Policy Chapters and Sections

Universal Career Planning

Chapter: 4 Section: 2.5
Effective Date: 10/27/2026
Expiration Date: Continuing
Published Date: 10/27/2026 12:53:09 PM
Status: Current
Version: 4

  1. Universal Career Plan (UCP)
    1. The purpose of a Universal Career Plan (UCP) is to establish an ongoing, structured strategy that identifies the customer’s educational and employment goals, achievement steps, career pathway information, supportive service needs, and the appropriate combination of services required to achieve those goals.
    2. If the AJC Staff Member assigned to the customer does not have a Career Planner-aligned role, a Primary Career Planner must be assigned in the Customer Settings section of the Overview page no later than the date the customer receives the first participation-level service. The Primary Career Planner is responsible for ongoing career planning and case management activities.
      1. As a best practice, a Secondary Career Planner should also be assigned at that time to ensure continuity of service when the Primary Career Planner is unavailable due to vacation, leave, training, or other absences.
    3. The UCP serves as the primary instrument for Career Planners to document the appropriateness of service decisions, including referrals to partner programs, and ensures that all needs identified through required assessments are fully addressed.
      1. The development of the UCP must be informed by the information learned from the Pre-Screen, Application, and GSA. 
      2. The WIOA Challenges and Potential Solutions Chart can assist Career Planners in identifying solutions to challenges found during the Pre-Screen, Application, and GSA (see Attachments tab).
      3. The UCP must not be static. It should follow the customer through participation, transition, exit, and follow-up and should be updated when customer goals, needs, services, employment, education, barriers, or circumstances change.
    4. The UCP, which incorporates the Individual Employment Plan (IEP) for Adults and Dislocated Workers and the Individual Service Strategy (ISS) for Youth, is jointly developed by the customer and the Career Planner.
    5. The UCP is structured hierarchically for clarity and progression: the Goal represents the highest-level aspiration or overarching outcome generally related to employment or education, followed by specific Steps that break it down into measurable steps, and then the supporting Services that provide the resources, actions, or support needed to achieve them.
    6. The UCP consists of the following sections:
      1. Recommendations: Displays suggested Goals, Steps, and Services for the customer based on the customer’s responses from the Pre-Screen, Application, and GSA. Career Planners can select which recommendations are appropriate, add additional goals or services, and ensure all identified needs are addressed. This step provides a structured foundation for developing a personalized UCP that aligns with the customer’s strengths, interests, and challenges. This section also allows career planners to see and complete required assessments that are triggered based on the UCP.
      2. Plan: Shows the finalized UCP, organized hierarchically with Goals at the top, followed by measurable Steps, and the supporting Services needed to achieve them. The Career Planner can modify the plan by adding or adjusting goals, steps, or services to match the customer’s circumstances better. This section ensures the UCP is actionable, realistic, and tailored to the customer’s educational and employment aspirations while incorporating any recommended assessments or supportive services.
      3. Signature: Provides a formal acknowledgment by both the customer and Career Planner that the UCP has been reviewed, agreed upon, and documented. Signatures confirm mutual understanding of the goals, steps, and services outlined in the plan, and indicate the customer’s commitment to actively participate in the activities needed to achieve their career and educational outcomes. This section ensures accountability and supports ongoing engagement throughout the customer’s participation in WIOA services.
        1. The system supports both electronic and wet signatures for the customer and career planner to complete. A customer has access to their career plan through their Illinois workNet account and can complete the signature process there when it has been initiated by the career planner. The career planner can complete their electronic signature within the IWDS 2.0 system. The wet signature for either a customer or career planner will require the signed document to be uploaded.
        2. When any UCP is modified (after a signature has been obtained) by adding or discontinuing an employment, training, or education goal, the system will require a new signature from the Career Planner and customer before any new services can be started. 
    7. Career Planners may add Goals, Steps, and Services that are not on the Recommendations tab to the career plan. 
    8. The Career Planner must utilize the WIOA Title IB Services Matrix with Definitions attachment that defines the WIOA Title IB services to address the customer’s unique strengths, challenges, and needs.
      1. Each of the services on the WIOA Title IB Services Matrix is tied to an existing Goal and Step in the system. 
    9. At the very minimum, Adult and Dislocated Worker customers should have at least one Goal – Employment; however, the customer should have as many Goals and Steps as needed for them to reach their targeted purpose for program services.
    10. At the very minimum, Youth customers should have at least one Goal – Employment OR Education OR Training; however, the customer should have as many Goals and Steps as needed for them to reach their targeted purpose for program services.
    11. The initial creation of the UCP constitutes an enrolling service for Adults and Dislocated Workers, while subsequent updates are recorded and logged as activities that do not extend participation or delay exit.
    12. The creation of the UCP fulfills one of the three required pre-enrollment requirements for Youth. The other two required pre-enrollment activities are Eligibility Determination and an Objective Assessment. There is no specific sequence or order required.
  2. Training and Education Assessment
    1. If a training or education goal is included in the UCP, the Training and Education Assessment will appear on the Required Assessments tab in the Career Plan Recommendations tab for both the customer and the Career Planner to complete.
    2. Completing this assessment is required for any customer who wants to receive training or education services.
      1. This includes situations where a customer is reverse referred to WIOA services by a training provider.
    3. At the end of the assessment, the customer and Career Planner must review the information together to confirm understanding, approve participation in training or education, or save their progress to continue later.
      1. This step ensures the customer is fully informed and prepared before beginning any training or education activity.
    4. Once the assessment is completed, an actual start date can be entered for the appropriate training service.
    5. To learn more about the Training and Education Assessment, see the Assessment Requirements section of this policy manual.
  3. Work-Based Learning Assessment
    1. If a hands-on learning goal is included in the Universal Career Plan, the Work-Based Learning Assessment will appear on the Required Assessments tab in the Career Plan Recommendations tab for both the customer and the Career Planner to complete.
    2. A Work-Based Learning (WBL) Assessment is required for any customer entering a WBL or On-the-Job Training (OJT) program.
      1. If a customer is referred to WIOA by an employer, they may skip the assessment unless the Career Planner determines that the customer’s suitability is uncertain.
      2. A flag will appear during prescreening and within the WBL/OJT services to indicate whether the customer was referred by an employer.
    3. After the assessment is completed, the Career Planner reviews the customer’s input, highlights the most important details, and records any guidance or concerns that may affect the customer’s participation.
    4. The customer and Career Planner must go over the results together to ensure everything is clear, decide whether to move forward with the WBL program, or pause and return to the assessment later. This review step helps confirm that the customer understands the expectations and is ready to begin the work-based learning opportunity.
    5. An actual start date can only be entered for the appropriate WBL service after the assessment has been completed.
    6. To learn more about the Work-Based Learning Assessment, see the Assessment Requirements section of this policy manual.
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