Tab#2 - Local Planning - Getting Started

I. INTRODUCTION TO LOCAL PLANNING

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 reforms federal job training programs and establishes a foundation for each state to create a new, comprehensive workforce development system. This new system is intended to be build to meet the needs of job seekers and employers. It helps job seekers access the high quality information and services they need to manage their careers and helps employers find appropriately skilled workers.

Ohio has seized the opportunities presented by its strong economy and this new federal legislation to address the issue of workforce development with the intent of creating a cohesive and comprehensive workforce investment system. The first steps towards creating this new system were: passage of State legislation (HB 470) which authorized the merger of the Department of Human Services and the Bureau of Employment Services and created the Ohio Workforce Strategic Option (Ohio Option) as an innovative way to implement the Workforce Investment Act; and appointment of the Governor’s Workforce Policy Board. This board, comprised of the stakeholders in the workforce investment system, with a majority of business representatives, advises the Governor on workforce policy and the creation of a broad workforce development system.

The purpose of this guide is to provide a better understanding of the planning requirements under the Workforce Investment Act and the Ohio Option. It is designed to assist local elected officials in preparing a local workforce development strategic plan and a three month (April 1, 2000 to June 30, 2000) transitional youth plan. It also provides information related to closing out the JTPA programs and transitioning participants, equipment and funds to WIA.

A key to creating a cohesive, comprehensive system is aligning the local goals and plans for workforce development with the State’s vision and goals. Included in this guide is a copy of Ohio’s draft strategic plan for workforce development. The Governor’s Workforce Policy Board will be finalizing this plan over the next few months and will provide opportunities for public comment to ensure that the plan does, in fact, address the most critical needs of Ohio’s job seekers and employers while working to build the nation’s premier workforce development system.

II. GETTING ORGANIZED

There are four primary groups of stakeholders that must be actively involved in the local planning process: local elected officials, local workforce boards (Ohio Option or WIA defined), the local youth councils that operate as subcommittees of the local workforce boards, and the "required" One-Stop partners as defined in WIA. The tasks associated with implementation of the Workforce Investment Act and the Ohio Option on July 1, 2000 are many and complex. Therefore, it will be important for all the stakeholders to understand their roles and for each to be prepared to come together organizationally to carry out the necessary functions. This section is designed to provide guidance on the roles of the stakeholders and suggest some structural ways that locals may want to organize to support the process.

A. Local Elected Officials

1. Roles and Responsibilities Related to Local Planning

Local Elected Officials (county commissioners and chief elected officials of eligible cities) have ultimate responsibility at the local level for ensuring that local workforce development systems meet the requirements of the Workforce Investment Act and HB 470 or the Ohio Option. Many of the preliminary tasks associated with implementation of both WIA and the Ohio Option must begin with local elected officials.

Specific roles for which local elected officials that must occur prior to local planning or are related to the local planning process include:

• determining whether to choose the Ohio Workforce Strategic Option;

• determining the geographic boundaries of the local area within which to implement the Workforce Investment Act and within which to work with a local workforce board (either Local Workforce Policy Board for Ohio Option areas or Local Workforce Investment Board for WIA defined areas) to design and implement a local workforce development system;

• appointing the local workforce board (either Local Workforce Policy Board areas or Local Workforce Investment Board);

• working in partnership with the local workforce board (either Local Workforce Policy Board or Local Workforce Investment Board) to develop a strategic local workforce development plan that meets the requirements of the Workforce Investment Act and, for those areas that have selected the Ohio Option, the requirements of HB 470;

• for Ohio Option areas only - convening the "required" One-Stop partners to plan, design and implement the local One-Stop service delivery system, as defined in WIA, in coordination with the Local Workforce Policy Board. This is necessary because the required One-Stop partners are not required local board members;

• determining an administrative structure for implementation of the Workforce Investment Act that includes designation of a fiscal agent (s), support for the work of the local workforce board (either Local Workforce Policy Board or Local Workforce Investment Board), administration of WIA Title I programs, and other workforce development activities that meet the needs of the local area; and

• ensuring a transition from the Job Training Partnership Act to the Workforce Investment Act that ensures that all federal and state requirements are met and that customers do not lose service during the transition.

2. Inter-governmental Agreements

For those counties or eligible cities choosing to work within a multi-jurisdictional area, it will be important for there to be a clear understanding among the local elected officials regarding a number of key issues. The issues include, but are not limited to:

Identification of a Chief Elected Official or Officials to play a lead role (on behalf of all the local elected officials within the local area) in decision making in concert with the local workforce board (either Local Workforce Policy Board or Local Workforce Investment Board). The commissioners may all participate as a consortium board to fulfill this function or designate which commissioners will comprise such a board. While commissioners may set up a council of Governments (COG), it is not required because House Bill 470 recognizes multi-jurisdictional workforce development areas as official entities;

• Establishment, appointment, and operation of the local workforce policy board (either a Local Workforce Policy Board or Local Workforce Investment Board);

• Fiscal issues including identification of the fiscal agent(s), allocation of program funds, whether workforce development funds in addition to WIA funds are part of the planning process; etc.;

• How administrative activities will be supported including identifying budget, hiring of staff, facilities, etc.;

• How liability for non-performance, disallowed costs or misspent funds, and fraud will be shared;

• How performance accountability will be managed;

• How responsibilities for the One-Stop service delivery system will be shared; and

• How disputes will be resolved among local elected officials or between the local elected officials and the local workforce board.

Local elected officials in multi-jurisdictional areas are strongly encouraged to develop written inter-governmental agreements that address these issues. Tab #13 contains suggested guidelines for addressing the issues discussed above within the context of an inter-governmental agreement.

