or below the poverty level and workers laid off through no fault of their own and receiving Unemployment Compensation. 

The administration is strongly encouraging localities to use WIA Youth stimulus funds to support 2009 summer programs.  The County released a Request for Letters of Intent (Request for Proposals) and has funded 11 youth providers for summer programs ranging from 4 to 10 weeks in length.  Youth must meet WIA eligibility criteria, i.e. youth from families at or below the poverty level.  The funds must be directed toward disconnected youth such as drop outs, juvenile offenders and foster youth, and young people may be served through age 24.   All of the County’s WIA Youth stimulus funds are dedicated to 2009 summer youth programs.

These programs form a cohesive County summer youth program.  The Forest Hills PA CareerLink is the hub for information, referral and processing of an estimated 600 youth for the summer.  Providers are developing worksites in order to serve youth throughout Allegheny County outside the City of Pittsburgh, with a focus on disconnected youth from low income communities.  Preference will be given to early youth applicants based upon their work interest and proximity to available work sites.  For more information, please contact the Forest Hills PA CareerLink at 412-436-2321 or rochelle.williams@alleghenycounty.us.

Related Information

Press Release - (name and date)

Summer Youth Programs 

Careerlink