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Approve submittal of the 2017-2021 Final Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Regional and Local Plans to the California Workforce Development Board
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Published Notice Required? Yes ___ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ___ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
1) Approve the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Regional Plan for the North Bay Regional Planning Unit (RPU) and the Solano County WIOA Local Plan for the July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2021 period;
2) Authorize the Chair of the Board to sign the Local Plan; and
3) Authorize submittal of the April 25, 2017 Board minutes to the State, signifying approval of the Regional Plan.
The Workforce Development Board (WDB) approved submittal of both these Plans at its March 17, 2017 meeting. The Plans have been signed by the WDB Chairperson.
SUMMARY:
A WIOA “Regional Plan” (for the North Bay) and “Local Plan” (for Solano County) must be submitted to and approved by the Governor as one of the last transition activities from the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) to the new WIOA.
Staff of the WDB of Solano County has prepared both a WIOA Local Plan and, in concert with neighboring North Bay WDB staff, a WIOA Regional Plan.
Both the WDB and Board of Supervisors reviewed DRAFTs of these two documents at January 2017 meetings. An open public comment period has since been held.
The DRAFT Plans have now come to be finalized (with virtually no changes), and Board of Supervisors’ final actions are needed in order to submit these Plans to the State.
This action requests the Board of Supervisors to concur with the WDB Board of Directors to approve submittal of these two Plans.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no direct impact upon County finances based upon either the development and submittal of these two Plans, or the implementation of the WIOA Plans across their intended four-year period.
Congressional allocations and appropriations to California and Solano County provide fully for the administration and operation of the local and regional WIOA Plans.
DISCUSSION:
Background
The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires that an over-arching State WIOA Strategic Plan be prepared and submitted to the US Department of Labor for approval. Additionally, each local WIOA service area must both: a) participate in preparing and approve a Regional Plan for the Governor-approved planning area, and b) prepare and approve a Local Plan. These regional and local plans are then submitted for the Governor’s approval.
Staff of the Solano WDB has worked in cooperation with the other WDBs in the North Bay region to prepare and finalize a Regional Plan - with assistance from consultant Ms. Racy Ming. Staff has additionally prepared and finalized Solano’s Local Plan.
These Plans are for a four year period of July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2021. Local WDBs are required to periodically review and possibly update the Plans.
The Review and Comment Opportunity
The Solano WDB was presented with a DRAFT of both Plans at its January 20, 2017 meeting. Comments were sought from the Board; none were offered.
The County Board of Supervisors was presented both DRAFT Plans at its January 24, 2017 meeting. One comment was provided, requesting inclusion of a table of contents.
The DRAFT Plans were published for a minimum 30-day public comment period, through February 28, 2017. No comments were received from the public.
Final Plan Documents
Enclosed are copies of these plans, including Attachment A (Regional Plan) and Attachment B (Local Plan.)
Both Plans were submitted to the State by the required deadline of March 15, 2017 - as “administrative submittals” without all required signatures. As indicated above the WDB Chairperson has subsequently signed both Plans.
The ultimate deadline to submit fully-approved signed Plan documents is August 1, 2017. Per federal guidelines the required action of the Board of Supervisors is as follows.
- To approve and sign the Local Plan; and
- To approve and provide a copy of official Board minutes for approval of the Regional Plan.
State staff have indicated that all Plans will likely gain either full approval, or conditional approval (where some clarifications or improvements to the Plan are called for.) Notice of the State’s approvals will be provided by June 15, 2017. All Plans should receive full approval by September 1, 2017.
Overview of Plans
The State has developed an over-arching Strategic Workforce Development Plan. Regional and Local Plans must be in alignment with and fully supportive of the State Plan.
Per State guidance the Regional Plan is to serve as “the primary mechanism for aligning education and training provider services with regional industry sector needs.” The Regional Plan describes the workforce issues/challenges for the region, and the proposed solutions - via use of: a) regional sector pathways; and b) regional organizing and planning efforts.
Per State guidance the Local Plan is to “facilitate access to workforce services at the local level.” The Local Plan lays out the specific means by which the State and regional plans will be implemented locally - via use of: a) program alignment; b) integration of services; c) “braiding” of resources; and d) offering on-ramps for upskilling the workforce.
The expectation is that these WIOA plans be more than the traditional, bureaucratic compliance documents. The plans are to be both strategic and aspirational.
A review of the plan instructions and the resulting nature of the draft Plans here-in, demonstrates, however, that these Plans are: a) still compliance-oriented, to a large degree; and b) conformance-oriented (to strictly align to State goals/objectives/strategies, with some diminishment of local prerogatives.)
These Plans are much more robust than those previously required under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) programs.
A 35-page limit has been placed on the length of each document (not including attachments.)
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board of Supervisors could choose not to approve one or both of these Plans, and give guidance to WDB staff on what changes are warranted.
However, the Regional Plan requires consensus across all four of the service areas in the North Bay. Solano could not unilaterally make changes.
Any delays on approving one or both of these Plans could jeopardize timely submittal of the Plans and approvals by the State.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
As cited above these Plan documents are a product of major multi-party input and development processes across the North Bay Region, and Solano County itself.
In Solano the following entities provided input that was captured within this Local Plan document. This includes: The WDB Board of Directors itself, NBEC Steering Committee, County Administrator’s Office, Solano Economic Development Corps, Solano Employment Connection Steering Committee, State EDD, Adult Education and Literacy providers, local training institutions, and others.
The public also had full opportunity to review and comment upon the Plans, while in DRAFT form.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION