Non-profit OrganizationEmployment/employment Agencies
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD (WDB) addresses identified education and skill needs of workforce and employment needs of businesses, not-for profit organizations, and government entities.
WDB receives input from a wide array of stakeholders. It convenes local stakeholders to assist in development of local plan and regional plan. Such stakeholders may assist standing committees in carrying out convening, brokering, and leveraging functions at the direction of WDB.
It leads efforts to engage with a diverse range of employers and other entities in the region in to order to (1) promote business representation on the WDB, (2) develop effective linkages with employers to support utilization of local workforce development system and to support local workforce investment activities, (3) ensure that such workforce activities meet needs of employers and support economic growth by enhancing communication, coordination, and collaboration among employers, economic development entities, and service providers, and (4) develop and implement proven or promising strategies for meeting the employment and skill needs of workers and employers, that provide the skilled workforce needed by employers, and that expand employment and career advancement opportunities for system participants in in-demand industry sectors or occupations.
With representatives of postsecondary education programs, WDB leads efforts to develop and implement career pathways by aligning employment, training, education, and support services that are needed by adults and youth, particularly individuals with barriers to employment.
WDB convenes local and state organizations for programs and services, including Employment and Training, Youth Workforce Investment Activities, Adult Education and Literacy, Employment Services, Vocation Rehabilitation, and many required programs of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It is a collaborator with Family Self-Sufficiency Programs and Life Skills Re-Entry Centers.