Workforce Investment Board

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Workforce Investment Boards (or "WIBs") are regional entities created to implement the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 in the United States.

Every community in the fifty states is associated with a local WIB. For each WIB, a local authority (for example, a county government or the mayor of a lead city) appoints representatives to sit on the WIB, as an unpaid position. At least 50% of a WIB's representatives must come from private businesses, but there are also designated seats for representatives from labor unions and educational institutions like community colleges as well. Beyond these basics guidelines, many aspects of how an individual WIB operates can vary.

The WIBs main role is to direct federal, state and local funding to workforce development programs. WIBs conduct and publish research on these programs and the needs of the local job market. They also oversee "one stop" career centers, where job seekers can get employment information, find out about career development training opportunities and connect to various programs in their area.

WIBs work in conjunction with economic development related organizations in order to maximize the reaction time and create resources to intervene for both the dislocated workforce and the incumbent workforce members of a community. WIBs have been slow to embrace the need for further infrastructure and much needed coordination with the community colleges and K-12 school systems. There is ample evidence that WIBs if partnered strategically with these other service providers could better track and coordinate skill testing and intervention curriculum for dislocated, incumbent and new entrants in the workforce.