Provider Certification and Re-Certification Process

Background 

Workforce Development Division (WDD)/LWIA 6 is adhering to policies related to training provider certification issued by the state and by the DuPage County Workforce Investment Board (WIB) (DuPage County Local Provider Certification Policy approved 6/19/2000). By DuPage WIB policy letter, the Provider Program Certification Standards will remain the same except for the following (stated) changes.

Program Initial Eligibility 

Training providers are required to submit an initial eligibility screening application to WDD for approval. Information necessary to complete a detailed training provider application (password, User ID and website address) will be sent if the school/institution meets minimum requirements.

Upon WIB approval, the training provider and program will go on the state list of eligible training providers for a period of one year. After the initial one year period for a training provider to remain on the state list, they are required to submit an updated application that contains program cost information, revisions to the curriculum and meet minimum performance requirements. Also, training providers are required to comply with all policy requirements, processes and procedures.

All training providers who offer programs that function as preparation for any state or national certification, licensure, or industry standard must show proof of recognition by the appropriate accrediting body at the time of application.

Training programs must be occupational in nature in high growth/high demand industries/occupations within Illinois Region 4 (Chicago-Metro area) based on State of Illinois Demand Occupation Training List (DOTL).

All programs of study must lead to training related jobs and attainment of an occupational skill certificate, industry recognized certification and/or licensure.

Additionally, in order to be considered as an approved training provider site, all providers seeking certification must document the following:

1. Colleges, universities and technical schools must be accredited by the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), North Central Association (NCA), or any other Federal or State accrediting agency.
2. Training institutions, business, community based agencies, proprietary schools or other training providers must meet the following requirements:
1. Be certified, approved and/or recognized by a State, Federal or nationally recognized industry standard association for a minimum of a year.
2. Individual programs, for which the institution is seeking initial approval or program re-certification must be certified by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), or by a State, Federal Agency or nationally recognized industry standard association (appropriate to the training offered).
3. Training Provider with multiple training site locations will only be approved for programs located in DuPage County. Sites located outside of DuPage County will be considered for approval in the following situations:
1. A DuPage County participant has been approved to attend training in a location outside of DuPage County.
2. The Local Workforce Office where the Training Provider site is located, has accepted responsibility for the monitoring and site visit of that provider’s local site and agree to submit the site visit information to DuPage Workforce Development Division (WDD) office.
4. All training providers seeking approval must have a physical location to provide training.
5. Out-of state training providers will be considered for approval only when it has been established that no other compatible training is available in Illinois or it has been determined (documented by assessment of the client needs) that it would be in the best interest of the client to attend the out-of-state provider. Additionally, the out-of state provider must be currently approved as an approved Training Provider by the WIA program in their home state.
6. Training providers must be open for business for at least a one year to be considered. Open for business is defined as having documented, and providing verification of the following:
1. Have a legal and good standing state and/or locally registered business
2. Have FEIN #
3. Have a physical location to provide training
4. Copy of training catalog
5. Training institution tuition refund policy
6. Proof of published program/tuition cost
7. Accredited, licensed, or industry standard association approved

The DuPage Workforce Development Division provides an online application for training providers with corporate headquarters located within DuPage County. As part of the approval process, WDD staff will complete an interview and/or an on-site visit to discuss the following topics:

1. Physical location
2. Quality of instructors
3. Accessibility and Equal Opportunity (EEO) compliance
4. Student-to-teacher ratio
5. Curriculum structure
6. Placement outcomes and salary expectations of graduates

Upon completion of the application, the DuPage Workforce Board/WDD will make a determination regarding approval of the school/institution and programs. It is possible that not all programs will be approved. Decision factors (in addition to the above) include: Placement rates, salaries of students placed in jobs, job availability in the local area and other unforeseen factors.

Certification Schedule

Institutions interested in obtaining approval as a training provider in DuPage County, please download and complete the Application for Training Provider Certification, which can be accessed here. Submit completed application along with a required documents listed under section 6 to:

Technical Services Unit
DuPage Workforce Development Division
2525 Cabot Drive, Suite 302
Lisle, IL 60532
Fax: 630-955-2059
providers@worknetdupage.org

Program Re-Certification (Subsequent Eligibility) Requirements

After Initial Certification, all programs require re-certification within one year of the official certification. It is required that all programs be re-certified within the sixty days prior to the one year anniversary. For example, if a program’s initial certification is January 31, 2011, the re-certification must be completed between December 1, 2010 and January 31, 2011. Also, training programs are subject to re-certification if any significant program changes occur.

Program re-certification will be approved by the same requirements as initial certification.

Programs that do not meet the re-certification deadline will be placed in Suspended Status on the State Provider List. Once programs are suspended, no new students can be funded for these programs. Once a program is suspended, it will remain in Suspended Status for one year. A suspended program will be able to reapply after one year.

Additionally, all eligible training providers certified through LWIA 6 will be required to meet at a minimum the following program performance outcomes:

1. Credential Attainment Rate of 75%; and
2. Training Related Entered Employment Rate of 70%
3. To calculate the performance of each program seeking re-certification, WDD will use local reports that will include:
1. The number of customers served;
2. The number of participants that attained credentials;
3. The number of placements in training related jobs.

This information will be available to WDD clients allowing customers to select the highest quality training programs from the state/local list.

Programs seeking re-certification that fail to meet any of the WIA performance measures will be subject to removal from the state. Once the program is taken off the State and DuPage County Approved Provider Lists no new students can be fund by WIA Individual Training Accounts.

Programs removed from the system can re-apply after twelve months.

For the purpose of annual re-certification, data for a minimum of six students are required to calculate performance outcomes. Credential Attainment will be calculated based on clients (minimum of 6) that have completed the training program. Training Related Job Placement outcomes will be calculated based on the number (minimum of 6) of students that have completed their training and have obtained employment or have been job searching for over 6 months. Programs that have less than six program participants are exempt from the performance outcome requirement. However, continuous negative performance over the course of 3 years will be evaluated using the performance measures in this policy. In order to establish the basis for the annual performance outcomes, an initial report will be generated, for each provider being reviewed, that will include all participants in the WDD participant information system as of January 2007. After the first year, the report will be generated to include the previous twelve months from the day of re-certification.