Title
Joint resolution approving the Workforce Development Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Four-Year Regional and Local Plans, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Job Center of Lake County, and authorizing the execution of all necessary correspondence to submit these plans to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).
Staff Summary
• The Lake County Workforce Development Board is responsible for the development and submission of several required planning compliance documents as a necessary component to receive U.S. Department of Labor WIOA funding, as distributed by the Illinois DCEO.
• The Northeast Economic Development Region Four-Year WIOA Plan was collectively developed by the seven workforce boards serving the ten counties of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will. The Plan provides innovative regional solutions to meet the needs of the key industry sectors of healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, and information technology.
• The Lake County Workforce Development Board Four-Year WIOA Local Plan provides an overview of partner programs to ensure that job seekers, including youth and individuals with barriers to employment, have the skills to compete in the job market and that employers have a ready supply of skilled workers.
• The Job Center of Lake County Memorandum of Understanding was successfully negotiated among all the federally funded programs authorized under WIOA, agreeing to collaborate and optimize the quality of services provided in the Job Center.
• The Lake County Workforce Development Board approved the WIOA Regional and Local Plans as well as the Job Center MOU at its May 8, 2024 meeting.
Body
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires that local workforce development areas develop and submit workforce compliance plans in order for the local workforce development area to receive annual federal workforce funding allocations, as distributed through their State workforce agency; and
WHEREAS, Lake County is required to submit workforce compliance plans including a Four-Year WIOA Local Plan and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Job Center Operations; and
WHEREAS, in collaboration with other workforce areas encompassing the Northeast Regional Planning Area (including Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, McHenry and Will counties) as designated by the State of Illinois, Lake County is required to participate in development of a Northeast Region WIOA Plan; and
WHEREAS, a public engagement process was used involving focus groups and public meetings and the Lake County Workforce Development Board has reviewed and approved the Four-Year WIOA Local Plan, the Job Center of Lake County MOU and the Northeast Regional WIOA Plan.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by this County Board of Lake County, Illinois, that the WIOA Local Plan, Job Center MOU and the Northeast Region WIOA Plan are hereby approved.
DATED at Waukegan, Illinois, on June 11, 2024.