Policy Chapters and Sections

Intake and Initial Engagement

Chapter: 4 Section: 2.2
Effective Date: 10/27/2026
Expiration Date: Continuing
Published Date: 10/27/2026 12:33:09 PM
Status: Current
Version: 4

  1. Under WIOA and Illinois’ Customer-Centered Service Delivery (CCSD) model, intake sets the tone for the customer experience. The intake process is intended to engage, empower, and connect customers to appropriate services and resources beginning with their initial interaction with the workforce system.
  2. The intake and eligibility processes in IWDS 2.0 are designed to identify customer needs, support timely access to appropriate services, and reduce unnecessary or duplicative steps. AJC Staff Members are responsible for assisting customers throughout the process, applying applicable eligibility and program requirements, addressing barriers or circumstances that cannot be resolved through the system workflow, and ensuring customers receive the information necessary to proceed with services.
  3. To support consistent implementation of Illinois' Customer-Centered Service Delivery model, DCEO/OET has developed a Career Planner Quick Reference Guide outlining the key responsibilities, required actions, and applicable timeframes for each phase of the customer journey. The guide serves as a resource for AJC Staff Members and Career Planners to promote timely service delivery and compliance with established policy requirements (see Attachments tab).
  4. Consistent with customer-centered service delivery, Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs) and Local Workforce Innovation Areas (LWIAs) may not add criteria, forms, questions, or other requirements to the intake process beyond those established by DCEO/OET. LWIAs must stop using locally developed forms that duplicate information or functions available in IWDS 2.0. This includes local intake, application, eligibility, assessment, and suitability forms. IWDS 2.0 is the official system of record for documenting intake, eligibility, and suitability.
    1. Local forms may be used only when they are necessary for compliance, customer protections, or program administration and fall within an established allowable category.
    2. Allowable forms include Local Equal Opportunity forms; the Notice of Rights and Protections required under WIOA Policy 25-NOT-01; customer-signed releases of information or marketing/media releases; Customer Rights forms; Complaint forms; Customer Conduct forms; Individual Training Account (ITA) Agreements; Cooperation Agreements; Training Participation forms; and forms supporting locally approved five percent (5%) policies.
      1. LWIAs may not create, use, or require customers to complete additional local forms that collect information already captured in IWDS 2.0 or add requirements to the intake, application, eligibility, assessment, or suitability process. Any local forms used must fall within the allowable categories established in DCEO/OET policy and guidance.
  5. Illinois follows a "No Wrong Door" approach to accessing WIOA and workforce services. Customers may enter the workforce system virtually, in person, or through a partner agency, and must be appropriately connected to available services and resources without being turned away or required to navigate the system independently.
    1. Staff must guide customers to appropriate resources or facilitate referrals to partner programs and services when needed. Local procedures must support timely and effective handoffs and should not shift responsibility back to the customer when staff can reasonably facilitate the connection.
  6. Customers may interact with the workforce system in several ways before beginning the formal application and enrollment process. These interactions may include locating help, submitting inquiries, requesting information virtually or in person.
    1. These interactions are considered inquiries and do not constitute an application for WIOA services. An inquiry does not initiate the five (5)-day application processing timeline.
    2. Customers may request assistance at any stage of the intake process. LWIBs must establish procedures and make reasonable efforts to respond to inquiries, identify the appropriate assistance or resource, and facilitate timely and effective connections to services.
      1. A response to a customer should not simply direct the customer elsewhere or place responsibility on the customer to navigate the next steps when staff can reasonably facilitate the connection or handoff.
      2. Local procedures must support timely and effective handoffs, including coordination with appropriate staff, programs, partners, or resources, as applicable.
      3. An inquiry demonstrates a customer's interest in services but does not, by itself, represent formal entry into the WIOA application or enrollment process.
  7. Local intake procedures must promote timely access to services and may not subject customers to additional or varying requirements that unnecessarily delay application, enrollment, eligibility determination, or access to appropriate services.
    1. Prohibited practices include requiring multiple workshops or orientations, using interview panels or other screening processes to determine whether a customer should be permitted to proceed with program eligibility or enrollment, requiring a decision regarding training services before enrollment, or establishing other customer-facing processes that impose additional steps, screening requirements, or unnecessary delays beyond those required by WIOA or DCEO/OET policy.
