program-administration-employment-outcomes

Current State: Limited Technology Options

The challenge for many Labor and Workforce Development agencies has been the shortage of technology options.

Either choose an off-the-shelf solution that lacks customizability, does not scale efficiently, is not fully mobile, and is unable to adapt to a department’s changing needs, or
Invest heavily trying to develop and support an in-house solution, requiring major up-front and ongoing investments in hardware, software and development resources just to stay current

In essence, agencies are presented with the option to replace their legacy system with another legacy system.

Since the early 1980’s, choices have been limited to custom-developed applications that, while functional for the program’s needs, did not withstand the changing demands over time as the evolution of technology provided more innovative approaches to address these new demands. Vendors also began to develop off-the-shelf frameworks designed around high-level commonalities across program needs. However, these proprietary systems forced States to design policies and processes around the technology, rather than adapting the technology to the needs of the State.