Section 2660.20  Definitions

 

"American Rescue Plan Act" means American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Section 9901, P.L. 117-2, 42 U.S.C. 802.

 

"Barrier Reduction Funding" means flexible funding through a complementary grant agreement, contract, or budgetary line to increase family stability and job retention by covering accumulated emergency costs for basic needs, such as housing-related expenses (rent, utilities, etc.), transportation, child care, digital technology needs, education needs, mental health services, substance abuse services, income support, and work-related supplies that are not typically covered by programmatic supportive services [20 ILCS 605/605-415(b)].

 

"Community-based organization" means a private nonprofit organization (which may include a faith-based organization), that is representative of a community or a significant segment of a community and that has demonstrated expertise and effectiveness in the field of workforce development as indicated by providing examples of current or completed successful projects similar in scope, identifying expertise of staff and demonstrating successful relationships with key stakeholders, including eligible training providers, employers and social service agencies.

 

"Complementary workforce or job training grant award or contract" means a grant or contract award that provides workforce or job training services and is awarded to an eligible barrier reduction funding recipient, other than through the Program.

 

"COVID-19" means the novel coronavirus disease deemed COVID-19 by the World Health Organization on February 11, 2020.

 

"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

 

"Department's 5-year Economic Plan" means the current strategic economic development plan for the State developed by the Department, including any annual modifications thereto, pursuant to 20 ILCS 605/605-300.

 

"Disproportionately impacted area" means those ZIP Codes most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, to be determined based on positive COVID-19 case per capita rates, and that meet at least one of the following poverty-related criteria relative to other ZIP Codes within their region:

 

share of population consisting of children age 6 to 17 in households with income less than 125% of the federal poverty level (FPL);

 

share of population consisting of adults over age 64 in households with income less than 200% FPL;

 

share of population in households with income less than 150% FPL; or

 

share of population consisting of children ages 5 and under in households with income less than 185% FPL.

 

The State is divided into the following two regions for purposes of determining a disproportionately impacted area:

 

1)         The counties of Cook, Kane, Lake, Will, and DuPage; and

 

2)         All other counties within the State.

 

To determine a disproportionately impacted area, the poverty data points listed in this definition are compared only with the data of the ZIP Codes of the applicable region to determine whether at least one of the poverty-related criteria is met.

 

"Economic development organizations" means local planning or community development organizations and other local organizations and institutions responsible for promoting or assisting in local economic development.

 

"Eligible Entities" means employers, private nonprofit organizations (which may include a faith-based organization), federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) administrative entities, Community Action Agencies, industry associations, and public or private educational institutions, that have demonstrated expertise and effectiveness in administering workforce development programs [20 ILCS 605/605-415(b)].

 

"Eligible Barrier Reduction Funding Recipients" means organizations that meet the requirements set forth in Section 2660.80(c).

 

"Eligible Training Provider" means an organization, such as a public or private college or university, an industry association, registered apprenticeship program or a community-based organization that is approved to provide training services by the appropriate accrediting body [20 ILCS 605/605-415(b)].

 

"Employer":

 

in relation to the definition of Eligible Entities, means a person or company that is in good standing to do business in Illinois and that employs one or more individuals.

 

in relation to all other purposes set forth in this Part, means a person or company that is in good standing to conduct business in Illinois or any state that is adjacent to Illinois and that employs one or more individuals.

 

"GATA" means the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act [30 ILCS 708].

 

"Grantee" means any applicant for a grant award under this program whose proposal is funded by the Department.

 

"Local" means an economically integrated geographic area within which individuals can reside and find employment within a reasonable distance for that area or can readily change employment without changing their place of residence.

 

"Local level plans" means the portions of the current WIOA regional level plans developed with respect to the corresponding local area within the region, and any regionwide provision of that plan that impacts or relates to the local area.

 

"Local Workforce Innovation Areas" means the areas designated by the State in the State's WIOA Unified Plan under WIOA, 29 U.S.C. 3121.

 

"Local Workforce Innovation Boards" means the area boards established under WIOA, 29 U.S.C. 3122, which carry out the designated functions for the applicable Local Workforce Innovation Area.

 

"Low-income individual" means an individual who:

 

receives, or in the past 6 months has received, or is a member of a family that is receiving or in the past 6 months has received, assistance through:

 

the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011),

 

the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance for needy families under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601),

 

the supplemental security income program established under title XVI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381), or

 

State or local income-based public assistance;

 

is in a family with total family income that does not exceed the higher of:

 

the poverty line; or

 

70 percent of the lower living standard income level;

 

is a homeless individual (as defined in 34 U.S.C. 12473(6)), or a homeless child or youth (as defined in 42 U.S.C. 11434a(2));

 

receives or is eligible to receive a free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751);

 

is a foster child on behalf of whom State or local government payments are made; or

 

is an individual with a disability whose own income meets the requirements of this definition; however, the individual is permitted to be a member of a family whose income does not meet these requirements.

 

"Lower living standard income level" means that income level (adjusted for regional, metropolitan, urban, and rural differences and family size) determined annually by the U.S. Secretary of Labor based on the most recent lower living family budget issued by the Secretary.

 

"Moderate-income individuals" means individuals and their families whose incomes exceed 50 percent, but do not exceed 80 percent, of the area median income, as determined by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with adjustments for smaller and larger families. 

