Barton County Commissioner Don Davis has served on the Local Workforce Development Area I chief elected official board for several years and sees its value. He fully backed the commission’s action Monday morning to approve the county’s annual agreement to be a part of the organization.
“To me, it’s important for us to be a part of this,” he said, adding it better positions the county to be looped in statewide to match employees with employers. Barton is one of 62 western Kansas counties in Area I, and Great Bend is home to one of the full-time offices.
However, there were six of these, but the one in Garden City has closed. “We don’t want that to happen here.’
The federal government provides funding for training of workers to compete for employment as well as to support employment centers throughout the country, County Administrator Phil Hathcock said. Funding has transitioned from the Workforce Investment Act to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
With the transition to WIOA, the Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has again designated the 62 central and western counties as Local Workforce Development Area 1, Hathcock said. The commissions in each of the 62 counties must enter into a new agreement (known as the chief elected official agreement) in order for the local area to be certified.
The Kansas Department of Commerce Workforce Services Division administers state-level programs and the state workforce board — the KANSASWORKS State Board. Area 1 is one of five development areas in the state.
There is no local money involved, Davis said of the federal and state grant funding. “We just make sure it is used the right way. They do a good job.”
After approving the Local Workforce Development Area I chief elected official board agreement, the commission reappointed Davis as the Barton County board member.
Since the commission opted to approve the agreement, one of its members may be appointed to serve on the Chief Elected Officials Board. Board members identify workforce issues and concerns and bring together necessary assets to facilitate solutions that foster prosperity.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, WIOA was signed into law on July 22, 2014. WIOA is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy. Congress passed the Act by a wide bipartisan majority; it is the first legislative reform of the public workforce system in 15 years.
WIOA superseded the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and amends the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, the Wagner-Peyser Act, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
