(Wilkes-Barre, PA, March 31, 2010) – The Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board issued the following statement after the event today at the Luzerne County Courthouse:
The Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board, working under the authority of the Luzerne and Schuylkill county commissioners, recently started seeking Requests For Proposals that would provide increased accountability for, and oversight of, about $10 million in federal and state employment program funding.
Without this mandated increased accountability and oversight, residents of Luzerne and Schuylkill counties would be in serious danger of losing millions of dollars in funding for programs that help unemployed workers find new jobs, receive re-training for career changes, and participate in summer and seasonal employment opportunities.
The L/S WIB sought RFPs after federal and state reviews of past workforce program practices revealed serious deficiencies that required immediate corrective action. Failure to comply by increasing financial accountability and oversight of these county programs could result in the loss of all federal and state workforce funding, as well as potentially expose Luzerne and Schuylkill counties to liability.
In accordance with and established by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, L/S WIB is one of 22 Workforce Investment Boards in Pennsylvania charged with the overarching responsibility and accountability of local workforce delivery systems GRANT funding. L/S WIB, a bi-county, private-sector majority, nonprofit commissioner-appointed board, is directly reportable to the local elected officials in both Luzerne and Schuylkill counties.
In late 2009 and early 2010, both the Luzerne and Schuylkill county commissioners agreed to seek competitive bids – that is, RFPs – through the L/S WIB for employment programs and job training services.
The Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Development Agency (LCWIDA), which currently provides services in Luzerne County, was invited to participate in the RFP process and submit a proposal for consideration.
In fact, L/S WIB fully expects LCWIDA to respond to the RFPs as a qualified bidder.
Using an open bidding process for employment services is just one step the L/S WIB is taking to help ensure Luzerne and Schuylkill counties do not lose all state and federal workforce funding.
Due to pending and ongoing audits by state and federal agencies, L/S WIB cannot comment further on the current situation.
Those interested are invited to review a March 22, 2010, release entitled “Timeline and Statement of Facts,” which may be found online at: http://www.lswib.org/News/timeline-and-statement-of-facts.html
