State Workforce Investment Board Posts Revisions to State Plan for Public Comment Bookmark and Share

March 7, 2013

The revisions respond to a request from US Department of Labor for clarification

For Immediate Release: March 8, 2013
Contact: Julie Rabinowitz, 207-621-5009

The revisions respond to a request from US Department of Labor for clarification

AUGUSTA?The State Workforce Investment Board (SWIB) has received feedback from the U.S. Department of Labor requesting additional information and clarification on the five-year plan that directs how the state?s federal funding under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) will be used. The plan, submitted in January, makes several changes to the current system and reflects Gov. Paul R. LePage?s desire to inject more local input and generate greater collaboration in how job training dollars will be invested in Maine.

The plan?with the changes made in response to the federal government?s feedback?must be posted for public comment before submission to the U.S. Department of Labor. The updated plan will be available for public comment on the SWIB?s website from 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 7 until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12.

The substance of the plan remains the same as that submitted in January. The state plan?s goal is to restructure the existing workforce development system to increase both local business involvement and funding directed to occupational skills training. County commissioners will remain the fiscal agents of the WIA funding.

Changes to the plan include the clarification of the use of terms and the inclusion of specific goals for the migrant farmworkers program. A guide to the specific changes is posted on the website with the plan.

Public comments will be considered by the governor prior to the resubmission of the plan to the U.S. Department of Labor. Members of the public and businesses are encouraged to review the plan and provide comment. Those who submitted comment in January may submit new comments or, if they would like their previous comment to be considered as official public comment in the resubmission of the state plan, they must send an email stating that their January public comment be considered in support of this resubmission.

Emails may be sent to SWIB.DOL@maine.gov until March 12 at 5 p.m. The revised plan, along with an executive summary and a short video that describes the plan and the need for change can be viewed at http://www.maine.gov/swib/wia_plan.html .

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