 

"Negative economic or public health impacts" means harm that households or populations have experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as permitted by the American Rescue Plan Act and the related guidance issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (see https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-funds). "Negative economic or public health impacts" includes, but is not limited to, households or populations that:

 

have experienced unemployment or increased food or housing insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic;

 

are low-income individuals or moderate-income individuals, which experienced negative impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic;

 

are living within either a qualified census tract or a disproportionately impacted area; or

 

are receiving services or other assistance pursuant to this Part within either a qualified census tract or a disproportionately impacted area.

 

"Nonprofit organization" means an organization that is registered as a nonprofit corporation and in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State.

 

"One-stop operators" means entities designated or certified by the Local Workforce Innovation Boards under WIOA, 29 U.S.C. 3151, to operate centers that provide access to career and job training services.

 

"On-the-job training" means training by an employer that is provided to a paid participant while engaged in productive work in a job that:

 

provides knowledge or skills essential to the full and adequate performance of the job;

 

is made available through a program that provides reimbursement to the employer of up to the amount set by the Department in the Notice of Funding Opportunity ("NOFO"), based on the amount and source of funding, for the extraordinary costs of providing the training and additional supervision related to the training; and

 

is limited in duration as appropriate to the occupation for which the participant is being trained, taking into account the content of the training, the prior work experience of the participant, and the service strategy of the participant, as appropriate.

 

"Poverty line" means the poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, and revised annually in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 9902(2)) applicable to a family of the size involved.

 

"Public assistance" means federal, State, or local government cash payments for which eligibility is determined by a needs or income test.

 

"Qualified Census Tract" means a census tract, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, having 50 percent of households with incomes below 60 percent of the Area Median Gross Income (AMGI) or having a poverty rate of 25 percent or more.

 

"Regional level plans" means the current plans, pursuant to WIOA, 29 U.S.C. 3121(c), prepared by the Local Workforce Innovation Boards and chief elected officials within regions designated by the State in the State's WIOA Unified Plan.

 

"Secretary" means the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor.

 

"State" means the State of Illinois.

 

"State's WIOA Unified Plan" means the current 4-year strategy for the core workforce programs of the State that must be submitted and approved by the Secretary pursuant to WIOA, 29 U.S.C. 3112.

 

"Supportive services" means services such as transportation, child care, dependent care, housing, and needs-related payments, that are reasonable, necessary and approved by the Department as part of the grant application and approval process, to enable an individual to participate in activities authorized under the Job Training and Economic Development Grant Program.

 

"Target Population" means persons who are unemployed, under-employed, or under-represented that have one or more barriers to employment as defined for "individual with a barrier to employment" in the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ("WIOA"), 29 U.S.C. 3102(24) [20 ILCS 605/605-415(b)]. If permitted by the applicable funding source, a "barrier to employment," pursuant to 29 U.S.C. 3102(24)(N), shall include individuals who reside in or receive services in a qualified census tract or a disproportionately impacted area, or who have experienced negative economic or public health impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

"Target industries" means in-demand industries identified in the Department's 5-year Economic Plan, the State's WIOA Unified Plan and any relevant local or regional level plans, and the funding source for any NOFO under the Job Training and Economic Development Program.

 

"Transitional job training" means time-limited, wage-paid work experiences that are subsidized by grant funds up to 100 percent of the wages.  Types of work-based learning opportunities in a transitional jobs program includes, but is not limited to, on-the-job training, work experience and pre-apprenticeships.

 

"Under-employed individual" means an individual who is:

 

working part-time but desires full-time employment;

 

working in employment not commensurate with the individual's demonstrated level of educational and/or skill achievement; or 

 

employed and meets the definition of a low-income individual.

 

If permitted by the applicable funding source, "under-employed individual" shall include:

 

an individual who meets one of the requirements of "under-employed individual" set forth in the first three paragraphs of this definition and resides in or receives services in a qualified census tract; or

 

an individual who is employed and is in need of job training and other assistance to address the negative economic or public health impacts experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the individual's occupation or level of training.

 

"Under-represented individuals" means individuals, groups and communities that have experienced disparities or disadvantages in employment. If permitted by the applicable funding source, "under-represented individuals" shall include individuals who reside in or receive services in a qualified census tract or a disproportionately impacted area, or who have experienced negative economic or public health impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

"Unemployed individual" means an individual who is without a job and who wants and is available for work.  The determination of whether an individual is without a job, for purposes of this definition, shall be made in accordance with the criteria used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor (http://www.bls.gov) or as required by the relevant funding source. If permitted by the applicable funding source, "unemployed individual" shall include:

 

an individual who meets the definition of "unemployed individual" set forth above and resides in or receives services in a qualified census tract; or

 

an individual who:

 

is without a job;

 

wants and is available to work, including someone who has looked for work sometime in the past 12 months; and

 

is in need of job training and other assistance to address the negative economic or public health impacts experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic; or

 

an individual who is currently employed but received a notice of termination or lay-off from the current employment and will no longer be employed within ninety days. 

 

"Uniform Guidance" means the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, 2 CFR Part 200.

 

"WIOA" means the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101).

 

"Youth" means an individual aged 16-24 who faces one or more barriers to education, training, and employment [20 ILCS 605/605-415(b)].