3. Administrative Structures

Carrying out the many tasks and activities, including local planning, associated with administering the Workforce Investment Act at the local level will require that local elected officials decide what administrative structure would most effectively carry out those tasks. In the short run, there are needs associated with supporting the local workforce board, writing the local plan, developing local strategies for meeting the requirements of the eligible training provider list, developing local processes for use of Individual Training Accounts, and others. The list for ongoing administrative responsibilities is even longer. Section V of Attachment #1 discusses this issue in the context of the inter-governmental agreement. However, the need for an administrative structure is necessary for stand alone jurisdictions as well.

In addition to developing a new administrative structure that fits within new geographic boundaries to implement WIA, there is a need to focus on the current JTPA administrative infrastructure. Some areas may choose to transition the existing JTPA administrative structure, but many will be forced to consider new alternatives because of changes in geographic boundaries, different requirements under WIA related to the roles of the local workforce boards, and the different structural issues associated with the Ohio Option, such as how the funding flows. Local elected officials will need to develop strategies to ensure that the administrative functions can be carried out now, as JTPA is winding down, and beginning July 1, 2000 when WIA implementation officially begins.

There is no prescribed or model administrative structure that local elected officials must follow. However, the State will be working with local elected officials to develop model or sample administrative structures for local elected officials to consider.

B. Local Workforce Boards (either Local Workforce Policy Boards or Local Workforce Investment Boards)

It is a primary role of both types of local workforce boards - Local Workforce Policy Boards in the Ohio Option local areas and Local Workforce Investment Boards in non-Ohio Option local areas - to develop and submit to the Governor, in partnership with the local elected officials, a comprehensive 5-year local plan. At a minimum, the plan must include the components required in the Workforce Investment Act. Local Elected Officials in Ohio Option Areas may choose to ask their Local Workforce Policy Boards to include additional components associated with other funding streams in their local plans.

The development of the local plan will require a number of local decisions related to both policy and procedure. Therefore, as part of the process, the local workforce board will play a role in developing those policies and procedures. Section IV of this document addresses the specific components of the local plan.

C. Local Youth Councils

Youth council members are called upon to serve as advocates for local area youth and to ensure the provision and coordination of workforce training activities available to youth in a local area. The State envisions that the composition of the youth council will bring together individuals from a range of local program and policy areas who can affect the success of young people in the labor market and beyond. Membership will include: members of the local Workforce Investment Board, particularly educators and employers; programmatic and administrative staff of youth service agencies, including juvenile justice and law enforcement; the local public housing authority; parents; former participants; and Job Corps representatives; as well as other key local experts experienced in meeting the needs of area youth, such as representatives of community-based organizations, vocational rehabilitation, and organized labor. Further, it is anticipated that local providers of school-to-work, apprenticeship, and other intervention strategies will play a part in the establishment of local youth councils.

The membership of the local youth council is intended to positively impact the provision of activities and services to local area youth. Specifically, an inclusive mix of youth council members will join those individuals experienced in providing services to out-of-school youth with local experts familiar with secondary and post secondary offerings. For youth who attend school, age-appropriate activities should provide career relevant experiences that help to complement skills learned in the classroom. For out-of-school youth, local program operators should emphasize assessment and service strategies that address academic, occupational, and "soft skill" deficiencies. For all youth, both traditional and nontraditional methodologies should be utilized to create community strategies that address differing learning styles, opportunities for contextual learning, and provide assistance to youth with varying needs and learning barriers-

The Act identifies the roles and responsibilities of the youth council, delineated by the local board and its chairperson. One such role is developing the youth portion of the local plan. The youth council strategically maps how existing community resources are used in creating a comprehensive set of services available to youth, and determines how the provisions in the Act will enhance and build upon those services and activities already in existence. The youth council is charged with interacting with the local board to carry out such activities as determining eligible youth service providers. The State fully supports the idea that youth council members play an active role in tracking the performance of youth participating in specific services, and applying such performance data to local efforts toward continuous improvement. Most importantly, the youth council must ensure that youth needs are addressed within the overall workforce investment system. Such activities include advising the local board on the most appropriate services for youth

18 and older, combining the council's sense of available youth and adult resources with the specific needs and abilities of individuals in this age group.

Local Elected Officials may consider the following kinds of members for the Local Youth Council in Ohio Option Areas:

• members of the Local Workforce Policy Board with special interest or expertise in youth policy;

• representatives of youth service agencies, including juvenile justice and local law enforcement agencies;

• representatives of local public housing authorities;

• parents of youth that are eligible for Title I services;

• individuals, including former participants, and representatives of organizations that have experience relating to youth activities, e.g. organized labor, community colleges, universities, etc.;

• representatives of the Job Corps, where they operate in Ohio;

• representatives of the Ohio Civilian Conservation Corp, where they operate in Ohio;

• representatives from public school districts, especially those with career/technical expertise;

• representatives of schools or agencies serving youth with disabilities;

• representatives from prominent community youth organizations such as 4-H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Junior Achievement, and others;

• representatives of local employers.

Local Elected Officials must have the following kinds of members for the Local Youth Council in the non-Ohio Option Areas:

• members of the Local Workforce Policy Board with special interest or expertise in youth policy;

• representatives of youth service agencies, including juvenile justice and local law enforcement agencies;

• representatives of local public housing authorities;

• parents of youth that are eligible for Title I services;

• individuals, including former participants, and representatives of organizations that have experience relating to youth activities, e.g. Organized Labor, Community Colleges, Universities, etc.;

• representatives of the Job Corps, where they operate in Ohio;

• and other individuals agreed to by the WIB chair and the chief elected officials.