Cattaraugus-Allegany Workforce New York

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Becoming a Board Member is an excellent way to contribute to the community in which we live and work. In order to familiarize new and prospective Board members with the Workforce Investment Act and the Board's responsibilities, below is pertinent orientation information.

Section I: Overview

Federal Vision

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) is a federal law enacted "to increase the employment, retention, and earnings of participants, and increase occupational skill attainment by participants, and, as a result, improve the quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency, and enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the Nation" (29 USC § 2811). WIA provided for the establishment of a State Workforce Investment Board (SWIB) in each state, as well as local area Workforce Investment Boards (LWIBs). The LWIBs have broad scopes of responsibility for overseeing workforce development for their communities. WIA provides funds to these LWIBs through states to meet local needs, and emphasizes meeting both the needs of business and job seekers. WIA replaces the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA); and the Workforce Investment Boards (LWIBs) replace the Private Industry Councils (PICs). For more information and the complete text of the legislation, go to http://www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/wia/act.cfm.

Key components of the Act call for:

1. Accessibility - Requires that employers and job seekers receive a variety of services at convenient "One-Stop" career center locations as well as via technology.
2. Choice - Gives individuals the ability to choose the training they need and the training provider they feel suits them best.
3. Accountability - Requires regular assessment of One-Stop career centers, training providers and other service providers with a "report card" or "consumer report" made public regularly.
4. Coordination - Calls all community stakeholders -employers, educators, labor organizations, community based organizations, government agencies - together to develop a long-range comprehensive community plan to develop the workforce.

Under WIA, businesses and job-seekers are eligible for core employment assistance services such as job search and placement assistance, labor market information, resume preparation, initial assessment of skills and needs, and information about available services and job openings. Those who need more intensive assistance including training will be served as well. These services will be provided through "One-Stop" career centers.

WIA also emphasizes services to youth by establishing Youth Councils, which are subgroups of the local boards. Youth Councils plan and coordinate youth workforce preparation services. They make recommendations to the WIB about youth workforce preparation policies.

State Vision

The State WIB is established by the Governor to assist with a multitude of responsibilities including the State plan for workforce development, development and continuous improvement of a statewide system of activities funded under WIA; review of local area plans; designation of local areas; and development of allocation formulas for the distribution of funds for adult employment and training activities and youth activities to local areas. The State WIB is also a business-driven Board, comprised of representation that is predominantly from the business sector, along with labor, and governmental and community-based organizations.

Statewide Guiding Principles

The Cattaraugus-Allegany WIB shares New York State's vision for a continuously evolving and improving Workforce Development System that adheres to the principles of:

• Being customer/demand-driven, setting local policies based upon local conditions.
• Providing universal access, through multiple levels of service and multiple access points, and providing a lifetime continuum of services.
• Broadening the range of customer choice, while addressing the service requirements of those with special needs and circumstances.
• Establishing a performance-driven, outcome-based, system of true partnerships and honest collaboration that responds to changing workforce development needs.
• Integrating the Workforce Development System through technologies and marketing the System to a broad spectrum of customers.

Local: Who We Are

The Cattaraugus-Allegany Workforce Investment Board, Inc. (WIB) is a not-for-profit corporation established to meet the responsibilities for the local 2-county area under WIA. Operating under the same guiding principles as the SWIB, our LWIB primary responsibilities are to set local policy for, allocate funds to, and guide the development of our local area workforce development system, which encompasses Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties.

Within our local workforce development system there are 15 mandated Partners, each of whom contributes services funded by a variety of federal government sources. WIA requires that local areas pool their federal resources from these Partners to create a coordinated workforce development system. In addition, we have several associated organizations that are not required by law to participate, but do so in order to strengthen the network of services.

A new age for workforce development, one that stresses responsiveness to locally determined needs, is upon us with the implementation of WIA. This alone is significant but WIA is unique in a number of other ways, including the fact that it calls for a policy-making structure (WIB) that is both localized and business-driven in order to target resources to where demand is the greatest. The WIB conducts research to determine skills shortages in the 2-county area including information about local business vacancy rates to make decisions about what training is needed. The Local Demand Occupation List is based upon this data and other labor market information. Job seekers seeking training assistance can only receive WIA funding for occupations on this list.

