Public Comment Period Open for Workforce Investment Act

Department of Transportation, courtesy photo State of Hawai’i.

By Sonia Isotov

The Maui County’s Draft Local Area Plan under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and Wagner-Peyser Act continues to be available for public comment through May 2, 2013.

The plan represents the County’s Workforce Investment Board’s efforts to maximize and coordinate resources under the Act for the period July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2017.

According to the Office of Economic Development’s website, the United States’ Congress enacted the Workforce Investment Act in 1998 to replace the Job Training Partnership Act which had been the federal government’s employment and training assistance program for 16 years.

The Act mandates more local involvement and ostensibly more local control. The OED goes on to explain that the Act provides the framework for a unique public private partnership to address employers’ needs for a skilled workforce and employees’ needs for training in high demand areas.

The OED works with the state Dept. of Labor and Industrial Relations, Workforce Development Division, to provide services for Adult and Dislocated Workers programs and with UH Maui College Ku’ina Program to provide services for Youth.

The program is administered locally by the Office of Economic Development with an advisory board composed of a majority of private sector representatives. Other board members represent employee groups, non-profit service providers, and public sector agencies.

Comments may be submitted in writing to:

• The Office of Economic Development at 2200 Main Street, Suite 305, Wailuku, Hawaii 96793
• Workforce Development Division/WorkSource Maui at 2064 Wells Street, Suite 108, Wailuku, Hawaii 96793
• Workforce Development Division/WorkSource Molokai at 55 Makaena Street, Kaunakakai, Hawaii 96748