About the Workforce Investment Board

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) required each local workforce area to develop a comprehensive workforce development system. Planning, implementation efforts and continuous improvement activities conducted to date paved the way for the creation of the Louisiana Workforce Investment Area 61 (LWIA 61) One Stop system. As a visionary, planning Board the Rapides Parish WIB with its partner representatives strives to leverage WIA Title I funds along with Perkins, Adult Education, Louisiana Technical College and other source of funds. The WIB stresses the importance of employers’ input into the system design and operation with a required 51% membership on the WIB of private sector representatives. The WIB is designed to have expanded authority over the local workforce development system, connect employers to the local job training and education system and have a broader view of their overall mission.

The WIB members are appointed by the Chief Elected Official of the Rapides Parish Police Jury. The Rapides Parish Police Jury is the grant recipient of Title I funds of the Workforce Investment Act. Through the Louisiana Department of Labor’s Unified State Plan and as authorized in the Workforce Investment Act certain criteria are used to select WIB members. The local WIB maintains a majority membership of business or private sector representatives from the local area. The remainder of the members represents a mixture of public sector entities including education, labor, One Stop partners, community-based organizations, economic development organizations and others.

Workforce Investment Board of Directors

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