What are career services?
20 C.F.R. § 678.430
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01Career services, as identified in sec. 134(c)(2) of WIOA, consist of three types:
(a) Basic career services must be made available and, at a minimum, must include the following services, as consistent with allowable program activities and Federal cost principles:
(1) Determinations of whether the individual is eligible to receive assistance from the adult, dislocated worker, or youth programs;
(2) Outreach, intake (including worker profiling), and orientation to information and other services available through the one-stop delivery system. For the TANF program, States must provide individuals with the opportunity to initiate an application for TANF assistance and non-assistance benefits and services, which could be implemented through the provision of paper application forms or links to the application Web site;
(3) Initial assessment of skill levels including literacy, numeracy, and English language proficiency, as well as aptitudes, abilities (including skills gaps), and supportive services needs;
(4) Labor exchange services, including—
(i) Job search and placement assistance, and, when needed by an individual, career counseling, including—
(A) Provision of information on in-demand industry sectors and occupations (as defined in sec. 3(23) of WIOA); and
(B) Provision of information on nontraditional employment; and
(ii) Appropriate recruitment and other business services on behalf of employers, including information and referrals to specialized business services other than those traditionally offered through the one-stop delivery system;
(5) Provision of referrals to and coordination of activities with other programs and services, including programs and services within the one-stop delivery system and, when appropriate, other workforce development programs;
(6) Provision of workforce and labor market employment statistics information, including the provision of accurate information relating to local, regional, and national labor market areas, including—
(i) Job vacancy listings in labor market areas;
(ii) Information on job skills necessary to obtain the vacant jobs listed; and
(iii) Information relating to local occupations in demand and the earnings, skill requirements, and opportunities for advancement for those jobs;
(7) Provision of performance information and program cost information on eligible providers of education, training, and workforce services by program and type of providers;
(8) Provision of information, in usable and understandable formats and languages, about how the local area is performing on local performance accountability measures, as well as any additional performance information relating to the area's one-stop delivery system;
(9) Provision of information, in usable and understandable formats and languages, relating to the availability of supportive services or assistance, and appropriate referrals to those services and assistance, including: Child care; child support; medical or child health assistance available through the State's Medicaid program and Children's Health Insurance Program; benefits under SNAP; assistance through the earned income tax credit; and assistance under a State program for TANF, and other supportive services and transportation provided through that program;
(10) Provision of information and meaningful assistance to individuals seeking assistance in filing a claim for unemployment compensation.
(i) “Meaningful assistance” means:
(A) Providing assistance on-site using staff who are well-trained in unemployment compensation claims filing and the rights and responsibilities of claimants; or
(B) Providing assistance by phone or via other technology, as long as the assistance is provided by trained and available staff and within a reasonable time.
(ii) The costs associated in providing this assistance may be paid for by the State's unemployment insurance program, or the WIOA adult or dislocated worker programs, or some combination thereof.
(11) Assistance in establishing eligibility for programs of financial aid assistance for training and education programs not provided under WIOA.
(b) Individualized career services must be made available if determined to be appropriate in order for an individual to obtain or retain employment. These services include the following services, as consistent with program requirements and Federal cost principles:
(1) Comprehensive and specialized assessments of the skill levels and service needs of adults and dislocated workers, which may include—
(i) Diagnostic testing and use of other assessment tools; and
(ii) In-depth interviewing and evaluation to identify employment barriers and appropriate employment goals;
(2) Development of an individual employment plan, to identify the employment goals, appropriate achievement objectives, and appropriate combination of services for the participant to achieve his or her employment goals, including the list of, and information about, the eligible training providers (as described in § 680.180 of this chapter);
(3) Group counseling;
(4) Individual counseling;
(5) Career planning;
(6) Short-term pre-vocational services including development of learning skills, communication skills, interviewing skills, punctuality, personal maintenance skills, and professional conduct services to prepare individuals for unsubsidized employment or training;
(7) Internships and work experiences that are linked to careers (as described in § 680.170 of this chapter);
(8) Workforce preparation activities;
(9) Financial literacy services as described in sec. 129(b)(2)(D) of WIOA and § 681.500 of this chapter;
(10) Out-of-area job search assistance and relocation assistance; and
(11) English language acquisition and integrated education and training programs.
(c) Follow-up services must be provided, as appropriate, including: Counseling regarding the workplace, for participants in adult or dislocated worker workforce investment activities who are placed in unsubsidized employment, for up to 12 months after the first day of employment.
(d) In addition to the requirements in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, TANF agencies must identify employment services and related support being provided by the TANF program (within the local area) that qualify as career services and ensure access to them via the local one-stop delivery system.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-20.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026