    2. LWIBs and LWIAs must also ensure that established processing timeframes are treated as maximum allowable timeframes, not standard waiting periods. Staff must act promptly when the information necessary to complete the applicable action is available and may not routinely delay contacting a customer, reviewing or processing an application, determining eligibility, or completing the next required step solely because additional time remains within the allowable timeframe. Allowable processing time may not be used to conduct additional screening, assess whether a customer is likely to receive particular services, discourage a customer from proceeding, or otherwise delay or restrict access to the WIOA application and eligibility process.
      1. When additional review or information is legitimately necessary, staff must document the reason for the delay and make reasonable efforts to move the customer through the process as promptly as circumstances allow.
  8. Reverse referrals may occur when a training provider identifies a prospective student who may benefit from Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funded training services and refers the customer to the Local Workforce Innovation Area (LWIA) or American Job Center/American Job Center (AJC) partner agency for eligibility determination and consideration of training funding.
    1. A reverse referral from a training provider does not constitute approval for WIOA-funded training, enrollment in a WIOA program, or authorization for payment of training costs. All prospective students referred through this process must:
      1. Be determined eligible for WIOA services in accordance with federal, state, and local eligibility requirements;
      2. Meet any program-specific eligibility criteria applicable to Adult, Dislocated Worker, or Youth funding streams; and
      3. Demonstrate the need for training services as documented through the Training and Education Assessment and career planning activities discussed later in this document.
  9. Pre-Screening
    1. The purpose of the pre-screen is to quickly gather essential information from the customer at the earliest point of contact to identify potential eligibility, immediate needs, and appropriate next steps.  It does not constitute an eligibility determination. Customers may complete the pre-screen independently or with staff assistance, and assistance must remain available throughout the process.
    2. The pre-screen focuses on understanding the customer's goals and learning about the customer’s general situation. This stage establishes the foundation for everything that follows by gathering essential information in a logical, non-threatening sequence.
    3. The pre-screening process includes the following sections:
      1. Introduction: Welcomes the customer to the program, sets a positive tone, and explains what to expect throughout the process;
      2. Selection of Goals: Captures the customer’s short- and long-term career and education aspirations;
      3. Getting to Know You Better: Gathers high-level information about the customer’s current circumstances, including transportation options, childcare or dependent care responsibilities, housing stability, financial needs, and other personal considerations;
      4. Skills Screening: Uses the Basic Skills Screening Tool to understand the customer’s current skill levels in areas such as literacy, numeracy, and digital or job-specific skills;
      5. General Eligibility Questions: Collects broad information to determine whether the customer meets the basic requirements for program participation;
      6. Program Eligibility Questions: Dives deeper into specific program requirements for WIOA services;
      7. High-level Demographic Data: Captures basic demographic information, including race, ethnicity, gender, veteran status, and other characteristics needed for reporting and service planning; and
      8. Review: Allows the customer to review and confirm all responses provided throughout the assessment.
    4. If a Career Planner is doing pre-screening with a customer, additional guidance will be provided on the introduction page to help them complete the tasks listed on each page and describe the page.
      1. These will not show if a customer is going through it themselves as a self-service.
    5. When a customer completes the “Self-Service Form” or does the pre-screening, a pre-record of the customer is created.  The customer remains in a “reportable individual” status until all requirements for program services have been met.
    6. The pre-screening questions provide a mechanism for determining basic skills deficiency by identifying Youth or Adults who are unable to compute or solve problems, or read, write, or speak English, at a level necessary to function on the job, which meets the second part of the WIOA definition of being basic skills deficient.
      1. If the customer is determined to be basic skills deficient, the system will indicate the customer has priority of service for the Adult program and document this as a basic skills deficiency for eligibility for Youth. 
    7. Adults and Dislocated Workers who answer “No” to the question regarding having a high school diploma, General Education Development (GED) certificate, or High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) should automatically be referred to Adult basic education services through Title II. The system will trigger a referral recommendation once the application has been submitted and the customer has a profile in IWDS 2.0. However, staff must complete the referral process to obtain and document customer consent and verify that the referral location is feasible and appropriate based on the customer's needs and circumstances for the referral to be sent.
