Title 20

SECTION 679.130

679.130 What are the functions of the State Workforce Development Board

§ 679.130 What are the functions of the State Workforce Development Board?

Under WIOA sec. 101(d), the State WDB must assist the Governor in the:

(a) Development, implementation, and modification of the 4-year State Plan;

(b) Review of statewide policies, programs, and recommendations on actions that must be taken by the State to align workforce development programs to support a comprehensive and streamlined workforce development system. Such review of policies, programs, and recommendations must include a review and provision of comments on the State Plans, if any, for programs and activities of one-stop partners that are not core programs;

(1) Identification of barriers and means for removing barriers to better coordinate, align, and avoid duplication among programs and activities;

(2) Development of strategies to support career pathways for the purpose of providing individuals, including low-skilled adults, youth, and individuals with barriers to employment, including individuals with disabilities, with workforce investment activities, education, and supportive services to enter or retain employment;

(3) Development of strategies to provide effective outreach to and improved access for individuals and employers who could benefit from workforce development system;

(4) Development and expansion of strategies to meet the needs of employers, workers, and job seekers particularly through industry or sector partnerships related to in-demand industry sectors and occupations;

(5) Identification of regions, including planning regions for the purposes of WIOA sec. 106(a), and the designation of local areas under WIOA sec. 106, after consultation with Local WDBs and chief elected officials;

(6) Development and continuous improvement of the one-stop delivery system in local areas, including providing assistance to Local WDBs, one-stop operators, one-stop partners, and providers. Such assistance includes assistance with planning and delivering services, including training and supportive services, to support effective delivery of services to workers, job seekers, and employers; and

(7) Development of strategies to support staff training and awareness across the workforce development system and its programs;

(d) Development and updating of comprehensive State performance and accountability measures to assess core program effectiveness under WIOA sec. 116(b);

(e) Identification and dissemination of information on best practices, including best practices for -

(1) The effective operation of one-stop centers, relating to the use of business outreach, partnerships, and service delivery strategies, including strategies for serving individuals with barriers to employment;

(2) The development of effective Local WDBs, which may include information on factors that contribute to enabling Local WDBs to exceed negotiated local levels of performance, sustain fiscal integrity, and achieve other measures of effectiveness; and

(3) Effective training programs that respond to real-time labor market analysis, that effectively use direct assessment and prior learning assessment to measure an individual's prior knowledge, skills, competencies, and experiences for adaptability, to support efficient placement into employment or career pathways;

(f) Development and review of statewide policies affecting the coordinated provision of services through the State's one-stop delivery system described in WIOA sec. 121(e), including the development of -

(1) Objective criteria and procedures for use by Local WDBs in assessing the effectiveness, physical and programmatic accessibility and continuous improvement of one-stop centers. Where a Local WDB serves as the one-stop operator, the State WDB must use such criteria to assess and certify the one-stop center;

(2) Guidance for the allocation of one-stop center infrastructure funds under WIOA sec. 121(h); and

(3) Policies relating to the appropriate roles and contributions of entities carrying out one-stop partner programs within the one-stop delivery system, including approaches to facilitating equitable and efficient cost allocation in the system;

(g) Development of strategies for technological improvements to facilitate access to, and improve the quality of services and activities provided through the one-stop delivery system, including such improvements to -

(1) Enhance digital literacy skills (as defined in sec. 202 of the Museum and Library Service Act, 20 U.S.C. 9101);

(2) Accelerate acquisition of skills and recognized postsecondary credentials by participants;

(3) Strengthen professional development of providers and workforce professionals; and

(4) Ensure technology is accessible to individuals with disabilities and individuals residing in remote areas;

(h) Development of strategies for aligning technology and data systems across one-stop partner programs to enhance service delivery and improve efficiencies in reporting on performance accountability measures, including design implementation of common intake, data collection, case management information, and performance accountability measurement and reporting processes and the incorporation of local input into such design and implementation to improve coordination of services across one-stop partner programs;

(i) Development of allocation formulas for the distribution of funds for employment and training activities for adults and youth workforce investment activities, to local areas as permitted under WIOA secs. 128(b)(3) and 133(b)(3);

(j) Preparation of the annual reports described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of WIOA sec. 116(d);

(k) Development of the statewide workforce and labor market information system described in sec. 15(e) of the Wagner-Peyser Act; and

(l) Development of other policies as may promote statewide objectives for and enhance the performance of the workforce development system in the State.