Andrew Barrett
Northeast Indiana Workforce Investment Board
1415 Magnavox Way, Suite 150
Fort Wayne, IN 46804
(260) 459-1400 ext. 206, (260) 459-5973 fax

The federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which superseded the Job Training Partnership Act, offers a comprehensive range of workforce development activities through statewide, regional and local organizations. Workforce development activities provided in local communities can benefit job seekers, laid off workers, youth, incumbent workers, new entrants to the workforce, veterans, persons with disabilities, and employers. The purpose of these activities is to promote an increase in the employment, job retention, earnings, and occupational skills improvement by participants. This, in turn, improves the quality of the workforce, reduces welfare dependency, and improves the productivity and competitiveness of the nation.

The Workforce Investment Act seeks to develop partnerships that will connect adults and youth to jobs though these workforce development activities. Cooperative Extension Service professionals should be involved in these partnering opportunities as part of expressing their role as community educators and leaders. The resulting partnerships can enhance both the Workforce Development goals of the OneStop Centers and the Community Development goals of the Extension Service. The presenters are a Director of Development and Research from a Workforce Investment Board and an Extension Educator in Workforce Development and Adult Education affiliated with the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service at a community learning and technology center. They will discuss the partnership role for the Extension Service and Workforce Investment Boards (WIB’s) in Community Development. Persons attending the workshop will have an improved comprehension of the Workforce Investment Act, the connection between the WIB’s and the Cooperative Extension Service, and the mutual advantages of increased and effective partnering relationships.