The Role of Workforce Investment Boards (WIB) in Workforce Development
Written by Don Ford on July 9, 2026
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 established workforce development boards, also known as workforce investment boards (WIB), as the primary vehicle for planning and overseeing state and local workforce development funding. Their purpose is to ensure that workforce training is aligned with employers’ needs and regional economic priorities rather than operating independently of the labor market. In this edition of my Workforce Development blog, I will explain the role and structure of workforce investment boards and how they invest federal and state training money to address the local needs of job seekers and employers. I will also share my personal experience serving as a Board Member for the Los Angeles South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB).
The Workforce Board Structure
WIOA established two levels of workforce boards: State Workforce Development Boards and Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs). The State boards are responsible for: advising the governor on statewide workforce policy, developing the state’s workforce strategy, and coordinating workforce programs across public agencies. The local boards focus on implementing workforce strategies within their regions, overseeing local workforce funding and partnering with employers, community colleges, labor organizations, economic development agencies, and private providers to oversee workforce training that is focused on high priority job skills and underserved populations. The United States has more than 500 local workforce investment boards, each serving a designated workforce region.
The makeup of the local workforce boards requires that business representatives make up the majority. By requiring majority representation of local businesses, WIOA ensured that employers have direct influence over how government workforce investments are spent locally. Joining business leaders on these boards are job training providers such as community colleges, labor unions and private training providers along with local government officials, community NGOs, economic development and vocational experts. By including all the key stakeholders in workforce development, the workforce boards provide a broad platform for planning and implementing job training that meets the unique needs of each local job market.
The Mission and Operation of Local Workforce Boards
The local workforce boards provide relevant job skills training for industries in need of workers by reaching out to those who are unemployed or underemployed and matching them with current job opportunities and the training required to obtain entry-level employment. Workforce Boards begin by analyzing the local economy to identify the industries who are hiring and the skills that job openings require. They also analyze the local job market to determine wage trends and where skill shortages exist.
This analysis yields a regional workforce development plan which serves as the strategic plan for the board. It includes key industries and careers to target, education and training programs to promote and outreach to the target job market. As an example, the WIB that I serve on as a representative of the City of Redondo Beach and its Chamber of Commerce, is located in the historic heart of the aerospace industry. Although many manufacturers have left for cheaper places to operate, a number of key aerospace employers remain, most notably Northrop Grumman and SpaceX. Moreover, they reported difficulty in recruiting qualified technicians and machinists for openings they had. This led our WIB to identify entry-level aerospace jobs as a key segment of the labor market. After further discussions and needs assessment, our WIB created aero-flex and space-flex entry level job training programs to fill critical needs for aerospace technicians and machinists. These jobs do not require a college degree, but advanced training beyond high school is essential to obtain the necessary job skills. Once employed, graduates can earn up to $25/hour to start with the opportunity to advance into even more lucrative jobs with further experience and training.
Training Providers
Boards approve which local schools and training organizations may receive WIOA funding. This is based on several key criteria, including: demonstrated history of providing relevant job skills training, demonstrated ability to produce positive outcomes, and willingness to adhere to and report key financial and performance data to the WIB.
Among the most typical training providers who are selected to work with WIBs are: community colleges (most common), technical and trade schools, apprenticeship programs sponsored by unions or employers, non-profit training organizations and private for-profit training providers. Providers are regularly monitored to ensure that they produce acceptable outcomes to remain eligible. WIBs track key metrics like: percentage of participants who enroll and complete training, percentage of graduates who are placed in relevant employment, average starting salary of program graduates and participant reactions and employer feedback on the value of the training they received.
American Job Centers
Local workforce boards also oversee the network of American Job Centers (formerly One-Stop Career Centers) that serve the needs of the unemployed. These centers provide a variety of employment services such as: career counseling, resume assistance, skills assessments, job search assistance, training referrals (including to WIB providers), job placement and support services. The goal of these job centers is to be a one-stop shop for all employment needs instead of having to visit multiple agencies to obtain employment services.
Workforce Investment Board Funding
Local Boards mainly depend on federal WIOA funding to support their operations. WIOA has historically focused on those who have traditionally struggled to find employment, including the unemployed, dislocated workers, youth entering the labor market, those with disabilities and the formerly incarcerated. Local WIBs are responsible for deciding how local funds are allocated among training programs and service providers to serve their identified populations. While WIOA funding has not been part of recent government cuts, the current funding level only allows WIBs to address the highest priority workforce needs.
WIBs may also receive state funding through state unemployment insurance to assist those who are laid off or otherwise unable to find employment. That funding is typically earmarked for those who have just lost their jobs and is tied to unemployment benefits that laid-off workers receive temporarily. In California, a program called Employment Training Panel (ETP) provides funding to upskill workers who are facing potential unemployment due to plant closings or foreign competition. My local South Bay WIB oversees ETP funding to keep people employed in industries like aerospace manufacturing, health care, transportation and logistics. ETP has saved hundreds of thousands of jobs that otherwise would have been lost to the state.
Additionally, some WIBs also apply for and manage grants from both governmental and non-profit sources to serve specific populations, such as grants to serve foster youth, the developmentally disabled and other specific groups who have historically struggled to enter and succeed in the labor market.
Partnerships with Employers
The most important responsibility of local WIBs is maintaining relationships with local businesses who are likely to need to hire. Workforce Boards and their staff meet with employers to identify: current and future hiring needs, emerging occupations based on innovative technologies, current and anticipated workforce shortages and skill gaps they are experiencing. This information becomes a crucial input to designing and delivering training programs that prepare participants for actual job openings.
Measure Program Performance
A key feature of WIOA that distinguishes it from past workforce investments is the requirement to measure and report key program outcomes. Constant monitoring ensures alignment between employer needs and job skills training and allows for continuous improvement of training based on the results achieved. WIBs regularly track and report a variety of key metrics, such as: percentage of participants who achieve employment after training, median starting earnings, credential and certification attainment, measurable skill gains based on rigorous assessment and participant and employer satisfaction with the training.
WIBs are also subject to periodic outside audits to ensure they are operating according to the rules set out by Federal and State funders. I served as an auditor for my South Bay WIB and found the process to be very thorough. We visited every Job Center, interviewed key personnel and examined records to determine if the operations were being managed according to the strategic plan. While we found a few areas for improvement, overall, the WIB met all of its financial and legal commitments.
Training providers with consistently poor results face probation and may lose WIOA funding if they cannot correct operational problems. Those who consistently outperform metrics are rewarded with more contracts and opportunities to expand their efforts. This results in a system that is continuously improving based on past results.
Why Local Workforce Development Boards Matter
The WIOA model of workforce development has overhauled the delivery of job training and employment services across America. Millions of people have benefited from the training and employment services they have received. Those who have historically struggled to find employment have benefited from tailored services targeted to their specific needs.
Before WIOA, workforce programs often focused on offering training without sufficient coordination with employers. WIOA repositioned Workforce Investment Boards as the central regional planning bodies responsible for aligning workforce investments with economic development. By requiring business leadership, using labor market data to guide decisions, and emphasizing measurable employment outcomes, WIOA shifted the workforce system towards a demand-driven model that aims to prepare workers for jobs that employers are actively seeking to fill. Beyond the immediate benefits, the WIOA employer-driven model of workforce development is becoming the new de facto standard for adult job training and development throughout the United States and the rest of the developed world.
