Workforce Development Council

The Workforce Development Council is an attached agency to the State of Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. The council is a 41-member advisory commission comprised of both public and private-sector representatives, who are selected by the Governor to serve in staggered 4-year terms on the basis of their interest in and knowledge of workforce development programs in Hawaii and how to support economic development throughout the state.

FUNCTION

The council operates in two capacities:

First, in a federal capacity, the council serves as the State Workforce Investment Board for purposes of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, Public Law No. 113-128, and functions as an “information clearinghouse” for all workforce development programs in the State, including workforce training and education programs.

Second, in a state capacity, the council is responsible for preparing and overseeing the comprehensive state plan for workforce development in the state of Hawaii, and for advising the Governor, via annual reports, on state policies and funding priorities that it believes should be adopted by the state government in order to address the unmet workforce and economic development needs across the state.

In addition to the council members, the WDC also has a small staff that provides administration and support for the council and its activities, particularly those concerning its duties and responsibilities under the federal program mentioned above.