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Adult Education Administrator's Manual

Collaboration

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The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is the state government agency charged with overseeing and providing workforce development services to employers and job seekers of Texas. For employers, TWC offers recruiting, retention, training and retraining, and outplacement services as well as valuable information on labor law and labor market statistics. For job seekers, TWC offers career development information, job search resources, training programs, and, as appropriate, unemployment benefits. While targeted populations receive intensive assistance to overcome barriers to employment, all Texans can benefit from the services offered by TWC and our network of workforce partners.

The Texas Workforce Commission is part of a local/state network dedicated to developing the workforce of Texas. The network is comprised of the statewide efforts of the Commission coupled with planning and service provision on a regional level by 28 local workforce boards. This network gives customers access to local workforce solutions and statewide services in a single location.

For more information on the TWC and its network of service providers and local boards, visit their web site at: http://www.twc.state.tx.us/

It is critical that Adult Education Programs work closely with their local workforce development boards to ensure the literacy and basic education needs of the workforce are met by the adult education providers. It must be clear to all grantees that the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act is Title II of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), and that collaboration between programs funded under Title I of WIA and adult education programs funded under Title II of the same act is natural and a requisite for your continued funding.

In January 2004, the Commissioners of the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), along with representatives of Texas LEARNS and the Texas Workforce Investment Council agreed on a common goal for the adult education system in Texas, and adopted the following strategies to enhance collaboration.

GOAL: Increased Results through Improved Performance

Improve Adult Basic Education (ABE) system outcomes and performance for direct customers (students) and other stakeholders (employers, local workforce boards, and communities). Ensure that funding is directly linked to participant outcomes.

Strategy 1: Collaborative Planning

Implement a collaborative planning approach between workforce development, academic, and training provider stakeholders to ensure the system reflects the seamless service delivery customers require and maximizes resources through the reduction of duplicate efforts.

Strategy 2: Segment Customers and Increase Service Options

Recognize the segmentation of populations needing ABE services and align services accordingly. Deliver customers varied and distinct learning options, providing employment and academic pathways in equal measure as well as increased access to learning opportunities through distance learning.

Strategy 3: Increase Employer Access and Utilize Industry Sector Approaches

Provide employers with more direct access to customized workplace ABE/ESL services to ensure that incumbent workers remain prepared for the skill demands employers require to remain competitive. Implement industry sector approaches to develop curricula that provide employers with access to ready workers.

Strategy 4: Intensive Professional Development

Collaborate (TEA/HCDE, TWC, THECB) to deliver professional development to ABE service providers and local workforce center staff in order to develop the capacity of these vital stakeholders to be effective collaborators of employment focused ABE services.

Ongoing collaboration efforts among the three commissions and Texas LEARNS will result in an overall improvement of adult education service delivery in the state.

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