Overview of the Monterey County Workforce Investment Board (WIB):

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) act states that local membership on the WIB shall include owners or representatives of businesses that reflect employment opportunities in the area; representatives of educational agencies such as school boards, adult schools, colleges, etc; representatives of local labor organizations; representatives of community-based organizations including veterans’ groups and those serving people with disabilities; representatives of economic development agencies and representatives of the One-Stop partners. Those appointed should have optimum policymaking authority within their respective organizations.

Overview of the Workforce Investment Act and Monterey County Workforce Investment Board:

 The Workforce Investment Act (WIA*) was signed by President Clinton on August 7, 1998 to reform the nation’s job training system. WIA establishes the One-Stop Career Center concept operating under state and local Workforce Investment Boards. Key components of WIA include:

• Streamlining services through the One-Stop delivery system;
• Empowering individuals through the use of Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) for eligible participants who have exhausted other sources of aid, and providing greater levels of information, guidance and support services from a single location;
• Universal access to core employment-related services such as job vacancies, career options, financial aid for education, employment trends, how to conduct a job search, write a resume, interview for a job, etc.;
• Increased accountability through the establishment of core indicators of performance that local and state managers of the workforce system must meet in order to retain funding levels;
• Strong role for local workforce investment boards: representatives of designated service agencies and the private sector establish business-led boards that develop strategic planning, establish local policy and provide oversight of the local system;
• State and local flexibility to create a system that responds to local and regional labor market needs with significant authority reserved for the Governor;
• Improved youth programs linked more closely to local labor market needs and community youth programs and services with emphasis on academic and occupational learning.

Membership:  Appointments (totaling 33) reflect the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 and the State of California Workforce Investment Board (LWIB) criteria, including the requirement that a majority of the Local WIB members be private business representatives.  Appointments include mandated public sector representatives:  education providers, labor organizations, community-based organizations, economic development agencies and One-Stop program partners.

The Act also specifies that the Local WIB or Interim body must appoint a Youth Council in cooperation with the Local CEO.  Similar to the WIB, the Youth Council is required to include broad community representation in specific categories. 

Terms:  Bylaws were adopted on May 29, 2001.

Qualifications & Functions:  The purpose of this Board is to provide strategic planning, policy development, and oversight of the local workforce investment system.  It directs the disbursement of funds for workforce investment activities, appoints a youth council, and provides direction on ways to increase public and private sector employment and training opportunities for eligible people under the Act.  The Board provides leadership to support the best practices of the public and private sectors for an effective Workforce Investment Board; develops innovative models that effectively acquire and leverage alternative funding sources to offer access to all services.

Meeting Time and Place: Please visit www.onestopmonterey.org and click on the WIB link for information on meeting days and times.

Staff Contact:  Joseph Werner, Executive Director, WIB: (831) 796-3313.

FULL BOARD APPOINTMENTS 

 YOUTH COUNCIL MEMBERS

Updated 10-29-09 dh