All Incumbent Worker Training Program applications (and subsequent activity documentation, including required reporting elements) must be entered and submitted in the Incumbent Worker Tracking System (IWTS) of Illinois workNet prior to the execution of local funding agreements with employers and before trainers are hired.

1. The system allows controlled access using roles and role definitions.

   1. All users with access to initiate, enter, view, or report information about incumbent worker training events are required to have an Illinois workNet account.

   2. Instructions on registering for an Illinois workNet account are available on the website.

   3. User roles define access based on their affiliation with the incumbent worker training projects and include DCEO staff, grant recipients, employers, and participating incumbent workers.

2. Grant recipients are responsible for the submission of all Training Program Project Plans and other required reporting elements.

   1. In situations where companies are reluctant to provide SSNs, the responsibility for data input into IWTS may be shared with the employer.

      1. Sharing of data input allows maintenance of confidentiality of incumbent worker information. (Note:  Social Security numbers and dates of birth are required to be entered to verify the employer/incumbent worker relationship; however, Social Security numbers will be encrypted following Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 39-11 Guidance on the Handling and Protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and will not be visible on any reports.)

      2. The grant recipient is responsible for accuracy of all data input by the employer/incumbent workers.

3. A process has been developed and outlined to describe the user's key interactions with IWTS. 

   1. All users must interact with the system and the order of events as depicted in the process workflow.

   2. The process workflow is available on IWTS.

   3. The process workflow consists of the following steps:

      1. Identification of the grant recipients for the IWT project, including contact information and reporting elements;

      2. Submission of IWT project plans to DCEO (as outlined in the Incumbent Worker Training Requirements Formula Fund Grants and Incumbent Worker Training Requirements Discretionary (Rapid Response and Statewide Activities) Fund Grants attachments) (see the Attachments tab);

      3. Identification of the employers participating in the IWT project;

      4. Identification of each worksite where IWT projects will be conducted;

      5. Identification of the training providers and specific training activities for the project;

      6. Identification of the incumbent workers participating in the training;

      7. Documentation of training outcomes for each incumbent worker including the Skill Attainment goals of the project for each incumbent worker; and

      8. Submission of Quarterly and Final reports documenting progress and Completion information (further requirements of Quarterly and Final reporting are outlined in IWT Programmatic Reporting).

      9. All information in 1)-7) above must be entered and submitted within ten (10) days of the end of each month.