§ 2.2-214.3 — Responsibilities of the Secretary

Virginia § 2.2-214.3

• Jurisdiction: Virginia
• Title 2.2: Administration of Government
• Subtitle I: Organization of State Government
• Ch. 2: Governor's Secretaries
• Art. 6.1: Secretary of Labor
• Part A: Office of the Governor

Text

A. The Secretary shall assist the Governor in his capacity as the Chief Workforce Development Officer for the Commonwealth pursuant to § 2.2-435.6. The Secretary shall be responsible for the duties assigned to him pursuant to this article, Chapter 4.2 (§ 2.2-435.6 et seq.), Article 24 (§ 2.2-2470 et seq.) of Chapter 24, and other tasks as may be assigned to him by the Governor.

B. The Chief Workforce Development Officer's responsibilities as carried out by the Secretary of Labor shall include:

1. Developing a strategic plan for the statewide delivery of workforce development and training programs and activities. The strategic plan shall be developed in coordination with the development of the comprehensive economic development policy required by § 2.2-205. The strategic plan shall include mandatory performance measures for all workforce development programs across state government that link the objectives of such programs and activities to the record of state agencies, local workforce development boards, and other relevant entities in attaining such objectives. The Secretary shall have the authority to require compliance with such mandatory performance measures by all workforce development program administrators and providers across state government;

2. Determining the appropriate allocation, to the extent permissible under applicable federal law, of funds and other resources that have been appropriated or are otherwise available for disbursement by the Commonwealth for workforce development programs and activities;

3. Ensuring that the Commonwealth's workforce development efforts are implemented in a coordinated and efficient manner by, among other activities, taking appropriate executive action to this end and recommending to the General Assembly necessary legislative actions to streamline and eliminate duplication in such efforts;

4. Providing oversight and directing efficient implementation of workforce development and training programs by Cabinet Secretaries and agencies responsible for such programs;

5. Developing, in consultation with the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, (i) certification standards and metrics for programs and providers and (ii) uniform policies and procedures, including standardized forms and applications, for one-stop centers;

6. Monitoring, in coordination with the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, the effectiveness of each one-stop center and recommending actions needed to improve its effectiveness;

7. Establishing measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the local workforce development boards and conducting annual evaluations of the effectiveness of each local workforce development board. As part of the evaluation process, the Governor shall recommend to such boards specific best management practices;

8. Conducting annual evaluations of the performance of workforce development and training programs and activities across state government and their administrators and service providers using the performance measures developed through the strategic planning process described in subdivision 1. The evaluations shall include, to the extent feasible, (i) a comparison of the per-person costs for each program or activity; (ii) a comparative rating of each program or activity based on its success in meeting program objectives consisting of individuals placed in jobs, jobs retained, and wages or earnings paid, as determined by the Secretary; and (iii) an explanation of the extent to which each agency's appropriation requests incorporate the data reflected in the cost comparison described in clause (i) and the comparative rating described in clause (ii). These evaluations, including the comparative rankings, shall be considered in allocating resources for workforce development and training programs. These evaluations shall be submitted to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor and included in the biennial reports pursuant to subdivision 10;

9. Monitoring federal legislation and policy in order to maximize the Commonwealth's effective use of access to federal funding available for workforce development programs; and

10. Submitting biennial reports, which shall be included in the Governor's executive budget submissions to the General Assembly, on improvements in the coordination of workforce development efforts statewide. The reports shall identify (i) program success rates in relation to performance measures established by the Secretary in consultation with the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, (ii) obstacles to program and resource coordination, and (iii) strategies for facilitating statewide program and resource coordination.

Legislative History

2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 453; 2023, cc. 624, 625.