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Governor's Workforce Development Council


THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

OF STATE WORKFORCE BOARD CHAIRS

___________________________________________________

                                    DRAFT                                                        

U.S. Senate

Dear Senator:                         

As the Senate moves to consider Senate Bill 1627,  the National Association of State Workforce Board, which represents the private sector executives who chair the state workforce investment boards established under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), wishes to express several concerns based on our March, 2003 Recommendations for Reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act.  We believe that S 1627 contains many very valuable features that should be maintained. Our focus in this letter is on those areas where changes will strengthen the demand-driven mission of the system.

We would urge you to consider the following priorities before passage of  the Senate’s bill:

  • The private sector majority and chair on both state and local boards are critical to a demand driven system and need to be maintained. At the same time, if boards are to be effective and focused on strategic issues, expanding their membership to include all one stop partner agencies risks making them unwieldy and supply side oriented.
  • The Association supports the concept of “infrastructure funding” for the one-stop system.  We do not, however, support provisions that prescribe how this should be done. States should have the authority to work with local officials on how this can best be achieved in each state. 
  • Consolidate funding streams for adult programs, including adult, dislocated worker programs under WIA Title I and employment service programs, and remove the fire walls between youth and adult programs that prevent states from directing these resources to the most critical needs in local communities.
  • Provide expanded waiver authority to governors to design systems to meet unique needs of their states and communities.  With the economy in a continuing state of change, governors need the flexibility to design workforce systems that can adapt to these changes.  Legislation that “hardwires” the system with prescriptive provisions quickly becomes outdated.   
  • Provide governors the authority, in consultation with local elected officials, to designate service delivery regions based on regional labor markets or state-wide designation with community-based delivery structures.  While the Association supports the increased focus on the performance of service delivery regions in both S 1627 and HR 1612 as a key factor in local area designation, we believe governors need greater discretion in designating local areas to reflect the unique economic situation of each state.

We appreciate your consideration of our recommendations and would invite the opportunity to discuss them with you and your staff in greater detail.  To contact the Association, please call me directly on …… or call Samuel Lei ken at NGA on 202-624-7804.

Sincerely,

Gwyn Harvey

Chair

 

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