2023 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 31 - Labor
Chapter 556 - Labor Department
Section 31-3k. - Regional workforce development boards: Duties and responsibilities.

(a) There is established within the Labor Department a regional workforce development board for each workforce development region in the state.

(b) Each board, within its region, in accordance with the Connecticut workforce development plan approved by the Governor and developed by the Governor's Workforce Council pursuant section 31-11p, the state workforce strategy approved by the Governor and developed by the Chief Workforce Officer pursuant to section 4-124w, any guidance issued by the Chief Workforce Officer pursuant to section 4-124w and any guidance issued by the Labor Commissioner, shall:

(1) (A) Assess the needs and priorities for investing in the development of human resources within the region and shall coordinate a broad range of employment, education, training and related services that shall be focused on client-centered, lifelong learning, (B) be responsive to the needs of local business, industry, the region, its municipalities and its residents, and (C) be the lead agency for any local workforce development initiative.

(2) Within existing resources and consistent with the state employment and training information system (A) assess regional needs and identify regional priorities for employment and training programs, including, but not limited to, an assessment of the special employment needs of unskilled and low-skilled unemployed persons, including persons receiving state-administered general assistance or short-term unemployment assistance, (B) conduct planning for regional employment and training programs, (C) coordinate such programs to ensure that the programs respond to the needs of labor, business and industry, municipalities within the region, the region as a whole, and all of its citizens, (D) serve as a clearinghouse for information on all employment and training programs in the region, (E) review grant proposals and plans submitted to state agencies for employment and training programs that directly affect the region and inform the Governor's Workforce Council and each state agency concerned of the results of the review, (F) ensure the effective use of available employment and training resources in the region, and (G) allocate funds where applicable for program operations in the region.

(3) Provide information to the commissioner, Chief Workforce Officer or Governor's Workforce Council that the commissioner, Chief Workforce Officer or Governor's Workforce Council deems essential for effective state planning.

(4) Carry out the duties and responsibilities of the local workforce development board for purposes of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

(c) Each board shall make use of grants or contracts with appropriate service providers to furnish all program services under sections 31-3j to 31-3r, inclusive, unless the Governor's Workforce Council concurs with the board that direct provision of a service by the board is necessary to assure adequate availability of the service or that a service of comparable quality can be provided more economically by the board. Any board seeking to provide services directly shall submit to the commissioner, the Chief Workforce Officer and the Governor's Workforce Council a plan of service and appropriate justification for the need to provide services directly. Such plan of service shall be subject to review and approval by the Governor's Workforce Council.

(d) On October 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, each board shall submit in accordance with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, data and comprehensive performance measures detailing the results of any education, employment or job training program or activity funded by moneys allocated to the board, including, but not limited to, programs and activities specified in said act. The Labor Commissioner and the Chief Workforce Officer may require the submission of additional data and performance measures through guidance jointly by said commissioner and officer.

(P.A. 92-145, S. 2, 10; P.A. 93-134, S. 1; P.A. 99-195, S. 4, 15; P.A. 01-97; P.A. 04-76, S. 33; P.A. 11-48, S. 93; P.A. 12-116, S. 87; P.A. 16-169, S. 24; 16-170, S. 2; P.A. 17-237, S. 103; P.A. 21-40, S. 29; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 217.)

History: P.A. 93-134 amended Subsec. (b)(1) to provide that a regional work force development board shall not automatically replace a private industry council, rather the members of the private industry council shall vote on, and the labor commissioner shall approve of, such replacement; P.A. 99-195 made technical changes in Subsec. (b), adding Subdivs. (4) and (5) requiring boards to carry out duties and responsibilities of local boards for purposes of the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and to establish worker training education committees, effective June 23, 1999; P.A. 01-97 added Subsec. (d) re reporting of comprehensive performance measures to the Office of Workforce Competitiveness; P.A. 04-76 amended Subsec. (b)(2)(A) by replacing reference to “general assistance” with reference to “state-administered general assistance”; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “Office of Workforce Competitiveness” with “Labor Department”, effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 12-116, “regional vocational-technical schools” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “technical high schools” in Subsec. (b)(5), effective July 1, 2012; pursuant to P.A. 16-169, “Workforce Investment Act of 1998, P.L. 105-220” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, P.L. 113-128” in Subsecs. (b)(4) and (d); P.A. 16-170 amended Subsec. (b)(2) by deleting reference to annual plan; P.A. 17-237 amended Subsec. (b)(5) by replacing “technical high schools” with “technical education and career schools”, effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 21-40 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (b); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (a) by moving provisions re assessment of human resources development needs in region from Subsec. (a) to Subsec. (b)(1) and adding provision therein re lead agency, substantially revised Subsec. (b) re duties and responsibilities of regional workforce development boards and deleting Subdiv. (5) re worker training education committee, substantially revised Subsec. (c) re boards making use of grants or contracts, and amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “October 1, 2002” with “October 1, 2021”, reference to Labor Department with reference to Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and provision re performance measures to be included in annual report with provision re authority of Labor Commissioner and Chief Workforce Officer to require submission of additional data and performance measures, effective July 1, 2021.