This Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) outlines the priorities, modification requirements, submission process, and deadline for the required modification of the WIOA Unified and Combined State Plans (State Plans) for PY 2026 and PY 2027, in accordance with Sections 102 and 103 of WIOA.

To provide Employment and Training Administration (ETA) grant and cooperative agreement recipients (recipients) with information regarding the Payment Management System’s (PMS) mandatory payment request justification, ETA’s review and approval of payment request justifications, as well as to provide examples of acceptable payment request justifications.

To Amend TEGL No. 11-23 Pursuant to Executive Order (EO) 14148, Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions.

To maximize innovation in the public workforce system and better serve job seekers and employers by providing state and local workforce development systems waiver opportunities, to promote flexibility within the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) formula funded programs, and to achieve the Administration’s vision for America’s workforce under Executive Order 14278 on Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future.

To announce revisions to Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 23-19, Change 1, and Change 2 Guidance for Validating Required Performance Data Submitted by Grant Recipients of U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Workforce Programs. This guidance provides information to grant recipients of the U.S. Department of Labor workforce programs, including states, and provides guidelines for grant recipients to use in developing procedures for ensuring the data submitted for performance reporting are valid and reliable. With this issuance, DOL (the Department) updates the guidance to align it with changes made by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Effectiveness in Serving Employers Performance Indicator final rule (89 FR 13814 (Feb. 23, 2024)) (Final Rule), which took effect March 25, 2024. This Final Rule defined the Effectiveness in Serving Employers primary indicator of performance, as required by WIOA section 116(b)(2), as Retention with the Same Employer; it also clarifies what can be counted as an Educational Functional Level gain type for the Measurable Skill Gains indicator outlined in TEGL 10-16, Change 3 Performance Accountability Guidance for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Core Programs issued June 11, 2024. This guidance also revises source documentation in Attachment II to be consistent with Departmental guidance including TEGL 26-16, Change 1 Guidance on the use of Supplemental Wage Information to implement the Performance Accountability Requirements under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) issued July 10, 2025.

This Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) provides updated Program Year (PY) 2025 Planning Instructions and Allotments for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) National Grantees. This Change 1 and the materials and forms it discusses are in addition to the guidance outlined in TEGL No. 16-24, Program Year 2025 Planning Instructions and Allotments for the Senior Opportunity Service Employment Program State and Territorial Grantees.

To provide program guidance for the development, management, and delivery of workforce and labor market information (WLMI) funded through the Workforce and Labor Market Information Grants to States (WIGS). 

To encourage the state and local workforce development systems to use Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding to help youth and adults develop artificial intelligence (AI) skills.

To announce the availability of approximately $30 million for an initial round of the Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund (“Training Fund”) grants, with award amounts of up to $8 million. Pending the availability of funds, there may be additional rounds of this grant program. These grants will address critical workforce needs for in-demand skilled trade careers and in high-growth and emerging industries, in support of Executive Order 14278,  Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future and America’s AI Action Plan, and at least $5 million of the total available funding will be awarded to support training in the shipbuilding industry.

To advise State Workforce Agencies, or agencies designated by Governors as “Cooperating State Agencies” (CSAs) (also jointly referred to as “states”) of the “by request” process and associated deadlines for receiving FY 2025 TAA Program TaOA funds.