OPERATING PLANNING ELEMENTS STATE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION STATE BOARD FUNCTIONS Maine’s State Workforce Development Board (hereafter referred to as the State Board) meets the WIOA state board composition requirements and will implement the functions under section 101 (d) of WIOA. The State Board will assist the Governor in: 1) The development, implementation and modification of the state plan; 2) The review of state policies and programs and recommendations on actions to align programs to support a streamlined system, including the review and provision of comments on the State Plans, if any, for programs and activities of one—stop partners that are not core programs; 3) The development and continuous improvement of the workforce system, including: a. The identification of barriers and means to remove them to better coordinate, align and avoid duplication among programs and activities carried out through the system; b. The development of strategies to support use of career pathways for the purpose of providing individuals, including low—skilled adults, youth, and individuals with barriers to employment, with workforce investment activities, education and supportive services to enter or retain employment; c. The development of strategies for providing effective outreach to and improved access for individuals and employers who could benefit from services provided through the workforce development system; d. The development and expansion of strategies for meeting the needs of employers, workers and jobseekers, particularly through industry or sector partnerships related to in—demand industry sectors and occupations; e. The identification of regions, including planning regions, for the purposes of sec 106(a) and the designation of local areas under section 106, after consultation with local boards and chief elected officials; f. The development and continuous improvement of the one—stop delivery system in local areas, including providing assistance to local boards, one—stop operators, partners, and providers with planning and delivering services, including training services and supportive services, to support effective delivery of services to workers, jobseekers, and employers; and g. The development of strategies to support staff training and awareness across programs supported under the workforce development system; 4) The development and updating of comprehensive State performance accountability measures, including state adjusted levels of performance, to assess effectiveness of core programs in the State as required under section 116(b); 5) The identification and dissemination of information on best practices, including best practices for: a. 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; b. The development of effective local boards, which may include information on factors that contribute to enabling local boards to exceed negotiated local levels of performance, sustain fiscal integrity, and achieve other measures of effectiveness; and c. 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, and that evaluate such skills and competencies for adaptability, to support efficient placement into employment or career pathways; 6) The development and review of statewide policies affecting the coordinated provision of services through the State’s one—stop system described in sec 121(e), including the development of: a. Objective criteria and procedures for use by local boards in assessing the effectiveness and continuous improvement of one—stop centers; b. Guidance for the allocation of one—stop center infrastructure funds under sec 121(h); and c. 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 of such system; 7) The development of strategies for technological improvements to facilitate access to and improve the quality of services and activities provided through the one—stop system, including improvements to: a. Enhance digital literacy skills (as defined in sec 202 of the Museum and Library Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9101); referred to in this Act as “digital literacy skills”); b. Accelerate the acquisition of skills and recognized postsecondary credentials by participants; c. Strengthen the professional development of providers and workforce professionals; and d. Ensure such technology is accessible to individuals with disabilities and individuals residing in remote areas; 8) The 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 the design and 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); 9) The 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 sections 128(b)(3) and 133(b)(3); 10) The preparation of annual reports described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 116(d); 11) The development of the statewide workforce and labor market information system described in section 15(e ) of the Wagner—Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. 491—2(e ); and 12) The development of such other policies as may promote statewide objectives for, and enhance the performance of, the workforce development system in the State.
Plan Revision;
In the summer of 2015 the WIA State Workforce Investment Board was transitioned into the WIOA State Workforce Development Board (SWDB). Board membership was adjusted to comply with WIOA required percentages of business representatives, workforce representatives, government and state agency representatives and representatives from community based organizations.
(See membership roster — please note SWB Director is not a voting member of the Board.)
The SWDB benefits from additional input from the Commissioners of Economic & Community Development, Health & Human Services, Corrections, and Transportation, as well as the President of the Community College System and the Chancellor of the University of Maine system. This advisory group in collaboration with the SWDB comprises the State Workforce Board.
The SWDB meets every other month (six times annually) and uses Roberts Rules of Order to assist in the decision making process as articulated in the SWDB By Laws. Also contained in the By Laws is a quorum requirement for the Board to take action - 50% of the appointed members and at least 50% of the quorum being business representatives. (http://www.maine.gov/swb/documents/index.shtml)
The SWDB is housed at the Maine Department of Labor and is currently staffed by a Director, a workforce development Program Coordinator and a Labor Program Specialist (3 FTEs).
The SWDB has six constituent committees that make recommendations to the Board about service delivery or policy related to the cohort group they represent — Apprenticeship, Commission on Disability & Employment, Older Workers, Veterans, Women’s Employment Issues and Younger Workers. These committees meet four to eight times annually.
The SWDB and the State Workforce Agency (SWA - Maine Department of Labor) will work together to establish and convene workgroups that focus on required implementation and service delivery components of WIOA. Some groups will complete their work and be dissolved while other will need to be on going for the foreseeable future. Service Providers and Local Workforce Development Board staff will be included on each workgroup as appropriate. The workgroups include;
- Program Policy Committee (Ongoing)
- WIOA State Plan Steering Committee
- State Plan Implementation Committee
- Staff Development / Cross Training
- America’s Job Link Alliance (New database implementation)
- One Stop Certification
- Memorandums of Understanding
- Priority of Service
- Accessibility
- Employer Outreach
- Youth Service Delivery
- Integrated Intake
- Unemployment Insurance Linkages
- Eligible Training Provider List
As other needs are identified additional workgroups may be required.
Working closely with the SWA, Core Program staff and the workgroups, the SWDB will fulfill its responsibilities assisting the Governor with all the required functions in section 101(d) of WIOA.
