But GAO noted that “getting training providers, particularly community colleges, to participate in the ETPL remains a concern for some local boards.” Many complained that “some providers, community colleges in particular, are reluctant to participate in the ETPL.” One in California, for instance, stated that local community colleges operate at full capacity and don’t need WIA.

To get around this problem, boards in Massachusetts have been working together to talk to community college leaders. GAO doesn’t state how successful the efforts have been.

And 52 percent of boards said their individual training accounts didn’t coordinate with local economic and business development strategies. One in California, for example, said it wanted to train participants to meet a local nursing shortage, but some area community colleges didn’t want to teach nursing because it was too costly.

But again, some boards tried to get around the mismatch — one in Michigan works with a community college to develop short-term intensive noncredit certificate training in high-demand fields.

Some rural boards said they simply couldn’t find enough local providers. To get around this problem, one in rural California got a waiver from using ITAs and contracts directly with a community college for several nursing programs. As of last year, all 73 participants had graduated and found work as nurses.

As to the training quality problem, the Department of Labor is working on an evaluation. States — and even communities within states — define inputs and outcomes differently, making nationwide results difficult. Some define the date of case closures differently, for instance, as either the end of services or three months later if no further services are scheduled.