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Plan: Louisiana PYs 2024-2027
Combined Plan C

Section: WIOA State Plan Common Elements

Narrative: III. a. 1.

Published
Located in:
  • III. Operational Planning Elements

    The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an Operational Planning Elements section that supports the State’s strategy and the system-wide vision described in Section II(c) above.  Unless otherwise noted, all Operational Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs.  This section must include—

III. a. 1. State Board Functions

Describe how the State board will implement its functions under section 101(d) of WIOA (i.e., provide a description of Board operational structures and decision making processes to ensure such functions are carried out).

View corresponding narrative from PYs 2022-2023 (Mod)

Current Narrative:

The Louisiana Workforce Investment Council (WIC) is established in accordance with Section 101 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and under Louisiana Law, LSA-R.S. 23:2042-2056.  The mission of the WIC is to support the development of an employer-led, demand-driven workforce development system based on occupational forecasts in which training, education, and services for job-seekers prepare Louisiana residents for high-wage, high-demand career opportunities in Louisiana.

The WIC achieves this mission by:

  • Recommending policy actions to public and private institutions and creating coalitions to achieve their implementation.
  • Working with workforce development system partners to integrate workforce development into the decision-making of business leaders, economic developers, educators and human resource professionals.
  • Raising public awareness of the importance of workforce development for Louisiana's economic future.
  • Ensuring public accountability by evaluating the effectiveness of the overall workforce development system.

 

The responsibilities of the WIC include:

  • Submitting a strategic plan to meet current and forecasted workforce needs to the Governor and report plan progress.
  • Holding stakeholders accountable for implementing agreed-upon strategic goals that align workforce supply and demand.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of Workforce Development Boards in meeting workforce demand.
  • Directing the activities of the Occupational Forecasting Conference.
  • Driving state and local policy to support the alignment of education and training with workforce demand.
  • Overseeing the Industry-Based Certification (IBC) Council responsible for evaluating the alignment of credentials with state workforce demand for inclusion on the IBC State Focus List.
  • Overseeing, jointly with the Board of Regents, the evaluation of two-year and shorter-term programs for TOPS Tech eligibility in alignment with state workforce demand.
  • Contributing to the evaluation of TOPS Tech Early Start training providers to ensure alignment with state and regional workforce needs.
  • Supporting the alignment of Jump Start Pathways with statewide and regional workforce demand through the Jumpstart 2.0 Review Panel.

 

The powers of the WIC include:

  • Performing all the duties and responsibilities of the State Workforce Development Board as defined in Section 101(d) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
  • Directing the Occupational Forecasting Conference for the purpose of projecting job growth and demand in the state of Louisiana.
  • Advising the Governor and legislature on the full range of issues related to workforce development.

The WIC meets no less than four times each calendar year, and all meetings comply with the Louisiana Open Meetings Law. Decisions are made by a vote of a majority of the total serving membership of the WIC. Decision-making votes shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order. Educational and information portions of meetings are conducted according to the preference of the Chair. The Executive Committee of the WIC is comprised of the Chair, Vice Chair, a sample of heads or designees of state agencies represented on the WIC, at least one legislator, and at least two organized labor representatives. The WIC is composed of a majority of business members. Duties include, but are not limited to overseeing the implementation of the strategic plan, tracking work-group plans and progress; leading the alignment of the work-groups; and driving provisions of critical workforce data