Services Delivery for Displaced Rural Workers: A North Carolina Case Study of the Theory and Reality of One-Stop

The United States has felt the brunt of a number of natural and economic crises that are taking a devastating toll on many rural communities, especially in the South. Congress passed the WIA which required the formation of locally based one-stop service systems to deliver the majority of employment and training services funded by the federal government . The one-stop career system was envisioned as a system that would consolidate programs, resources, and services such as unemployment insurance, state job services, public assistance, training programs, and career services. Four principles guided the system's development: 1) Universal access to all population groups including both job seekers and employers; 2) Customer choice based on the consumers’ evaluation of his/her needs; 3) Service integration and; 4) Performance-based accountability. One-stop does not seem to be working very well. Suggestions for improvement are discussed.