Action Taken on County Workforce Development

Two items related to workforce development in Washtenaw County were addressed at the Nov. 20, 2013 meeting of the county board of commissioners.

The board gave initial approval to accept $1,154,683 in funding from the Partnership Accountability Training Hope (PATH) program, which is part of Michigan’s welfare system. The funding is for the period from Oct. 1, 2013 through Sept. 30, 2014. The money, to be administered by the county’s office of community and economic development, is meant to help fund training and “job readiness” services to welfare applicants or recipients that are low-wage workers. [.pdf of staff memo describing PATH services] The funding is $5,520 less than the county received last year.

Commissioners also approved bylaws for the county’s workforce development board (WDB). [.pdf of adopted bylaws] The bylaws had already been adopted by the workforce development board at its meeting on Sept. 5, 2013.

A staff memo outlined reasons for the changes:

One major factor was a recent change in State policy that impacted the language in the bylaws, particularly with respect to WDB representation that altered the composition and the sectors represented on the WDB. Other changes to the WDB bylaws include changes to the committees and officers of the WDB; the minimum number of official meetings required during a calendar year; and the addition of language related to employer “demand driven” system.

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the county administration building at 220 N. Main St. in Ann Arbor, where the board of commissioners holds its meetings. A more detailed report will follow: [link]