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Local Board Appointment Criteria

Section I 17(b)(1) of WIA authorizes the Governor, in partnership with the State Board, to establish criteria for chief elected officials to use to appoint members of the local boards. The following table provides the composition requirements for membership on local workforce development boards which are stipulated in Section 117(b)(2) of WIA and the criteria developed by the Governor.

Composition Requirements Nomination Process Criteria
Business Representation
The majority membership of the board must be comprised of representatives of businesses with employment opportunities that reflect the employment opportunities of the local area.
  • The State encourages the appointment of at least one representative of a business primarily involved in high-technology enterprises.
  • Among the businesses with employment opportunities that reflect the current opportunities of the local area, chief elected officials may consider appointing representatives of growing or emerging businesses, particularly if they represent high-technology enterprises.
  • Appointments should be reflective of overall business and community demographics. Equity should be sought to adequately represent small and medium-sized businesses, including minority and female-owned businesses as appropriate.
  • Appointments must be made from private-sector business enterprises.
  • A business representative may not also represent a non-business sector on the board.
Representatives of businesses must be owners, chief executives or operating officers of businesses, and other business executives or employers with optimum policymaking or hiring authority.
  • Congress intended that business would play a leadership role in identifying available job opportunities and skills development needs in the local labor market. Therefore, it is critical that highest-level appointments be made to ensure the appropriate level of knowledge and expertise is present to guide workforce investment policy and decision-making
Nominations must be made by local business organizations and business trade organizations.
  • Nominations must be actively sought from two or more local business organizations and trade associations from the local area; business representatives should not all be nominated by the same organization.
  • Only one (1) nomination per board seat is required.
  • Consideration should be given to using nominating organizations such as local chambers of commerce and local manufacturing associations.
The board must be chaired by a business representative.
  • The local workforce development board must elect its chair from the business representatives.
  • A representative from a chamber of commerce is not a business representative, and therefore, may not serve as chair.
Two or more representatives from each of the following categories:
Local educational entities, including representatives of local educational agencies, local school boards, entities providing adult education and literacy activities, and postsecondary educational institutions (including community colleges, where such entities exist) selected from nominations by regional or local educational agencies.
  • Nominations must be sought from regional or local educational agencies, institutions, or organizations representing such local educational entities. Efforts should be made to seek representatives who will have an interest and background in youth issues for possible appointment to the Youth Council.
  • Special consideration should be given to including representatives of community colleges in the selection of members representing local educational entities.
Labor organizations nominated by local labor federations
  • At least two representatives from organized labor nominated by the appropriate central labor council in the region
  • Special consideration should be given to accepting nominations from local chapters of the New York State American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
Community-based organizations
  • Special consideration should be given to including representatives of organizations representing individuals with disabilities, veterans, or other populations that may have a significant presence in the local area.
Economic development organizations
  • Special consideration should be given to including private sector economic development organizations.
  • Representatives from local chambers of commerce (e.g., an executive director of a local chamber of commerce) may be appointed to serve on local boards to represent economic development agencies, community-based organizations or as additional members whom chief-elected officials may determine to be appropriate.
Representatives of required One-Stop Partners (These are minimum requirements, additional representatives may be nominated)
WIA Title I programs for adults, youth and dislocated workers; Welfare-to-Work Grants One representative to serve for these programs. CEO, as grant recipient, appoints.
Employment Service, (Wagner-Peyser); Trade Adjustment Assistance (and NAFTA-TAA); Veterans' E & T services, Unemployment Insurance One representative to serve for these programs. NYSDOL will provide the names of representatives for each area.
Vocational Rehabilitation One representative to serve for this program NYSED (VESID) will provide the names of representatives for each area.
Adult Education and Family Literacy and Postsecondary Vocational Education One representative to serve for these programs. NYSED will provide the names of representatives for each area.
Senior Community Service Employment Program One representative to serve for this program - may be a Title V national sponsor or a representative of the local office of the aging (local Title V sponsor). SOFA is strongly encouraging Title V sponsors to coordinate in each local area so that whomever the CEO appoints to represent the Title V program on the board will represent all Title V providers in the local area.
Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) -- employment and training activities One representative, which may be a representative from a local community action program, to serve for this program if it is present in the local area. Not every county may be covered; some CSBG programs do not focus on providing employment and training services. CSBG programs may serve both cities and counties.
Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-- employment and training activities One representative to serve for this program if it is present in the local area. This program may be represented by the same agency that represents the CSBG program if that agency also operates a HUD E&T program.
Representatives from national programs - if present in area
Native American programs Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Programs Veterans' Workforce Investment programs Youth Opportunity Grants Job Corps Under WIA, each of these national programs are required One-Stop partners and will require a separate representative where they are present in the local area. If they are local One-Stop partners then they must also be represented on the board.

General Provisions

  • Chief-elected officials have the option of appointing additional members as deemed appropriate. However, officials are advised to keep in mind that appointing additional members will increase the overall size of the board. In particular, if the additional appointees are not business representatives, then additional business appointments may be required to maintain a business majority.
  • Efforts should be made to seek representatives who will have an interest and background in youth issues for possible appointment to the Youth Council.
  • Chief-elected officials should make board appointments with staggered term durations to ensure continuity and stability for board operation.
  • Non-business appointees may represent more than one sector of the required membership categories.
  • In local areas with more than one chief-elected official, there must be a local agreement in place that addresses how board appointments were handled among the elected officials.
  • Once the local board is established, the board should establish by-laws that address:
    • Rules of order
    • Definition of quorum
    • Minimum meeting schedule
    • Conflict of interest procedures
    • Subsequent appointments procedures
    • Record maintenance and accessibility (particularly in light of WIA "sunshine" requirement)

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