    8. If the pre-screening process determines that a customer is potentially eligible for WIOA services, they are taken to a Next Steps page.  There, they are directed to watch an Orientation video which provides customers with a clear, consistent introduction to the workforce system and available services in an efficient, engaging format, provided a preparation packet to help them gather the necessary documents to complete the standard WIOA application, and asked to start the WIOA application.
      1. Note that potentially eligible is a system flag and not an eligibility certification.
    9. If the pre-screening indicates the customer may not be eligible, the system will direct the customer to other resources that may provide assistance. The pre-screening result is not an eligibility determination, and the customer must be informed of their option to request staff assistance, continue to a formal application and eligibility determination, or reapply if their circumstances change.
    10. Applications that have been started but not submitted do not require routine review or follow-up by the LWIA. Until an application is submitted, individuals appearing on this list have not completed the WIOA application process, and the list is considered an optional outreach resource rather than a pending application workload.
      1. LWIAs may use the list for outreach when appropriate, including to identify individuals who may have been directed to the Job Seeker application page or who may need assistance completing an application. LWIAs must also review or use the list when directed by DCEO/OET, such as when attempting to locate or assist a specific customer.
    11. The system will automatically delete or remove a pre-screening when there has been no activity for one hundred eighty (180) calendar days.  LWIAs are not required to contact the customer or take action solely to prevent an inactive pre-screening from being removed.
  10. Application
    1. The next step in the intake process is for the customer to complete an application to formally capture all required information to establish program eligibility and initiate enrollment in WIOA Title I services.
    2. To ensure timely services and enhance the customer experience, the system has been developed to streamline the application process by requesting only the information needed to make an eligibility determination.   
    3. The customer may either complete the application on their own or request assistance from an AJC Staff Member at any point during the application process.
    4. The application uses adaptive logic to display only relevant questions based on the customer’s responses and applicable potential eligibility tracks.
      1. Certain questions are available only to AJC Staff Members and are completed either when staff assist the customer with the application or during eligibility certification if the customer completes the application independently.
    5. Since applications are dynamic based on a customer’s responses, providing a paper application for the customer to complete is not allowed.
    6. A customer who begins an application but does not submit it has not formally completed the application process.  The five (5)-business-day timeframe for customer contact described further in this section begins only when the application is formally submitted through IWDS 2.0.
    7. The application sections include:
      1. Introduction;
      2. Summary of Prescreening, Getting to Know You Better, and Skills Screening Page;
      3. Customer Profile: Reviews the information the customer has already provided, including personal details, prior responses, and any updates since intake;
      4. Contacts: Captures all relevant contact information for the customer, including phone numbers, email addresses, and preferred methods of communication;
      5. Veteran Information (if applicable): Gathers details about the customer’s military service, eligibility for veteran benefits, and any veteran-specific resources that may support their career goals; 
      6. Private Information: Sensitive documents or confidential information that may impact services, including legal, medical, or personal circumstances;
      7. Education Information: Collects details about the customer’s educational background, including degrees, certifications, training programs, and ongoing educational pursuits; 
      8. Employment Information: Reviews the customer’s work history, current employment status, and career experience to help guide goals, steps, and service planning;
      9. Family & Household Information: Captures household composition, dependents, caregiving responsibilities, and other family-related factors that could influence the customer’s career plan and supportive service needs;
        1. Career Planners must complete the IWDS 2.0 Income Calculator when a customer’s income is needed to determine low-income status or Adult Priority of Service. The Income Calculator is not required when the customer meets low-income or priority status through another allowable criterion, or when low-income status is not required for program eligibility. Career Planners must document how the customer meets the applicable eligibility, low-income, or priority requirements.
