California Workforce Association Board Discusses Legislative Updates Affecting Workforce Development

On Thursday, September 15, 2011, the California Workforce Association (CWA) gathered for its Fall Board Meeting. Attendees included CWA staff members and Workforce Investment Board (WIB) representatives from around the state. CWA, a non-profit membership organization that develops public policy strategies and builds local capacity to address critical workforce issues, represents the Workforce Investment Boards, One-Stop Career Centers and other workforce development partners in California.

Jennifer Mitchell, Policy Director of the CWA, updated the board members on the status of SB 776, a controversial bill that would require local workforce investment boards to bring their spending on workforce training programs for adults and dislocated workers in line with federal law.

“Together, we defeated a measure that would have further limited employment services and programs available to California's unemployed that get them back on their feet, back in their homes, and back into jobs,” Mitchell said.

CWA members additionally discussed the need to create unified state and local strategies for evaluating returns on investment from California WIBs, particularly in regards to the results of Workforce Investment Act (WIA)-funded efforts. Jan Vogel, Director of the South Bay WIB, will be gathering information on ROI reports produced across the state.

Kris Stadelman, CWA Chair, introduced a “hot topics discussion” regarding President Obama’s recently released American Jobs Act. According to a White House Fact Sheet released on September 8, 2011, the Act would cut the payroll tax in half for 98 percent of businesses, implement a “returning heroes” hiring tax credit for veterans, prevent up to 280,000 teacher layoffs, initiate a new “Project Rebuild” aimed at putting people to work rehabilitating homes, businesses and communities, leveraging private capital and scaling land banks and other public-private collaborations, cut payroll taxes in half for 160 million workers, and provide a $4,000 tax credit to employers for hiring long-term unemployed workers.

Representatives from the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the State Workforce Investment Board (CWIB), and the Employment Development Department (EDD) were invited to participate in discussions with the CWA Board. Invited guests included Doug Sale of the CWIB and several representatives from EDD.

To view the full American Jobs Act White House Fact Sheet, visit The White House Website.

By Erin Brodwin, Workforce Investment Board Staff