Local Workforce Development Board (LWDA)                 Area 51/ Region 5

 

MISSION STATEMENT

We are a partnership of local community organizations and employers providing a comprehensive range of useful career and employment services. We empower our job seekers to become self-sufficient and improve their overall quality of life while providing employers a pipeline to connect trained and work ready   applicants in a constantly evolving demand driven market. We aspire to offer the highest quality services to all as we continuously  improve. We put people to work.

Workforce Development Board Director

Stephanie Seemion

Members of the Workforce Development Board

To see a list of current board members, click HERE. 

Who We Are/ What We Do

The Calcasieu Consortium Workforce Development Board is a 32-member board appointed by the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury. Membership is comprised of 13 public and 19 private sector professionals from the 6 parishes that make up the consortium: Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, and Vernon. Board members are nominated for term on a  staggered, three-year basis.

Private sector members represent various key areas of the local economy, including medical, manufacturing, administration, accounting/finance, chemical industry, construction, trucking, forestry, real estate, sales, transportation, welding, and prison reform. The public sector members represent apprenticeships, community services organizations, post-secondary education, literacy, economic development, rehabilitation services, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), transitional services for soldiers, and the School Board. Private sector board members are nominated by the chambers of commerce in the six-parish area. Public sector members are nominated by agencies specified by the Louisiana Workforce Commission.

Where We Want To Go/How We Are Going To Get There

Goals and objectives include both the impact of board services and the image created through board services.

Focus on Impact

As a result of the board’s efforts :

• Employees increase goals for future (increase self-esteem, pride, and involvement)
• We have greater partner involvement and awareness
• Create a desire for work, employ greater numbers and reduce dependence upon public assistance
• Train for higher paying jobs using entry-level employment with upward mobility and increase access to those jobs
• Give individuals more responsibility for their lives instead of providing programs to "just exist"
• Provide a trained workforce.

Create an Image

• We are a community coalition serving as a motivating factor.
• We are more than a government agency; we are a top-notch agency that cares.
• We are proactive, easy to work with, client-oriented, and an employer/provider-focused resource who can help clients solve problems resulting from unemployment and the under-employment.

Board Regulation and Function

 Consistent with Section 108 of the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act , the 13 functions of the local board include:

• Local/regional plan preparation and submission, in collaboration with the chief elected official.
• Carry out workforce research and regional labor market analysis of economic conditions and other research related to the workforce needs of the regional economy.
• Convene with local workforce development system stakeholders to assist in the development of the local plan
• Lead efforts to engage with a diverse range of employers and with entities in the region to promote business representation, to develop effective linkages, to ensure that workforce investment activities meet the needs of employers and develop and implement proven or promising strategies for meeting the employment and skill needs of workers and employers.
• Develop career pathways in collaboration with representatives of secondary and post-secondary education programs by aligning employment, training, education, and supportive services needed by adults and youth and particularly, individuals with barriers to employment.
• Lead the efforts in proven and promising practices by identifying and promoting proven and promising strategies and initiatives for meeting the needs of employers and workers and jobseekers (including individuals with barriers to employment) including physical and programmatic accessibility to the one-stop delivery system.
• Develop strategies for using technology to maximize the accessibility and effectiveness of the local workforce development system for employers and workers and jobseekers.
• In partnership with the chief elected official, conduct oversight for local youth workforce investment activities, and ensue appropriate use and management of funds provided by the Act, and ensure the appropriate use, management and investment of funds to maximize performance outcomes specified in Section 116 of the act.
• Negotiate and reach agreement on local performance accountability measures for serving participants (percentage of participants in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the program; percentage of participants in unsubsidized employment during the fourth quarter after exit from the program;  median earnings of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit, percentage of participants who obtain a recognized post-secondary credential or a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent during participation or within one-year after exit from the program; percentage of participants who are in an education or training program that leads to a recognized post-secondary credential or employment and who are achieving measurable gains toward a such credential or employment) and performance measures for youth (percentage of participants who are in education or training activities or in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the program; percentage of participants who are in education or training activities or in unsubsidized employment during the fourth quarter after exit from program, the third through sixth of the items listed at the beginning of this paragraph.
• Designate or certify one-stop operators (may terminate for cause the eligibility of such operators), selection of youth providers by awarding grants or contracts on a competitive basis (may terminate for cause the eligibility of such providers, identify eligible training services.
• Coordinate activities with education and training providers in the local area including providers of workforce investment activities, providers of adult education and literacy activities (by reviewing applications to provide adult education and literacy), providers of career and technical education and entities administering plans under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 by replicating cooperative agreements with respect to efforts that will enhance the provision of services to individuals with disabilities and other individuals (such as cross training staff, technical assistance and use and sharing of information, cooperative efforts with employers and other efforts at cooperation, collaboration, and coordination.
• Develop a budget for the activities of the local board in the local area, consistent with the local plan and the duties of the local board by having the chief elected official to serve as the grant recipient bearing liability for any misuse of grant funds allocated to the local area, designation of the local fiscal agent (the chief elected official has been designated as the fiscal agent for Local Workforce Development Area 51 (Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis and Vernon parishes), disburse the grant funds immediately for workforce investment activities at the direction of the local board, and solicit other grants and donations from sources other than federal funds.
• Annually assess the physical and programmatic accessibility of all one stop centers in the local area, make available to the public on a regular basis through electronic means and open meetings information regarding the activities of the local board including information regarding the local plan prior to submission of the plan, regarding membership, designation and certification of one-stop operators and the award of grants or contracts to eligible providers.

Meeting schedule

The Calcasieu Local Workforce Development Board #51 will hold regularly scheduled full board meetings on a quarterly basis on the dates listed below:

• Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024
• Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025
• Thursday, April 24, 2025
• Thursday, July 24, 2025
• Thursday, Oct. 23 2025.

The LWDB primarily hold two or three meetings at the Calcasieu Parish Comprehensive One-Stop Center (2424 3rd Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601) and the remaining may be rotated between Allen, Beauregard, Jefferson Davis, and Vernon Parishes. All meetings are tentatively schedule at noon.

Agendas

An agenda with all pertinent information is emailed to members at least seven days prior to the meeting so that they may prepare for board business. Anyone interested in a copy of the full agenda packet should contact Donnafaye Moss at dmoss@lwia51.com or visit calcasieu.gov/wdbagendas.

Committees

Committees of the Workforce Development Board who undertake specific action initiatives related to the overall goals of the WDB include the following: Executive Committee, Youth Initiatives, Labor and Apprenticeship initiatives, Economic Development, and Disability inclusion.

Workforce Development Board Minutes

Click HERE to see current and past WBD agenda packets and minutes.