Businesses needing recruitment, retention or training assistance can apply through the WIB Office or either of the One Stop Centers. Business training assistance takes the form of on-the- job (OJT) or customized training assistance. Although there are limited WIA funds for OJT and customized training, the WIB Office assumes responsibility for brokering resources for businesses from among the Partners in the workforce development system and from other sources. In some instances, the WIB Office can provide grant application assistance to employers or identify other pertinent resources.

State & Local Responsibilities

State WIB: The State Board must assist the Governor in the…

• Development of the State Plan
• Development and continuous improvement of a Statewide system of activities that are funded...or carried out through the One-Stop delivery system.
• Designation of local workforce investment areas
• Development of allocation formulas for the distribution of funds
• Development and continuous improvement of comprehensive State performance measures…to assess the effectiveness of the workforce investment activities in the State...
• Preparation of the annual report to the Secretary...
• Development of the Statewide employment statistics system...
• Development of an application for an incentive grant...
• Development of linkages in order to assure coordination and non-duplication among the programs and activities carried out by the One-Stop partners…and in the development of the local Memorandum of Understanding; and
• Review of the local plan;
• Commenting at least once annually on the measures taken under...the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act.

Local WIB: Nature and Duties of...

• The Local Workforce Investment Board is appointed by the chief elected official in each local area in accordance with State criteria...
• In partnership with the chief elected official(s) the Local Board sets policy for the portion of the Statewide workforce investment system within the local area.
• The Local Board, in partnership with the chief elected officials, develops the local workforce investment plan...
• The Local Board is responsible for:
• ...conducting oversight of the One-Stop system, youth activities and employment and training activities under title I of WIA...
• Selecting One-Stop Operators with the agreement of the chief elected official.
• Selecting eligible youth service providers based on the recommendations of the youth council, and identifying eligible providers of adult and dislocated worker intensive services and training services, and maintaining a list of eligible providers with performance and cost information.
• Developing a budget for the purpose of carrying out the duties of the Local Board, subject to the approval of the chief elected officials.
• Negotiating and reaching agreement on local performance measures with the chief elected official and the Governor.
• Assisting the Governor in developing the Statewide employment statistics system...
• Coordinating workforce investment activities with economic development strategies and developing employer linkages; and
• Promoting private sector involvement in the Statewide workforce investment system through effective connecting, brokering and coaching activities through intermediaries such as the One-Stop operator...
• In cooperation with the chief elected official appoint(ing) the Youth Council as a subgroup of the Local Board and coordinat(ing) workforce and youth plans and activities...

Youth Council/WIB Responsibilities

The Youth Council acts as an advisory board for the WIB and recommends policies and procedures to promote movement toward reaching goals set forth in the Youth Components of Strategic Plan. The Youth Council is charged by the WIB with addressing each of the responsibilities set forth in WIA by ensuring, at minimum:

• That strategies and goals are accurately reflected in the youth components of the Local Strategic Plan, to the satisfaction of the Council and approved by the WIB.
• That the responsibilities set forth in the WIA-related USDOL and NYS Rules and Regulations are carried out.
• That there is a data system in place that provides sufficient information to the Youth Council/WIB to evaluate the status and progress of youth service providers with each of the required responsibilities plus, at minimum, the 10 WIA-required program elements.
• That the system of service provision is customer-driven and that there is sufficient customer feedback to assess the extent to which this goal is being met by service providers.
• That there is adequate marketing of youth services and enhanced outreach to target populations identified by the Youth Council and that there is a high level of access to ALL youth.
• That there is a competitive process for service provision that encourages service integration and leverages resources.
• That additional resources are sought through grant application and leveraged resources, so that the broadest possible population of youth can be served and that there is sufficient capacity to meet the needs of area youth.

WIB Member Job Description

WIB Member Job Description

Chart: Local System Structure

Flow Chart

Section II: Governance

Board Member Information

WIB By-Laws

Strategic Plan 2005-2008

Strategic Plan Modification 2008

Functional Alignment Addendum

Conflict of Interest Policy and Procedure

Conflict of Interest Policy and Procedures

Section III: Performance & Funding

WIA Common Measures

Each LWIA is accountable to NYSDOL for performance measures under the WIA Program. In turn, NYS is accountable to USDOL for these same measures. These measures are called Common Measures as they are used across several different federal funding programs.

Adults and Dislocated Workers Measures

• Entered Employment - For those not employed at registration, the percentage employed the 1st quarter after exit.
• Employment Retention - For those employed the 1st quarter after exit, the percentage still employed the 2nd and 3rd quarters after exit.
• Average Earnings - For those employed the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters after exit, the average earnings the 2nd and 3rd quarters after exit.

