A well-skilled, literate workforce is critical to a healthy economy. Through a variety of workforce training and partnership efforts, OED augments public and private initiatives to assist our residents obtain needed skills. We have supported the Women in Technology apprenticeship and Tech Careers Days initiatives of MEDB, Project EAST in our high schools and have provided funding to the University Center at Maui Community College to assist with the development of curriculum and additional course offerings in high demand areas such as computer science and film.

OED's financial assistance allows the courses to be industry driven and delivered in a more timely fashion. As new classes and certificate programs come on line, these efforts will enable more Maui residents to upgrade their skills and enhance their earnings potential through additional educational opportunities. JoAnn Inamasu heads up the workforce development unit and is the staff liaison to the Maui Workforce Investment Board.

Congress enacted the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) in 1998 to replace the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) which had been the federal government's employment and training assistance program for 16 years. Unlike JTPA which allowed services and funds to flow through State agencies, WIA mandates more local involvement and ostensibly more local control. The County began working closely with Maui's Workforce Development Division of the State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to effectuate a smooth transition from JTPA to WIA. The new law went into effect July 1, 2000.

The WIA provides the framework for a unique public private partnership to address employers needs for a skilled workforce and employees needs for training in high demand areas. WIA is an effort to empower individuals seeking employment by providing them with appropriate resources and training to increase their skill level to help meet the needs of the business community.

The program is administered locally by OED with an advisory board composed of a majority of private sector representatives. Other board members represent employee groups, non-profit service providers, and public sector agencies. The local Maui Workforce Investment Board (WIB) is appointed by the Mayor and is responsible for developing the local programmatic plan which is, in turn, submitted to the State for inclusion in the State plan. OED will provide staff for the Maui WIB. On the State level, the Economic Development Coordinator represents the Mayor on the Workforce Development Council (WDC), the Statewide workforce investment board.

OED contracts with WDD/DLIR and others to provide the services required for youth (summer and year round), adult and dislocated workers. Until passage of WIA, workforce development was a State program function with little County input. The partnership approach envisioned by Congress will require additional County resources and attention to an area critical to our economy.