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The federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) was signed into law in August 1998, and went into effect in Georgia in July 2000. The Governor designated the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) as the state agency responsible for implementation of WIA. The Governor also appointed the State Workforce Investment Board to help plan and develop Georgia's overall workforce system. The State Board is composed of a private sector majority with a business sector chair, and various workforce development, government, youth, labor, and human services representatives.
In Georgia, there are 12 service delivery regions and 20 local service delivery areas. In each of the 20 areas there is a local Workforce Investment Board, appointed by local elected officials. Local Workforce Boards are made up of a private sector (business) majority, various human services agency representatives, parents, and other workforce-related customers and interested parties. These Boards are responsible for designing local One-Stop Workforce Systems that are employer-led, demand-driven, customer-friendly, and continuously improving. No two local workforce systems in Georgia look alike, since no two communities are alike.
Each workforce area has at least one "official" comprehensive One-Stop Center where various human services organizations assist employers and job seekers with their workforce needs. In Georgia, there are over 45 comprehensive WIA One-Stop Centers, and nearly three-quarters of these are GDOL Career Centers. WIA requires the participation of certain partners in local workforce systems, but many systems have expanded to include any and all organizations meeting workforce-related needs in the community. In addition to these comprehensive sites, many communities have other locations for customers to access workforce services, often called "satellites." These locations may include libraries, technical colleges, welfare offices, community based organizations, and mall kiosks.
A wide range of quality services is available at no cost to employers and job seekers at One-Stop Centers. Typical services for employers include rooms to interview job applicants, and access to PCs, laser printers, Internet, email, telephone, fax, and labor market information. Employers who have special education and training needs for their businesses may want to explore on-the-job training or customized training.
Typical services for job seekers include exploration of training/education offerings, financial aid application assistance, labor market information about high growth occupations and salary ranges, and tips for surviving a layoff. Many of these basic services are available on a self-service basis via computer. Career
advisors are available for customers who want more intensive help. If certain criteria are met, some customers are eligible for Workforce Investment Act funding through the WIA Individual Training Account Eligible Provider/Program List system. Customers seeking WIA funding for training must work with a career advisor to determine eligibility for services.
Find a One-Stop Center (by county)
Contact the administrator serving your area for additional information about the resources available to your business through your local workforce system (left-hand side of the drop-down box), or contact the local One-Stop Center serving your community to learn about available workforce services (right-hand side of the drop-down box).
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