84A.4  Local workforce development boards.
  1.  A local workforce development board shall be established in each service delivery area as defined in section 84B.3. The voting members of each board shall be appointed by the governor, consistent with the requirements of federal law and in consultation with chief elected officials within the local workforce development area. Chief elected officials responsible for recommendations for board’s voting membership shall include but are not limited to county elected officials, municipal elected officials, and community college directors. The voting membership of each board shall provide for equal representation of business and labor and shall include a county elected official, a city official, a representative of a school district, and a representative of a community college. A local workforce development board may appoint ex officio, nonvoting members.
  2.  A local workforce development board shall do all of the following:
  a.  Develop and coordinate the implementation of a four-year comprehensive local workforce development plan that identifies needs, goals, strategies, and policies for the local workforce development area. A local workforce development plan shall be updated every two years and revised as necessary. A local workforce development board shall coordinate the convening of local workforce development system stakeholders to assist in the development of the local workforce development plan.
  b.  Develop and coordinate the alignment of the local area’s workforce development programs, services, and activities in an integrated and streamlined workforce development system that is data driven and responsive to the needs of workers, job seekers, and employers.
  c.  Develop and coordinate policies that increase access to workforce services for all Iowans, in particular for individuals with a barrier to employment as defined in the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Pub. L. No. 113-128, section 3(24).
  d.  Develop and coordinate the creation of reports as required by section 84A.1B.
  e.  Develop a budget for the local workforce development board’s activities in the local workforce development area, consistent with the four-year comprehensive local workforce development plan, any modifications to the local workforce development plan, and the local workforce development board’s duties under this section.
  f.  Convene workforce development system stakeholders to identify expertise and resources to leverage support for workforce development programs, services, and activities in the local area.
  g.  Coordinate engagement among employers, employee organizations, and economic development entities in the local workforce development area. The local workforce development board shall lead efforts to promote engagement among a diverse range of employers and with other entities in the region to do all of the following:
  (1)  Promote business representation on the local workforce development board, particularly for representatives with optimal policymaking or hiring authority of employers whose employment opportunities reflect existing and emerging employment opportunities in the region.
  (2)  Develop effective linkages with employers in the region to support employer utilization of the local workforce development system and to support local workforce investment activities.
  (3)  Ensure that workforce investment activities meet the needs of employers and support economic growth in the region by enhancing communication, coordination, and collaboration among employers, employee organizations, economic development entities, and service providers.
  (4)  Develop and implement proven or promising strategies for meeting the employment and skill needs of workers and employers, such as participating in the establishment of industry and sector partnerships as described under section 260H.7B, subsection 2, that provide the skilled workforce needed by employers in the region and that expand employment and career advancement opportunities for workforce development system participants in in-demand industry sectors or occupations.
  h.  Coordinate the performance of workforce research and regional labor market analysis.
  i.  Participate in the development of strategies for using technology to maximize the accessibility and effectiveness of the local workforce development system.
  j.  Participate in the oversight of workforce development programs and activities in the local workforce development area.
  k.  Award grants or contracts as required by and consistent with applicable state and federal law. To the extent permitted by applicable state and federal law, the local workforce development board shall consider awarding grants or contracts to nonprofit organizations.
  l.  Designate a fiscal agent.
  m.  Participate in the development of performance accountability measures for the local workforce development area.
  n.  Participate in the identification and promotion of proven and promising practices for meeting the needs of workers, job seekers, and employers.
  o.  Coordinate activities with education and training providers in the local workforce development area.
  p.  Participate in the identification of eligible providers of training and career services within the local workforce development area.
  q.  Make recommendations to the state workforce development board regarding workforce development programs, services, and activities.
  r.  Participate in the implementation of state workforce development initiatives.
  3.  A local workforce development board may do the following:
  a.  Designate and direct the activities of standing committees of the local workforce development board to provide information and to assist the local workforce development board in carrying out its duties. Such standing committees shall be chaired by a member of the local workforce development board, may include other members of the local workforce development board, and shall include other individuals appointed by the local workforce development board who are not members of the local workforce development board and who the local workforce development board determines have appropriate experience and expertise.
  b.  Engage in regional coordination with one or more other local workforce development areas under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Pub. L. No. 113-128, section 106.
  4.  Section 84A.1A, subsections 2, 3, and 5, apply to the members of a local workforce development board except that the board shall meet if a majority of the members of the board file a written request with the chairperson for a meeting. Members of a local workforce development board shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. All expenses shall be paid from appropriations for those purposes and the department of workforce development is subject to the budget requirements of chapter 8.
96 Acts, ch 1186, §11; 99 Acts, ch 21, §2; 2001 Acts, ch 24, §23; 2002 Acts, ch 1119, §8; 2016 Acts, ch 1011, §12; 2016 Acts, ch 1118, §7 – 9, 21
Referred to in §258.14, §260H.2, §260H.4, §260H.8, §260I.6
See Code editor’s note on simple harmonization at the end of Vol VI
Subsection 1 amended
Subsection 2 stricken and rewritten
NEW subsection 3 and former subsection 3 amended and renumbered as 4