WSD25-05 turns the next AJCC certification cycle into a structured review of whether each local center actually functions as an accessible, integrated, customer-centered workforce system. The work should begin well before the spring 2027 submission date because the strongest evidence comes from normal operations, not a last-minute certification file.
Source + trust record
Source checked as of September 18, 2026. Primary authority: EDD Active Directives · WSD25-05 and WSIN25-11.
Check result: WSD25-05 remains an active California directive. Local Boards must use an independent and objective evaluation process for comprehensive and affiliate/specialized AJCC certification at least every three years. California has returned to a spring submission cycle, with supporting certification documentation due in May 2027 under current guidance. This AI-assisted brief does not receive human legal or compliance review. Official sources control.
WDB decision strip
| Status | Action | Primary owner | Current timing | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FINAL · ACTIVE | RUN CERTIFICATION AS A QUALITY CYCLE | WDB Director + AJCC Leadership | PY 2026–27 certification cycle | AJCC certification · Accessibility · Partnerships · Customer experience · Continuous improvement |
The bottom line
Certification should tell the Board what to improve, not just whether the forms were completed.
WSD25-05 applies to every Local Board and supersedes WSD23-05. Each Board must use an independent and objective evaluation panel to certify its comprehensive and affiliate/specialized AJCCs. The process combines baseline requirements, seven quality indicators, accessibility, evidence, and a continuous-improvement plan. Local criteria may be added, but federal certification criteria cannot be removed or replaced.
The certification sequence
| Stage | What it answers | Key timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Baseline certification | Does the AJCC satisfy the applicable statutory, regulatory, MOU, operator/provider, and accessibility requirements? | Certification matrices due May 15, 2027. |
| 2. Quality-indicator assessment | How well is the center operating across the seven required quality dimensions? | Submit by May 15, 2027. |
| 3. Continuous Improvement Plan | What specific improvements will the system make because of the review? | Complete by June 15, 2027. |
| 4. Certification period | When does the next three-year certification take effect? | July 1, 2027. |
The seven quality indicators
- Universal access, with emphasis on individuals with barriers to employment.
- Effective partnerships among AJCC partners.
- Integrated, customer-centered services.
- An on-ramp to skill development and industry-recognized credentials.
- Industry and labor engagement aligned with regional sector strategies and quality jobs.
- High-quality, well-trained, cross-trained staff.
- Data-driven continuous improvement.
Build the evidence file around the customer journey
| Evidence | What it should show |
|---|---|
| Accessibility reviews | Whether people with disabilities and other access needs can actually use facilities, communications, digital services, and programs. |
| MOUs + partner workflows | Whether required partners function as an integrated system rather than a directory of organizations. |
| Customer feedback | Where intake, referrals, waits, handoffs, navigation, and service experience work or fail. |
| Employer feedback | Whether business services and sector work respond to real employer needs. |
| Staff / partner interviews | Whether roles, referral expectations, and cross-training are understood in practice. |
| Performance + service data | Where outcomes, access, or utilization point to improvement needs. |
Operational considerations for WDBs
- Inventory every AJCC. Confirm which sites are comprehensive and which are affiliate/specialized.
- Select the evaluation panel early. Screen for independence, objectivity, and conflicts of interest.
- Use the matrices as a gap scan now. Do not wait until spring 2027 to discover missing evidence or accessibility issues.
- Ask customers and partners before the formal review. Use the feedback to improve the system, not merely to complete certification.
- Turn each quality indicator into an operating agenda. Assign an owner, evidence, improvement action, and follow-up date.
- Reserve governance time. Schedule Board review, signatures, and submission far enough ahead of May and June deadlines.
Required / local choice / good practice
Required
Use the state/federal baseline criteria, independent objective evaluation, quality indicators, accessibility requirements, and required submissions.
Local choice
Add local criteria that improve quality, provided they do not remove or replace required criteria.
Good practice
Use certification findings as a management dashboard for the next three years instead of filing them away after approval.
Watch out
- Do not treat accessibility as only a physical-facility review.
- Do not use a panel with unresolved conflicts or insufficient independence.
- Do not wait until May 2027 to collect evidence that should exist in routine operations.
- Do not rank AJCCs against one another; certification is an individualized review.
- Do not write a continuous-improvement plan with actions that have no owner or follow-up mechanism.
Source authority
EDD WSD25-05 — AJCC Comprehensive and Affiliate/Specialized Certification
WSIN25-11 — Timeline Change for AJCC Certification Submissions
Status: EDD lists WSD25-05 as active. The directive and its attachments control the certification criteria and submission requirements. The evidence-file and management recommendations above are WPU implementation aids. Status checked September 16, 2026.
Response
[…] California has multiple companion directives that translate this federal framework into local requirements. Key examples include WSD18-12 · WIOA Memorandums of Understanding, WSD23-06 · Wagner-Peyser Colocation Requirements, and WSD25-05 · AJCC Certification. […]