      10. Career Planner Page – This is not a customer-facing page; it is only available to AJC Staff Members. This page will display if eligibility or priority cannot be determined based on data provided in the other pages. See below for more information;
      11. Document Upload Page – Provides a space to upload documentation for triggered eligibility items while displaying a listing of acceptable source documentation that can be used to verify each triggered item;
      12. Review Page - Allows the customer to review and confirm all responses provided throughout the application;
      13. Application Submission Page – Local office serving the customer can be set/confirmed. If a customer completes this form, they will be able to select the office that is best for them. If a AJC Staff Member completes this form, they will be able to confirm the office AJC Staff Member, designate who will support them through the rest of intake, and identify whether any appointments for next steps have been scheduled; 
      14. Prepare for Meeting – Prepare the customer for a meeting with AJC Staff Members to complete the rest of the intake process; and
      15. Signature page – This is not a customer-facing page; it is only available to AJC Staff Members. This page supports the customer and Career Planner in signing the application. See the Eligibility Determination and Certification section of this policy.
    8. The AJC Staff Members will use the Career Planner page to collect additional information on potential basic skills deficiency, English language learner status, low-income status, and youth needing additional assistance based on the customer’s responses to application questions. Additionally, Data Stewards will use this page to approve or deny the request to enroll youth within the five percent (5%) window for low-income youth and those who need additional assistance.
      1. This page will be dynamic and will not display if eligibility or service priority has already been determined from customer responses. 
      2. If the customer has not met the basic skills deficiency through the application questions and the AJC Staff Member, after meeting with the customer, feels they do, a TABE or CASAS test may be administered. 
        1. This is only necessary if the customer must meet basic skills deficiency and hasn’t done so in any other way. AJC Staff Members may also request approval from their supervisor if they believe the customer may be eligible under the low-income or in-school Youth needing additional assistance exceptions. 
    9. On the Prepare for Meeting page, customers are provided with a listing of eligibility criteria items they have triggered that documentation is needed for, as well as a link to a preparation packet that helps them prepare for their meeting with a local office. This packet includes a list of acceptable eligibility documentation sources.
      1. The system will accept all standard file types (PDF, Word, image formats, etc.), with limits primarily based on file size.
    10. AJC Staff Members must request a customer’s Social Security Number (SSN) when finalizing the application. SSNs are encouraged but not required to determine eligibility or receive services.
      1. While AJC Staff Members must request SSNs for performance reporting and wage record matching, services cannot be denied if a customer chooses not to provide one, as doing so would violate the Privacy Act of 1974, which prohibits denying a right, benefit, or service due to SSN non-disclosure (unless required by federal statute). 
      2. Local policies may not require SSN disclosure, and AJC Staff Members must understand the distinction between "requesting" and "requiring." Alternative unique identifiers will be assigned in the system. 
    11. Upon submission of an application completed independently by the customer, IWDS 2.0 will notify the local system administrator for the office selected by the customer.  The local system administrator must ensure the customer is assigned to an AJC Staff Member who will assist the customer throughout the remainder of the intake process. Assignment must be completed through IWDS 2.0.
      1. LWIBs must AJC Staff Member establish procedures to ensure an AJC Staff Member is assigned to a submitted application within two (2) business days.
      2. The assigned AJC Staff Member must make reasonable efforts to contact the customer and schedule an appointment to continue the intake and eligibility process within five (5) business days from the date the application was submitted.
      3. The five (5)-business-day timeframe applies to contacting the customer to schedule the appointment and does not require the appointment itself to occur within five (5) business days. The actual appointment date may be based on customer and staff availability, as well as the customer's individual circumstances.
      4. Submitted applications must be prioritized over general inquiries when managing staff workload and follow-up activities. This prioritization ensures that staff capacity is directed first toward customers who have formally entered the application process, while maintaining reasonable procedures for responding to individuals seeking information or assistance.
    12. An inquiry, request for information, partially completed application that has not been submitted, or other preliminary interaction with the workforce system does not constitute submission of an application and does not initiate the five (5)-business-day timeframe. LWIBs must nevertheless maintain procedures to make reasonable efforts to respond to inquiries and assist customers who request help completing or submitting an application.
    13. The distinction between an inquiry, an application that has been started but not submitted, and a submitted application establishes clear expectations for customer follow-up and staff responsibilities.
