In today's knowledge-based economy, our community's ability to attract, retain and grow new industry depends on a skilled workforce. An integrated, effective workforce development system can provide local residents with the skills needed to fill new jobs with expanding companies and can contribute to our community's attractiveness as a place to locate a business.

Aligning workforce programs with overall community strategies will encompass transportation, housing, education, social service and physical infrastructure improvements. Developing systematic linkages between economic development and workforce development provides enormous benefits to employers, workers and the community as a whole.

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) goes further than the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) that it replaces. The WIA is state and locally driven, will provide a One Stop service delivery system, and depends on strong involvement by local elected officials and the private sector. The system to be developed under the WIA provides the opportunity for business and industry to link more closely with job access and training programs and provide leadership for the development of a workforce that meets the needs of localities as defined in their economic development plans. Implementation of the WIA began July 1, 2000.

Our Local Workforce Investment Area includes all of Planning Districts 9 (Counties of Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock) and 10 (City of Charlottesville and the Counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson). The Governor has approved this area as Local Workforce Investment Area VI (LWIA VI), Piedmont Workforce Network.

The LWIB has the central role of providing leadership and direction on local strategic workforce issues, identifying local needs and developing strategies to address those needs. LWIBs must be made up of a majority of private sector representatives. The Piedmont Workforce Network Board has 34 members, 19 of whom are business representatives. Other members include representatives of education, economic development, labor, Community Based Organizations, and One Stop required partners.