Opportunity Information: Apply for FOA ETA 21 05
The Workforce Data Quality Initiative (WDQI) Round 8 is a U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA) discretionary grant program designed to help states build, expand, and strengthen workforce longitudinal administrative databases. The central idea is to support states in collecting and analyzing linked, individual-level data over time so they can better understand how education and training translate into real employment outcomes. By following people from schooling and training into the labor market and tracking outcomes like job placement, industry alignment, and wage progression, states can evaluate what is working, identify gaps, and improve how workforce and education services are delivered. The program is meant to turn administrative records into practical evidence for decision-making, while staying consistent with federal and state privacy and confidentiality requirements.
A major focus of WDQI Round 8 is developing or improving a State Workforce Longitudinal Administrative Database. Funds can be used to build a new database from the ground up or to enhance an existing one by adding new data sources, improving matching across programs, and strengthening the ability to follow individuals across time. The goal is to make it possible to connect a person’s participation in workforce training programs with later employment and earnings outcomes, allowing states to see whether training leads to work in related fields and whether workers experience long-term earnings gains.
Another core requirement is connecting workforce data with education data contained in a Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS). WDQI emphasizes linking data across the education-to-workforce pipeline, ideally creating a longitudinal view that spans pre-kindergarten through K-12, postsecondary education, and workforce training into employment. When workforce and education data are connected, states can analyze how different combinations of education credentials, training services, and career pathways affect outcomes. This helps leaders determine how to maximize the impact of education and training investments and how to improve program effectiveness across agencies.
WDQI Round 8 also targets improving the overall quality, completeness, and relevance of workforce longitudinal data. That means encouraging better data collection and governance practices, streamlining and standardizing processes, and ensuring the resulting data are accurate and usable for analysis. Stronger data quality supports more reliable evaluation of workforce programs and helps states produce trustworthy insights for policymakers, program administrators, and the public.
A key expected use of these longitudinal databases is performance evaluation of federally and state-supported education and job training programs. The grant is built around evidence-based management: using linked administrative data to assess outcomes, spot trends, and make adjustments that improve results for job seekers and employers. This includes analyzing outcomes such as training completion, employment rates, wage changes, and longer-term career progression, with the broader purpose of improving strategic planning and accountability.
WDQI Round 8 also supports making data more accessible and useful to end users, especially through user-friendly tools like state-customized scorecards. These scorecards are intended to help job seekers and students compare training providers and programs of study, using outcome measures such as completion, employment, and wage information. When made publicly searchable by provider and program, these tools can also serve policymakers, researchers, and education leaders by showing which programs lead to strong labor market outcomes and which may need improvement.
Finally, the program encourages states to integrate performance, fiscal, and/or case-management systems with the longitudinal administrative database. Integration across systems is framed as an important step toward more modern, connected state data environments, aligned with the broader vision of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). ETA highlights that these enhancements can enable practical information-sharing tools such as dashboards, interactive scorecards, and even mobile applications that different users (case managers, performance staff, fiscal teams, and others) can use for their specific operational needs. The broader promise is that better linkages across wage records, longitudinal systems, and cross-agency data can significantly improve workforce data quality and strengthen how states manage and evaluate workforce services.
Administratively, this opportunity was issued as FOA ETA-21-05 under CFDA 17.261 (Employment, Labor and Training). It is a grant funding instrument with an award ceiling of $2.9 million, with an expected 7 awards. The announcement was created March 22, 2021, and the application deadline was April 26, 2021 (by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Eligibility is listed as “Others,” with clarification provided in the full announcement text, and the program is intended for eligible State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) to carry out one or a combination of the WDQI objectives described above.Apply for FOA ETA 21 05
- The Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration in the employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Workforce Data Quality Initiative – WDQI Round 8" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 17.261.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 22, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 26, 2021 The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is April 26, 2021. Applications must be received no later than 40000 p.m. Eastern Time.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,900,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Workforce Data Quality Initiative (WDQI) Round 8 - FAQs
What is WDQI Round 8?
The Workforce Data Quality Initiative (WDQI) Round 8 is a U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (ETA) discretionary grant program that supports states in building, expanding, and strengthening workforce longitudinal administrative databases. The intent is to help states collect and analyze linked, individual-level data over time to better understand how education and training relate to real employment outcomes.
What is the main purpose of this grant opportunity?
The central purpose is to help states turn administrative records into practical evidence for decision-making. By linking and analyzing data across time, states can evaluate program performance, identify gaps, and improve how workforce and education services are delivered while remaining consistent with federal and state privacy and confidentiality requirements.
