The department of workforce development, in consultation with the workforce development board and the regional advisory boards, has the primary responsibilities set out in this section.
1. The department shall develop and implement a workforce development system which increases the skills of the Iowa workforce, fosters economic growth and the creation of new high skill and high wage jobs through job placement and training services, increases the competitiveness of Iowa businesses by promoting high performance workplaces, and encourages investment in workers.
The workforce development system shall strive to provide high quality services to its customers including workers, families, and businesses. The department shall maintain a common intake, assessment, and customer tracking system and to the extent practical provide one-stop services to customers at workforce development centers and other service access points.
The system shall include an accountability system to measure program performance, identify accomplishments, and evaluate programs to ensure goals and standards are met. The accountability system shall use information obtained from the customer tracking system, the department of economic development, the department of education, and training providers to evaluate the effectiveness of programs. The department of economic development, the department of education, and training providers shall report information concerning the use of any state or federal training or retraining funds to the department of workforce development in a form as required by the department. The accountability system shall evaluate all of the following:
a. The impact of services on wages earned by individuals.
b. The effectiveness of training services providers in raising the skills of the Iowa workforce.
c. The impact of placement and training services on Iowa's families, communities, and economy.
The department shall make information from the customer tracking and accountability system available to the department of economic development, the department of education, and other appropriate public agencies for the purpose of assisting with the evaluation of programs administered by those departments and agencies and for planning and researching public policies relating to education and economic development.
2. The department is responsible for administration of unemployment compensation benefits and collection of employer contributions under chapter 96, providing for the delivery of free public employment services established pursuant to chapter 96, other job placement and training programs established pursuant to section 84A.6, and the delivery of services located throughout the state.
3. The division of labor services is responsible for the administration of the laws of this state relating to occupational health and safety, the inspection of amusement rides, the removal and encapsulation of asbestos, the inspection of boilers, wage payment collection, registration of construction contractors, the minimum wage, non-English speaking employees, child labor, employment agency licensing, boxing and wrestling, inspection of elevators, and hazardous chemical risks under chapters 88, 88A, 88B, 89, 89A, 89B, 90A, 91, 91A, 91C, 91D, 91E, 92, 94, and 95. The executive head of the division is the labor commissioner, appointed pursuant to section 91.2.
4. The division of workers' compensation is responsible for the administration of the laws of this state relating to workers' compensation under chapters 85, 85A, 85B, 86, and 87. The executive head of the division is the workers' compensation commissioner, appointed pursuant to section 86.1.
5. The director shall form a coordinating committee composed of the director, the labor commissioner, the workers' compensation commissioner, and other administrators. The committee shall monitor federal compliance issues relating to coordination of functions among the divisions.
6. The department shall administer the following programs:
a. The Iowa conservation corps established under section 84A.7.
b. The workforce investment program established under section 84A.8.
c. The statewide mentoring program established under section 84A.9.
d. The workforce development centers established under chapter 84B.
e. Job training partnership programs under chapter 7B.
7. The department shall work with the department of economic development to incorporate workforce development as a component of community-based economic development.
8. The department, in consultation with the applicable regional advisory board, shall select service providers, subject to approval by the workforce development board for each service delivery area. A service provider in each service delivery area shall be identified to coordinate the services throughout the service delivery area. The department shall select service providers that, to the extent possible, meet or have the ability to meet the following criteria:
a. The capacity to deliver services uniformly throughout the service delivery area.
b. The experience to provide workforce development services.
c. The capacity to cooperate with other public and private agencies and entities in the delivery of education, workforce training, retraining, and workforce development services throughout the service delivery area.
d. The demonstrated capacity to understand and comply with all applicable state and federal laws, rules, ordinances, regulations, and orders, including fiscal requirements.
9. The department shall provide access to information and documents necessary for employers and payors of income, as defined in sections 252D.16 and 252G.1, to comply with child support reporting and payment requirements. Access to the information and documents shall be provided at the central location of the department of workforce development and at each workforce development center.
86 Acts, ch 1245, § 902
C87, § 84A.2
93 Acts, ch 180, § 53; 96 Acts, ch 1186, § 12
C97, § 84A.5
98 Acts, ch 1061, § 2, 11; 98 Acts, ch 1170, § 19
Referred to in § 15.344, 15.366
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