(Pottsville, PA, December 10, 2010) – The Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board (L/S WIB), has made significant progress over the past year in correcting issues uncovered during audits of the prior administration’s practices, two high-ranking officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry told WIB board members Thursday during a meeting in Pottsville.
Robert G. Garraty, Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development, and Christine Enright, Director of the Bureau of Workforce Development Partnership for the Department of Labor and Industry, commended the new L/S WIB leadership for initiating policies and procedures that have corrected many of the issues uncovered during audits conducted in 2009.
“One year ago, you came in and asked where we wanted you to be, and you’ve gotten there,” Garraty told board members and WIB staff. “You should be proud of yourself.”
Garraty spoke about the many changes that have taken place since Martha M. Herron took over as chairman of the board and Lucyann Vierling was hired as executive director. “Martha has taken the bull by the horns and you are very fortunate to have her,” he told board members.
The L/S WIB is one of 22 Workforce Investment Boards throughout the Commonwealth that plan and oversee the local delivery of workforce services. Because of the deficiencies in the 2009 audits, the LS/WIB was one of only two WIBs that failed to achieve high performance WIB standards.
At Thursday’s meeting, Garraty told the board that he will recommend to the incoming administration that the L/S WIB be the first WIB reviewed in the new year, “because of how far you have come in the past year.”
In a letter sent to Herron in November, Garraty stated, “We understand that the issues facing your WIB were far greater than just the 10 high performance WIB standards. For example, there was concern about aspects of the WIB’s connection with the business community, its involvement in all phases of operation including the interaction and communication with the PA CareerLink Centers, its lack of fiscal oversight for the area’s public workforce development expenditures and its need to become more involved in all phases of the industry partnerships; including their governance and regional projects. You have addressed all of those issues and beyond.”
Garraty went on to say that the L/S WIB has “taken control by developing reporting tools to better communicate the financial position of the local workforce area as a whole, reviewing governmental audits and assisting in the development of audit responses.”
He spoke about the many other monitoring measures the WIB had put into place and acknowledged the work of the board to revamp programs that affect the youth of Luzerne and Schuylkill counties.
“Please know that we understand the difficult and hard decisions that your board had to make regarding multiple issues. We admire the tenacity and professionalism your board and staff have displayed,” Garraty said.
During Thursday’s meeting, Garraty said his agency has noticed much better communications between the WIB and PA CareerLink® centers and praised Vierling for her participation in regional efforts as part of a group of four northeastern WIBs that are working together to develop the best approaches to workforce issues.
During her address to the board, Enright echoed many of Garraty’s comments, but also provided some guidance for the WIB’s future. She encouraged the board to continue building additional monitoring tools and to develop and modify plans to meet the changing workforce climate. “You need to continue to put together strategies that put together programs that accomplish what needs to be done,” she said while stressing that the “one stop” delivery system at PA CareerLink® centers requires a true integration of services.
