Oregon Statutes - Chapter 660 - Apprenticeship and Training; Workforce Development - Section 660.315 - Regional workforce committees; duties; strategic regional workforce plans.

(1) The Governor shall designate regional workforce committees to advise the Governor, local workforce investment boards that represent federally recognized workforce areas containing multiple regions, and county elected officials on regional and local needs for workforce development. The committees shall also prepare plans for achieving regional goals and coordinate the provision of services within regions. The committees shall have private and public sector members. However, a majority of the members of each committee shall represent the private sector and include business and labor representatives. The chairperson of each committee shall be a private sector member and be elected by the committee.

(2) The private sector committee members shall play a critical role in workforce development, including but not limited to:

(a) Identifying current and future workforce needs;

(b) Providing feedback on public sector programs;

(c) Assisting public agencies in changing programs to be more effective in meeting private sector needs; and

(d) Being a partner in addressing workforce needs.

(3) Private sector members of a committee created under this section shall be appointed by county commissioners and, in the region that includes the City of Portland, the Mayor of Portland. The members of the committee shall reflect the broadest feasible representation from the groups described in ORS 660.312 (4)(a) to (h).

(4) The public sector representatives on the committee are representatives who receive resources and deliver education and workforce programs within the labor market area. Public sector members shall include the broadest feasible representation from, but not be limited to, the following:

(a) The Department of Human Services;

(b) School districts, education service districts, community colleges, state institutions of higher education and Oregon Health and Science University;

(c) The Economic and Community Development Department and local economic development entities;

(d) The Employment Department;

(e) The federal Act programs; and

(f) Other public sector partners.

(5) A region may recommend to the Governor an alternate structure for its regional committee, based on regional determination and mutually agreed to by the current public and private sector members of the regional workforce committee and the chief elected officials. The alternate structure must retain a private sector chairperson, appointments of the private sector members as provided in subsection (3) of this section, and substantive public and private sector and other stakeholder participation through formalized methods, such as standing committees.

(6) A regional workforce committee shall develop and implement a strategic regional workforce plan that responds to the current and future workforce needs of the regional labor market.

(7) The strategic regional workforce plan shall:

(a) Consider the supply and demand outlook for the region;

(b) Identify and prioritize initiatives and resources, both public and private, to meet the regional workforce needs;

(c) Articulate and include the coordination of both public and private resources in addressing the workforce needs and goals; and

(d) Ensure the most appropriate use of resource investments.

(8) The regional workforce committee shall create or enhance the workforce program delivery system to meet the strategic priorities of the region and any strategic priorities of a federally recognized workforce area that includes that region.

(9) Within each region, or within overlapping regions, regional workforce committees, local workforce investment boards and regional investment boards shall coordinate their planning efforts to ensure that the strategic efforts and resource allocation of economic and workforce development of an area are consistent. Regional workforce committees and regional investment boards will extend opportunities to other entities engaged in economic and workforce development programs and services to participate in their joint or integrated strategic planning.

(10)(a) A local workforce investment board that represents a multiregional workforce area shall hold regional workforce committees in the area accountable for any policy and operational responsibilities under 2832(d) of the federal Act that is delegated to the committees in accordance with state policy and local workforce investment board policy.

(b) A regional workforce committee within a multiregional workforce area is accountable to the local workforce investment board for any policy and operational responsibilities carried out under the federal Act on behalf of the board.

(c) As it relates to regional responsibilities under this section, a regional workforce committee may, through a vote of the committee, determine the methodology for delegating the responsibilities of the regional workforce committee to a local workforce investment board representing the multiregional workforce area. [Formerly 285A.458; 2005 c.242 §3]

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Last modified: August 7, 2008