Five Year Strategic Plan Update
WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD STRUCTURE
WIB Composition, Diversity and Marketing
The Atlantic Cape May WIB continues to operate under the guidelines
set forth in the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998. Since
July 1, 2000, we have labored to meet the requirements of the WIA
legislation in regard to Board membership. Our Board is in compliance
with the legislation and also with the requirements of the New
Jersey Employment and Training Commission (SETC) guidelines. We
have been diligent in our efforts to maintain equal representation
between Atlantic and Cape May Counties and ensure a 51% private
sector representation. At this juncture, this particular category
is difficult to fill due to the industry base in Cape May County,
where most businesses are small and owners cannot commit the necessary
time to be an active member. Despite the continual struggle, we
currently satisfy the required Board makeup.
We are very conscious about the perception of fairness and are
forever attempting to improve the diversity of our Board. In addition
to maintaining a balance between the two Counties, we are also
working to increase minority participation in the process. Great
strides have been made to improve the Board's ethnic diversity.
Of the 45 Board members, two are Hispanic and seven are African-American,
which means that 20% of the members represent an ethnic minority.
Additionally, 13 women sit on the Board accounting for 29% of its
membership.
Also adding to the diversity of the WIB is the representation
of the following categories: school superintendents, faith-based
organizations, TANF agency directors, Workforce New Jersey One-Stop
Career Center operators, vocational rehabilitation director, community
service organizations, economic development agencies, the private
sector, unions and the Human Services Advisory Council.
The WIB recognizes that in order to maintain a diverse and active
Board it is necessary to inform the public of the role the WIB
plays in workforce issues faced by the bi-county region. In keeping
with the previously stated priority of marketing the WIB, a marketing
person was hired. The WIB Marketing Committee was reorganized and
marketing goals have been discussed such as: generating awareness
of WIA, the WIB and the One-Stops; creating new promotional materials
such as brochures and possibly refrigerator magnets billboards
and more; implementing events to highlight WIB programs, services
and efforts; and the regular writing of press releases to keep
the public informed of WIB actions. A Marketing Plan will be written
in the near future to help realize these objectives, with ideas
to implement an area wide public information program. Already,
several press releases have been written promoting WIB accomplishments
such as the appointment of new members, the creation of a Youth
web site, the formation of a Business Partners Coalition and in
response to public interest regarding a local newspaper story highlighting
year-round employment obstacles in Cape May County.
Raising awareness of the WIB role will benefit us greatly when
the time comes to reach out to minority organizations, partners,
various Chambers of Commerce, service organizations and our own
members to solicit new individuals for the Board. This increased
awareness will no doubt assist in maintaining the current diversification
of the WIB. The more stockholders who come to the table during
the process of developing and implementing policy, the better served
the residents of the two Counties will be.
WIB Committees
The operating structure of the WIB remains the same, with the
committees reporting to the full Board. The committees are required
to address their respective objectives and meet established goals.
The committees have been streamlined and reorganized in order to
facilitate their ability to identify areas of concern and implement
policy. For the most part, standing and ad hoc committees of the
WIB and their functions remain the same as discussed in the original
Strategic Five-Year Plan. The Welfare To Work Committee is no longer
needed due to the elimination of funding for this program.
Executive Committee - Oversees the operations
and administration of the WIB and makes policy recommendations
to the Board. This Committee has the power to vote on behalf of
the Board when time does not allow for a full Board session. However,
all activities must be reported to the full Board at the next meeting.
This Committee has now assumed the function of the former Policy
and Oversight Committee.
Disability Committee - The WIB felt it necessary
to form this Committee in 2001 to better grasp and tackle the employment
needs of disabled individuals in Atlantic and Cape May Counties.
In the years ahead, the Committee will continue to debate new legislation
and whether a recommendation should be made to the WIB to become
a disabled Employment Network.
Economic Development/Planning Committee - Updates
the WIB on current and future development in our region, how it
will impact the labor market and effect job readiness skills. Along
with this is the responsibility to ascertain local labor market
information and skill sets for use in the One-Stop Career Centers
and by other committees of the WIB.
Literacy Committee - Assigned the task of developing
and implementing a strategy to consolidate basic skills education
efforts and bridge service gaps with the goal of lifting literacy
levels of those in need. The Committee recently approved a Literacy
Plan that will be discussed in a future section.
Marketing Committee - With the hiring of a marketing
staff member, this committee has been re-formed. The role of the
committee is to guide the staff member in communicating the WIB's
efforts to the service area's employers and its workforce.
One-Stop Career Center Committee - Serves as
the glue that holds the one-stop system together and thus ensures
a viable plan is in place for implementing holistic solutions that
facilitate access to the career centers for both employers and
job seekers and also addresses the needs of the system.
Youth Investment Council - Keeps its finger on
the pulse of workforce and career service delivery system needs
for young people in the bi-county area. Responsible for setting
a clear policy direction in creating employment opportunities and
career pathways for all youth ages 14-21. A recently approved Youth
Plan is discussed in a separate chapter.
It is the hope of the Atlantic Cape May WIB that its current structure
will allow it to be flexible and proactive in addressing the evolving
needs of the region's workforce and to more effectively coordinate
all of the available resources. The desired outcome of this reconfiguration
is to ensure individual economic security and community vitality
by catering to the needs of the workforce. If future legislation
dictates the addition of committees and/or responsibilities, the
WIB will be diligent in complying with the requirements. |
Atlantic
Cape May Workforce Investment Board 