Los Angeles Basin Regional and Local Workforce Development Plans Completed and Moving Forward


aerial image of Los Angeles at Sunset

Background on the Regional Workforce Development Plan

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) and the State of California Workforce Development Board mandates regional workforce planning by local workforce development boards. In the case of Los Angeles County, the State has designated the Los Angeles Basin Regional Planning Unit for the purpose of regional workforce development planning. This unit covers the whole county and is represented by the seven local Workforce Development Boards entirely within Los Angeles County (City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, Pacific Gateway (Long Beach), South Bay, Verdugo, Foothill and Southeast Los Angeles County), contains eighty-eight cities and the unincorporated areas of the county.

These boards operate 38 America’s Job Centers of California career centers (co-branded as WorkSource Centers in Los Angeles) and nearly 40 youth employment centers and portals for youth and young adults.

Public Input was Extensive

To develop the Regional Workforce Development Plan, the local WDBs initiated a process that included: review of existing reports and analyses; individual meetings with key stakeholders; and, to gain a wide range of input, a series of 19 regional planning forums (held during November, December 2016), where hundreds of stakeholders from business, education, economic development and other disciplines shared thoughts on strategies and priorities for the workforce system. After the initial development, the draft plan was open for public comment during the month of February 2017 and was also presented at the local WDB meetings.

March 15, 2017, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 4-Year Regional Planning Unit Plan and Related Local Plans, Program Years 2017-2020 was submitted to the State Workforce Development Board.

The Regional Workforce Development Plan is built upon four pillars:
  1. it is demand-driven by employers, reflecting the needs of priority business sectors;
  2. it ensures inclusiveness and accessibility, enabling all individuals to train for and obtain a quality job;
  3. it seeks alignment across disciplines, including workforce services, education (adult education and community colleges) and economic development to improve effectiveness; and
  4. it uses regional sector pathway programs as a central strategy to build a skilled and competitive workforce – matching job training to growth sectors

In August 2017, the California Workforce Development Board approved the Los Angeles Regional Workforce Development Plan and the component seven local plans.

Moving Forward – What are Next Action Steps?

The seven local WDBs have established a series of goals for the regional workforce system. Goals fall into two categories: technical goals and strategic goals. Technical goals relate to the technical requirements of regional coordination, while strategic goals help chart a course for improving the overall effectiveness of the system within the region.

Examples of technical goals are: engagement of industry leaders from priority sectors in identifying skill needs, reviewing training content, determining the value of credentials and recommending programs to address job-seeker skill needs; adopting a regional definition of “industry-valued” to support credential efforts; and developing guidelines for defining “quality jobs.”

Strategic goals include: developing a framework for determining the scalability and replication potential of career pathway programs; adopting a regional protocol for incumbent worker training; developing a framework for supporting workers engaged in the “gig economy”; and more. Work toward accomplishing these goals will be a principal focus of the region over the next two years.

In addition, each of the seven local WDBs drafted a local plan (as mandated) for its specific workforce development activities. These local plans align with the regional plan and are attached as part of the overall plan.

After the LA Basin Regional Plan was accepted, the seven WDBs determined to focus initial collaborative efforts on five priority goals out of the 22 identified goals. The five priority goals are:
  1. expand service and outcomes for the region's disconnected youth
  2. Implement a system-wide approach to better engage industries and employers
  3. engage industry leaders to identify skills and training needs of industries
  4. develop a framework to bring more training programs to a regional scale
  5. develop a communications platform to promote sharing of best practices throughout the various workforce development partners

In the coming months through mid-2018, the seven WDBs will review and discuss the regional collaboration efforts during their respective board and committee meetings.

For more information, please feel free to contact the Regional Planning Coordinator at 213-744-7216 or by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

View the Complete Plan and the Local Plans

Los Angeles Basin Regional Planning Unit - Regional Workforce Development Plan 2017-2020
City of Los Angeles Workforce Development Board WIOA Local Workforce Plan 2017-2020
Los Angeles County WDB Local Workforce Development Plan 2017-2020

Southeast Los Angeles County WDB Local Workforce Development Plan 2017-2020

Pacific Gateway (Long Beach) WDB Local Workforce Development Plan 2017-2020

Verdugo WDB Local Workforce Development Plan 2017-2020

Foothill WDB Local Workforce Development Plan 2017-2020

South Bay WDB Local Workforce Development Plan 2017-2020