About the Workforce Development Board

The City of Los Angeles Workforce Development Board (WDB) oversees the expenditure of more than $50 million in public funds annually through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The Mayor appoints board members from the leadership ranks of the education, economic development and organized labor fields, as well as other key players in the Los Angeles economy.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy. Congress passed the Act by a wide bipartisan majority, the first legislative reform in 15 years of the public workforce system. WIOA supersedes the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and amends the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, the Wagner-Peyser Act, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In general, the Act takes effect on July 1, 2015, the first full program year after enactment.

WIOA streamlines and strengthens the strategic roles of Workforce Development Boards, effectively making state and local boards more agile and well-positioned to meet local and regional employers' workforce needs. It brings together, in strategic coordination, the core programs of federal investment in skill development:

  • Employment and training services for adults, dislocated workers, and youth and Wagner-Peyser employment services administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) through formula grants to states
  • Adult education and literacy programs and Vocational Rehabilitation state grant programs that assist individuals with disabilities in obtaining employment administered by the Department of Education (DoED)
WIOA also authorizes programs for specific vulnerable populations and increases the quality and accessibility of services that job seekers and employers receive at their local WorkSource Centers or American Job Centers.

Employer and Business Services
WIOA improves services to employers by promoting work-based training. It contributes to economic growth and business expansion by ensuring the workforce system is job-driven, matching employers with skilled individuals. The program is also implemented through WorkSource Centers or America's Job Centers.

Highlights of the program include:
  • Centers promote the use of industry and sector partnerships to address the workforce needs of multiple employers within an industry
  • Centers are responsible for activities to meet the workforce needs of local and regional employers
  • Centers can use funds for demonstrated effective strategies that meet employers' workforce needs, including incumbent worker training, Registered Apprenticeship, transitional jobs, on-the-job training, and customized training
  • Employers are incentivized to meet their workforce needs and offer opportunities for workers to learn with increased reimbursement rates for on-the-job and customized training
To learn more about these services, visit the Economic and Workforce Development Department Employers & Businesses service page.

Adult Services
WIOA helps job seekers acquire industry recognized credentials for in-demand jobs by ensuring that unemployed and other job seekers can access high-quality workforce services. The program also increases individuals with disabilities' access to high-quality workforce services and prepares them for competitive integrated employment. The program is implemented through WorkSource Centers or America's Job Centers.

Some of the many program services are:
  • WorkSource Centers can use funds for demonstrated effective strategies that meet employers' workforce needs, including incumbent worker training, registered apprenticeship, transitional jobs, on-the-job training, and customized training
  • Training that leads to industry-recognized post-secondary credentials is emphasized
  • Core and intensive services are collapsed into "career services," and there is no required sequence of services, enabling job seekers to access training immediately
  • Job seekers who are basic skills deficient, in addition to those who are low-income individuals, have a priority for services from the Adult program
  • Centers provide physical and programmatic accessibility to employment and training services for individuals with disabilities

Youth Services
WIOA prepares vulnerable youth and other job seekers for successful employment by increasing the use of proven service model services. Young people who live in the Los Angeles area can access services including tutoring, internships, job shadowing, work experience, adult mentoring, and counseling at local centers called YouthSource Centers.

A list of various Youth Services and a YouthSource Center map is available on the Economic and Workforce Development Department website.

Additional youth-oriented services can be found at:
  • Hire LA's Youth is focused on connecting young people to local employment opportunities
  • LA Cash for College is targeted at expanding college access to students and families, providing them with information about financial aid and other college resources
  • LA Youth at Work is a program of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and its strategic affiliate, UNITE-LA, to help LA's young adults obtain crucial entry-level job training and work experiences

To find out what adult services are available near you, visit the Economic and Workforce Development Department website's Adult Employment services page.