REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: GEORGEANNE A. WHITE, City Manager
Office of the Mayor & City Manager
BY: BLAKE KONCZAL, Executive Director
Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board
PHYLLIS STOGBAUER, Senior Deputy Director
Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board
SUBJECT
Title
Approve and authorize the Mayor or designee to execute the Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board’s (FRWDB’s) Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Two-Year Local Plan Modification for Program Years 2021-2024
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Council approve and authorize the Mayor or designee to execute the Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board’s (FRWDB’s) Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Two-Year Local Plan Modification for Program Years 2021-2024.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The California Workforce Development Board’s (CWDB’s) Strategic Workforce Development Plan for California has a broad vision and outlines ambitious goals for how the public workforce system can work with its partners to shape and support economic prosperity across the state and its regions. Under WIOA, the state has established 14 Regional Planning Units (RPUs) within the State of California that align workforce development activities and resources within the context of a larger regional economy and to develop and deploy available resources to provide coordinated and efficient services to job seekers and employers. Each RPU is required to develop a regional strategic plan. The FRWDB is one (1) of eight (8) Workforce Development Boards in the designated San Joaquin Valley and Associated Counties RPU. The other local boards include Kern-Inyo-Mono, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare.
The Function of the Local Plans
Under the State Plan, the primary purpose of local workforce plans and partnerships is to facilitate access to workforce services at the local level. While WIOA Section 106 Regional Plans and partnerships are specifically focused on construction of a regional training and education architecture that aligns with regional labor markets, the Local Plan will address how individuals will access and experience this regional workforce architecture primarily through local service delivery efforts, principally those of WIOA partners operating in the America’s Job Centers of California system, formally known as “One-Stop Centers”, but potentially through other partners of the workforce system as well. In this regard, it is typically at the local level where services will be integrated, resources braided, and supportive services provided to individuals being served by partners.
In order to complete all aspects of the requirements of the Plans, the Directive mandates that each local board release the draft Plan for a 30-day public comment period and hold public meetings for stakeholders to ensure opportunities to participate in, and provide feedback on, the Local and Regional Plans as part of the initial development of the Plans. The stakeholder meetings were held during September and October 2022, and January and February 2021. In addition, a discussion was held with members of the FRWDB’s Executive Committee during their January 28, 2023, meeting. The draft plan was released for a 30-day public comment period on February 7, 2023, with comments due by March 9, 2023.
There was one (1) comment received during the public comment period; however, there were no comments received that resulted in significant changes to the initial draft Plans.
As outlined in the directive, the final Plan Modifications were required to be submitted to the state board no later than March 31, 2023. The directive allowed for the final plan modifications to be submitted pending approval and final signatures. In order to meet the submission deadline, the draft Plan modifications were sent to the California Workforce Development Board pending final approvals from the FRWDB, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, and the City of Fresno.
The Local Plan Modification will be presented to the FRWDB at its meeting on June 7, 2023, for approval. Upon approval of this item, the final Plans with all required signatures will be submitted to the state by June 30, 2023.
BACKGROUND
WIOA Public Law Sections 106 and 107 and California Unemployment Insurance Code Sections 14221 - 14222 require that local boards submit a two (2)-year modification to the four (4)-year regional and local plans (plan) to the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB).
On October 27, 2022, the State released the draft Regional and Local Plan Modification Guidance for 2021-2024 (WSD 22-05), which provides guidance for the preparation and submission of both the Local and Regional Workforce Plan’s two (2)-year plan modifications required by WIOA. This directive provides guidance and establishes the procedures regarding the preparation of both regional and local plan modifications required by the WIOA.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This item is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented because this item does not include an award of a service or construction contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no increase in Net City Cost associated with the Recommended Action. The FRWDB is 100% funded by non-City sources. These have their origin primarily with the United States Department of Labor, being supplemented by other federal and State of California grants.
Attachment: Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Local Plan Biennial Modification for Program Years 2021-2024