Workforce Investment Act of 1998: Opportunities for Workforce Development Professionals

On August 7, 1998, President Clinton signed the Workforce Investment Act.  The legislation gives state and local officials new authority and flexibility for using for using federal job training aid to setup market driven workforce investment systems in every community.

The law gives the business community, in partnership with public officials., authority t ensure that the system is user-friendly, easily accessible, performance driven, continuously improving, flexible, and responsive to the marketplace.  The Upper Shore Private Industry Council (PIC) is responsible for the local implementation of the new legislation.

The purpose of the Workforce Investment Act is to bring together public systems providing services such as post-secondary technical training, job search assistance, job training/retraining, adult literacy, and other labor market initiatives.

The Upper Shore Private Industry Council will work closely with the business community to gain an understanding of local labor market concerns.  The PIC will then work to design an employment and training system that is responsive to the needs of employers, consumers and local elected officials.