Youth Measures

• Attainment of Degree or Certificate - Of those enrolled in education or training during participation, the percentage who attained a diploma, GED, or certificate by the end of the 3rd quarter after exit.
• Placement in Employment or Education - Of those not in post-secondary education, employment or military at participation, the percentage in employment, the military or enrolled in post-secondary education and/or advanced training/occupational skills training in the 1st quarter after exit.
• Literacy/Numeracy Gains - Of those out-of-school youth who are basic skills deficient, the percentage who increase one or more educational functioning levels within one year of participation.

For our current Program Year, our level for these measures is outlined below.

NYSDOL System Indicators

In addition the federal Common Measures, NYSDOL has instituted their own measures called "indicators" to demonstrate the effectiveness of the local workforce development systems. If an area achieves 100% or more of these measures for their program year, it is eligible for an incentive in the form of an additional allocation of funding to be used for special projects/programs. These indicators are subject to change each year as determined by NYSDOL.

For PY08, which ends June 30, 2009, NYSDOL has included 2 Regional Indicators, which apply to the entire region in which an LWIA resides. For instance Cattaraugus-Allegany is included in the NYSDOL Western Region comprised of Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties. For these Regional Indicators, all the LWIAs of the Region are to work together to develop the appropriate policy or reach the measure as indicated. The remaining indicators apply to each individual LWIA. The following are the System Improvement Indicators for PY08 and the local goals for the Cattaraugus-Allegany LWIA.

System Improvement Indicators

1. Initial Assessment (Regional) - 95% of all staff-assisted customers will receive an Initial Assessment.
2. Regional Alignment of Individual Training Account Policy (Regional) - The LWIAs within a region will all adopt a uniform Regional ITA policy.
3. Reduce the Number of Participants Who Exit While Still Certifying for Unemployment Insurance (UI) Benefits (LWIA) - 18.5%.
4. Increase the Number of Participants Receiving Skills Development Services and Maintain Number of Participants Receiving Training Services (LWIA) - Skills Development Participants 261; Training Participants 301
5. Increase Out-of-School Youth Participation (LWIA) - Must serve at least 59 NEW out-of-school youth.
6. Use of Metrix Learning Pilot (LWIA) 2008 Incentive-Sanction Policy - Issue at least 750 site licenses to customers for the Metrix on-line training and successful completion of their training plan.
7. Use of State Level ITA Pilot Project (RFQ # P -15) - Community College Individual Training Account Initiative with the State University of New York and the City University of New York (LWIA) - At least 4 customers will access the funding provided under this initiative.

WIA Funding Highlights

Program/Financial Years

• The WIA Program Year (PY) is July 1st to June 30th.

Federal Appropriations Under the WIA Title 1B

• Adult Program Funds
• Youth Program Funds
• Dislocated Worker Program Funds
• Administrative Funds (10% of the combination of program funds)

Federally Retained Funds

• The Secretary of Labor retains 20% of the dislocated worker program funds for use for national emergency grant and for technical assistance.
• The Federal government does not retain any of the adult, youth or administrative funds.

State Retained Funds

• Governors retain 15% of all 3 program funds and can use these funds for any allowed statewide activity, regardless of original funding stream source. They can use these funds for incumbent worker training regardless of the wage level of those workers.
• Governors can use up to 5% of each of the 3 program allocations for administration.
• In addition, 25% of the state allocation is retained by the state for Rapid Response activities.

Local Allocations

• 60% of state WIA program allocations for dislocated workers and 85% of state WIA program allocations for adults and for youth are distributed among the local workforce investment areas of the state by a formula that takes into account population, unemployment, number of people below the poverty level, etc.
• 10% of the combined WIA program funds are received to cover local administrative expenses. This 10% amount is a capped allocation. No administrative expenditures over this amount are allowed.
• There is a local option to transfer up to 30% between the Adult and Dislocated Worker funding streams. No funds can be moved out of the youth funding stream.

Lifespan of Funds

• Local areas have 2 years in which to expend WIA funds. Any funds that are unexpended at the end of 2 years return to the state, which has the option of use or re-distribution of funds in the 3rd year, as seen fit.

History of WIA Funding

History of WIA Funding

Section IV: References

Definitions of Acronyms

Many organizations and agencies are concerned with labor, welfare, education and other departmental issues. Agencies and legislation are often referred to by acronyms. The following is a list of commonly used acronyms that may assist you.