§ 15-4-3706 — Powers and duties of the Arkansas Workforce Development Board

The Arkansas Workforce Development Board shall assist the Governor and the Secretary of the Department of Commerce in: (1) The development, implementation, and modification of the state workforce development plan; (2) The review of statewide policies, of statewide programs, and of recommendations on actions that should be taken by the state to align state workforce development programs in a manner that supports a comprehensive and streamlined state workforce development system, including the review and provision of comments on the state workforce development plan, if any, for programs and activities of one-stop partners that are not core programs; (3) The development and continuous improvement of the state workforce development system, including without limitation: (A) The identification of barriers to employment that may exist between programs and the means for removing the barriers between programs to better coordinate, align, and avoid duplication among the programs and activities carried out through the state workforce development system; (B) The development of strategies to support the use of career pathways for the purpose of providing individuals, including low-skilled adults, youth, and individuals with barriers to employment, including individuals with disabilities, with workforce investment activities, education, and supportive services to gain or retain employment; (C) The development of strategies for providing effective outreach to and improved access for individuals and employers who could benefit from services provided through the state workforce development system; (D) The development and expansion of strategies for meeting the needs of employers, workers, and jobseekers, particularly through industry or sector partnerships related to in-demand industry sectors and occupations; (E) The identification of regions, including planning regions, after consultation with local workforce development boards and chief elected officials; (F) The development and continuous improvement of the one-stop delivery system in local workforce development areas, including providing assistance to local workforce development boards, one-stop operators, one-stop partners, and providers, with planning and delivering services, including training services and supportive services, to support effective delivery of services to workers, jobseekers, and employers; and (G) The development of strategies to support staff training and awareness across programs supported under the state workforce development system; (4) The development and updating of comprehensive state performance accountability measures, including state adjusted levels of performance, to assess the effectiveness of the core programs in the state; (5) The identification and dissemination of information on best practices, including best practices for: (A) The effective operation of one-stop centers relating to the use of business outreach, partnerships, and service delivery strategies, including strategies for serving individuals with barriers to employment; (B) The development of effective local workforce development boards, which may include information on factors that contribute to enabling local workforce development boards to exceed negotiated local levels of performance, sustain fiscal integrity, and achieve other measures of effectiveness; and (C) Effective training programs that respond to real-time labor market analysis and effectively use direct assessment and prior learning assessment to measure an individual's prior knowledge, skills, competencies, and experiences, and that evaluate such skills and competencies for adaptability to support efficient placement into employment or career pathways; (6) The development and review of statewide policies affecting the coordinated provision of services through the state's one-stop delivery system, including the development of: (A) Objective criteria and procedures for use by local workforce development boards in assessing the effectiveness and continuous improvement of one-stop centers; (B) Guidance for the allocation of one-stop center infrastructure funds; and (C) Policies relating to the appropriate roles and contributions of entities carrying out one-stop partner programs within the one-stop delivery system, including approaches to facilitating equitable and efficient cost allocation in the one-stop delivery system; (7) The development of strategies for technological improvements to facilitate access to, and improve the quality of, services and activities provided through the one-stop delivery system, including the improvements to: (A) Enhance digital literacy skills; (B) Accelerate the acquisition of skills and recognized postsecondary credentials by participants; (C) Strengthen the professional development of providers and workforce professionals; and (D) Ensure the technology is accessible to individuals with disabilities and individuals residing in remote areas; (8) The development of strategies for aligning technology and data systems across one-stop partner programs to enhance service delivery and improve efficiencies in reporting on performance accountability measures, including the design and implementation of common intake, data collection, case management information, and performance accountability measurement and reporting processes and the incorporation of local input into the design and implementation to improve coordination of services across one-stop partner programs; (9) The development of allocation formulas for the distribution of funds for employment and training activities for adults, and youth workforce investment activities, to local workforce development areas; (10) The preparation of an annual report; (11) The development of the statewide workforce and labor market information system; and (12) The development of such other policies as may promote statewide objectives for, and enhance the performance of, the workforce development system in the state.

Legislative History

Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 433, eff. 7/1/2019. Added by Act 2015, No. 907,§ 3, eff. 7/1/2015.