      1. These distinctions must not be used to delay, discourage, or create barriers to a customer applying for WIOA services. Customers may request assistance at any point in the application process. When assistance is requested or a need for assistance is identified, AJC staff must provide reasonable assistance consistent with Illinois' Customer-Centered Service Delivery model and must not require the customer to complete unnecessary steps before accessing or submitting an application.
    14. Before a customer is enrolled, applications may have one of two statuses: In Progress or Closed.
      1. In Progress means the application has been started but not completed, remains open, and requires AJC Staff Member action. 
      2. Closed means the application is no longer moving forward. Closing an application helps distinguish customers who will not move forward from those who require further follow-up.
      3. IWDS 2.0 records application status and retains an audit history of closures and reopenings. Local procedures must ensure that closure decisions are documented, reviewable, and consistent with this policy.
    15. An application may be closed only under the circumstances described below. Application closure must not be used as a substitute for timely customer follow-up or required staff action. AJC staff must make reasonable efforts to assist the customer in completing the application and eligibility process and must not allow an application to remain inactive solely for the purpose of reaching the system auto-close date.
      1. System Auto-Close
        1. The system will automatically close an application ninety (90) calendar days after the latter of:
          1. The date the application was submitted; or
          2. The date the application was certified.
        2. System auto-close is a system function and does not relieve AJC staff of responsibility for timely follow-up with the customer. Staff must actively manage pending applications and make reasonable attempts to contact and assist customers before an application reaches the auto-close date.
        3. An application must not be intentionally left inactive to allow the system to close it when staff could reasonably take action to assist the customer in moving forward.
      2. Customer-Initiated Closure (Opt-Out)
        1. After completing an application, IWDS 2.0 sends reminder emails encouraging the customer to meet with their AJC Staff Member to complete the next step in the eligibility process.  These emails include an Opt-Out option that allows the customer to:
          1. Close their application; and
          2. Select a reason they no longer wish to continue with the application process.
        2. When a customer clearly communicates to AJC staff that they no longer wish to pursue WIOA services, staff may close the application and document the customer's request.
      3. Manual Closure by AJC Staff Member
        1. An AJC Staff Member may manually close an application only when there is a documented reason supporting closure.  Allowable reasons include:
          1. The customer requests to withdraw or discontinue the application;
          2. The customer reports that they no longer need or want WIOA services;
          3. The customer has moved or otherwise cannot reasonably continue services through the LWIA;
          4. The customer is determined not eligible for the WIOA program for which they applied, following completion of the applicable eligibility determination;
          5. The customer fails to attend a scheduled intake or eligibility meeting and does not respond to reasonable follow-up attempts to reschedule;
          6. The customer stops responding during the application or eligibility process after reasonable and documented attempts have been made to contact and assist the customer; or
          7. The application is a confirmed duplicate and closure is necessary to maintain the appropriate application record.
        2. Before closing an application because a customer is unresponsive or failed to attend an appointment, AJC staff must document the contact attempts made and any assistance offered to help the customer continue the application process.
        3. Staff may not close an application because a customer appears unlikely to qualify, has not yet decided whether to pursue training, requires additional assistance to complete the process, or has not completed locally established steps that are not required by WIOA or DCEO/OET policy.
        4. To manually close an application, the AJC Staff Member must:
          1. Select the Close Application button within the Eligibility Certification tab; and
          2. Document the specific reason for closure and, when applicable, the efforts made to contact or assist the customer.
    16. Closed applications may be reopened; however:
      1. The closed application must be reviewed, updated, and re-verified. A new application is not needed;
      2. Eligibility must be re-determined before services can proceed; and
      3. A new application may be required if information is outdated, unverifiable, or no longer accurate.
    17. All system activity is logged, including when and why applications are closed or reopened.
    18. Incomplete applications may remain in the system until they reach one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days of inactivity, at which point they will be automatically deleted.
    19. It is important to distinguish between auto-close and auto-delete:
      1. Auto-Close (90 Calendar Days): The application is closed but remains in the system and may be reopened.
      2. Auto-Delete (180 Calendar Days): Applications for customers who never receive an enrolling service are permanently deleted after one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days of inactivity.
No Forms & Instructions Found
No Notices Found