84A.1B  Duties of the workforce development board.
  The workforce development board shall do all of the following:
  1.  Develop and coordinate the implementation of a four-year comprehensive state workforce development plan of specific needs, goals, strategies, and policies for the state. This plan shall be updated every two years and revised as necessary. All other state agencies involved in workforce development activities and the local workforce development boards shall submit to the board for its review and potential inclusion in the plan their needs, goals, strategies, and policies.
  2.  Develop and coordinate the implementation of statewide workforce development policies, procedures, and guidance to align the state’s workforce development programs and activities in an integrated and streamlined state workforce development system that is data driven and responsive to the needs of workers, job seekers, and employers.
  3.  Develop a method of evaluation of the attainment of needs and goals from pursuing the strategies and policies of the four-year plan.
  4.  Implement the requirements of chapter 73.
  5.  Review grants or contracts awarded by the department of workforce development, with respect to the department’s adherence to the guidelines and procedures and the impact on the four-year plan.
  6.  Make recommendations concerning the use of federal funds received by the department of workforce development.
  7.  Develop and coordinate strategies for technological improvements to facilitate access to, and improve the quality of, the state’s workforce development services, including all of the following:
  a.  Enhance digital literacy skills as defined in 20 U.S.C. §9101.
  b.  Accelerate the acquisition of skills and recognized postsecondary credentials by participants.
  c.  Strengthen the professional development of providers and workforce professionals.
  d.  Ensure such technology is accessible to individuals with disabilities and individuals residing in remote areas.
  8.  Develop and coordinate strategies for aligning technology and data systems across state agencies in order to improve the integration and coordination of the delivery of workforce development services.
  9.  Identify and disseminate information on proven and promising practices for meeting the needs of workers, job seekers, and employers, including but not limited to proven and promising practices for the effective operation of workforce centers and systems; the development of effective local workforce development boards; the development of effective training programs; effective engagement with stakeholders in the state’s workforce development system; effective engagement with employers; and increasing 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).
  10.  Develop and coordinate the implementation of allocation formulas for the distribution of funds available for employment and training activities in local workforce development areas under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Pub. L. No. 113-128, sections 128(b)(3) and 133(b)(3).
  11.  Provide recommendations to the governor regarding the certification of local workforce development boards.
  12.  Develop and coordinate the analysis of labor market information in order to identify in-demand industries and occupations.
  13.  Make recommendations to the governor regarding the designation of local workforce development areas and regions in the state under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Pub. L. No. 113-128, section 106.
  14.  Create, and update as necessary, a list of high-demand jobs statewide for purposes of the future ready Iowa registered apprenticeship programs created in chapter 15C, the summer youth intern pilot program established under section 84A.12, the Iowa employer innovation program established under section 84A.13, the future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship program established under section 261.131, the future ready Iowa skilled workforce grant program established under section 261.132, and postsecondary summer classes for high school students as provided under section 261E.8, subsection 8. In addition to the list created by the workforce development board under this subsection, each community college, in consultation with regional career and technical education planning partnerships, and with the approval of the board of directors of the community college, may identify and maintain a list of not more than five regional high-demand jobs in the community college region, and shall share the lists with the workforce development board. The lists submitted by community colleges under the subsection may be used in that community college region for purposes of programs identified under this subsection. The workforce development board shall have full discretion to select and prioritize statewide high-demand jobs after consulting with business and education stakeholders, as appropriate, and seeking public comment. The workforce development board may add to the list of high-demand jobs as it deems necessary. For purposes of this subsection, “high-demand job” means a job in the state that the board, or a community college in accordance with this subsection, has identified in accordance with this subsection. In creating a list under this subsection, the following criteria, at a minimum, shall apply:
  a.  An entry-level hourly wage of not less than fourteen dollars.
  b.  Educational attainment of a qualifying credential up to a bachelor’s degree.
  c.  One or both of the following criteria:
  (1)  Projected annual job openings of at least two hundred fifty or more during the next five years. 
  (2)  Annual job growth of at least one percent.
  15.  Compile an annual report, in an aggregate form to protect the confidentiality of each eligible program’s participants, that includes the number of students receiving scholarships under section 261.131, the number of students receiving grants under section 261.132, the number of scholarship and grant recipients completing a program of study or major annually and in the prescribed time frame under sections 261.131 and 261.132, the number of eligible institutions participating in the scholarship and grant programs established under sections 261.131 and 261.132, the number of written agreements entered into by the volunteer mentor program under section 15H.10, statistics on employment outcomes for future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship and future ready Iowa skilled workforce grant program participants by industry, and other data as may be deemed pertinent by the department or the college student aid commission. The department shall submit the initial report by January 15, 2021, and by January 15 annually thereafter, to the governor and the general assembly.
  16.  Make recommendations to the general assembly and governor regarding workforce development services, programs, and activities, including but not limited to allocation of resources.
96 Acts, ch 1186, §10; 2001 Acts, ch 24, §22; 2016 Acts, ch 1118, §4 – 6, 21; 2017 Acts, ch 74, §3, 4, 6; 2018 Acts, ch 1067, §7, 15; 2018 Acts, ch 1143, §3, 9; 2019 Acts, ch 135, §12; 2020 Acts, ch 1063, §40; 2020 Acts, ch 1117, §4
Referred to in §15C.1, 84A.1, 84A.1C, 84A.13, 261.131, 261.132, 261E.8