Which federal agency runs the program?
The program is run by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA).
What is a State Workforce Longitudinal Administrative Database in this context?
In WDQI Round 8, a State Workforce Longitudinal Administrative Database refers to a state system that links individual-level workforce-related administrative data over time. The goal is to follow participants from workforce training and related services into employment and earnings outcomes so the state can analyze what works and for whom.
Can funds be used to create a new longitudinal workforce database, or only to improve an existing one?
Funds can be used either to build a new database from the ground up or to enhance an existing one. Enhancements can include adding new data sources, improving matching across programs, and strengthening the ability to track individuals across time.
What types of outcomes does WDQI Round 8 aim to help states measure?
WDQI Round 8 emphasizes measuring outcomes such as job placement, industry alignment, wage progression, employment rates, wage changes, training completion, and longer-term career progression. These outcomes help states assess whether training leads to work in related fields and whether participants experience sustained earnings gains.
Why does WDQI emphasize linking education and workforce data?
WDQI Round 8 requires connecting workforce data with education data contained in a Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS). Linking across the education-to-workforce pipeline supports analysis of how education credentials, training services, and career pathways translate into employment and earnings outcomes.
What is the SLDS and how does it relate to WDQI Round 8?
The Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) is the education longitudinal data system referenced in the opportunity. WDQI Round 8 emphasizes linking the workforce longitudinal database with SLDS data to create a more complete, longitudinal view that can span pre-kindergarten through K-12, postsecondary education, and workforce training into employment.
What kinds of improvements to data quality are supported under WDQI Round 8?
The opportunity targets improvements to the quality, completeness, and relevance of workforce longitudinal data. This includes better data collection and governance practices, streamlining and standardizing processes, and ensuring the resulting data are accurate and usable for analysis.
How will states use the linked longitudinal data generated through this program?
A key expected use is performance evaluation of federally and state-supported education and job training programs. The program is designed to support evidence-based management by using linked administrative data to assess outcomes, spot trends, and make adjustments that improve results for job seekers and employers.
What are state-customized scorecards and why are they mentioned?
WDQI Round 8 supports making data more accessible to end users through user-friendly tools such as state-customized scorecards. These scorecards are intended to help job seekers and students compare training providers and programs of study using outcome measures like completion, employment, and wage information. The opportunity also notes that these tools can be made publicly searchable by provider and program.
Who are the intended users of the data tools supported by WDQI Round 8?
End users highlighted include job seekers, students, policymakers, researchers, and education leaders. The opportunity also describes operational users such as case managers and staff working in performance and fiscal roles who may benefit from dashboards, interactive scorecards, and related tools.
Does the grant support integrating other state systems with the longitudinal database?
Yes. WDQI Round 8 encourages states to integrate performance, fiscal, and/or case-management systems with the longitudinal administrative database as part of moving toward more modern, connected state data environments.
What kinds of tools might be enabled by integrating systems with the longitudinal database?
The opportunity describes practical information-sharing tools that may be enabled through stronger integration and linkages, including dashboards, interactive scorecards, and mobile applications tailored to different user needs (such as case managers, performance staff, and fiscal teams).
How does WDQI Round 8 relate to WIOA?
The opportunity frames system integration and modernization as aligned with the broader vision of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), emphasizing connected data environments that support improved management and evaluation of workforce services.
What funding instrument is used for WDQI Round 8?
WDQI Round 8 is offered as a grant funding instrument.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The award ceiling is $2.9 million.
How many awards were expected under WDQI Round 8?
The opportunity indicated an expectation of 7 awards.
What is the FOA number for WDQI Round 8?
The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) number is ETA-21-05.
What CFDA program number is associated with this grant?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 17.261 (Employment, Labor and Training).
When was the announcement created?
The announcement was created on March 22, 2021.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was April 26, 2021, by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?
Eligibility is listed as "Others," with clarification provided in the full announcement text. The opportunity is intended for eligible State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) to carry out one or a combination of WDQI objectives.
What kinds of activities can applicants propose under WDQI Round 8?
Applicants can propose one or a combination of the WDQI objectives described, including developing or improving a State Workforce Longitudinal Administrative Database, linking workforce data with education data in an SLDS, improving data quality and governance, supporting performance evaluation, building user-friendly scorecards and related tools, and integrating performance, fiscal, and/or case-management systems with the longitudinal database.
Are privacy and confidentiality requirements addressed in WDQI Round 8?
Yes. The opportunity emphasizes that states should use linked administrative data in ways that remain consistent with federal and state privacy and confidentiality requirements.
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