Workforce Services Information Notice
WSIN26-17
Issued: September 23, 2026
Following a 30-day public comment period, California will request the following three waivers from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which will allow California’s Local Workforce Development Boards greater flexibility to improve access to WIOA-funded programs and services:
- Section 129(c)(4) and 20 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 681.590(b), to allow local workforce development areas to count both WIOA local youth formula funds and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds toward the minimum 20 percent expenditure requirement for paid or unpaid work experience.
The waiver authority will support the goal of the California Unified Strategic Workforce Development Plan (State Plan) to expand employment opportunities for youth, including foster and homeless youth. It will also provide greater flexibility to serve the state’s CalWORKs (i.e., TANF) populations, allowing them to secure gainful jobs and careers. By combining the career exploration services that the youth program can provide with work experience, more young CalWORKs participants can achieve stabilization while pursuing their career goals.
- 20 CFR 681.500, which limit Individual Training Accounts (ITA) to out-of-school youth (OSY) ages 16-24 enrolled in the WIOA Youth program.
The waiver authority will support the State Plan's goal of expanding youth employment opportunities. Specifically, the request is to permit Local Workforce Development Boards to use the state’s list of eligible training providers to secure training for all youth, including in-school youth, preparing to graduate and extending their educational goals into post-secondary opportunities. The waiver is designed to increase program flexibility, enhance informed customer choice, and allow all youth to benefit from services provided by California’s certified training providers. It expands training options without requiring the America’s Job Center of CaliforniaSM operators to register in-school youth participants ages 18 or older in the adult program.
- Section 134(d)(2) and 20 CFR 680.910, which limit the provision of supportive services to periods of participation in career or training activities and prohibit their use during the 12-month period following exit for Adult and Dislocated Worker participants.
The waiver authority will extend supportive services to participants after they exit the program, particularly during the critical transition to stable employment. This is a vital option for those who have recently started unsubsidized work and may face short-term barriers that could jeopardize their job retention. The waiver will also allow California to provide support to public assistance recipients facing benefit cliffs and help replace lost benefits while they secure higher-earning jobs.
Currently, the DOL has approved waivers in California for Transitional Jobs, On-the-Job Training, and Out-of-School Youth.
Inquiries
The California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) is soliciting feedback from the workforce development community on the three proposed waivers described above. To provide feedback, contact the CWDB Policy Unit at PolicyUnit@cwdb.ca.gov, and include “WIOA Waivers Information Notice Feedback” in the email subject line. Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. PST during a 30-day comment period ending on October 23, 2026.
/s/ KAINA PEREIRA, Executive Director
California Workforce Development Board