The Western Wisconsin Workforce Development Board, Inc. (WDB) was incorporated on May 3, 2000 under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). This Board has a regulated composition of at least 51% of the seats held by business leaders, with the remainder being held by education, labor, economic development, one-stop partners and community-based organization representatives. The WDB is administratively supported by Workforce Connections, Inc. which has also been designated as fiscal agent by the Local Elected Officials in accordance with the provisions of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).

WIA, as administered in Wisconsin, recognizes a delivery system of 13 federal employment and training programs that are expected to be coordinated through one or more job centers in a designated Workforce Development Area (WDA). Accordingly, the WDB is responsible for setting forth a five-year plan for the operation of these programs in area job centers to achieve the purpose of WIA. It is also charged with the oversight of the job center system in the region. There are 11 Workforce Development Areas and Workforce Development Boards in Wisconsin.

The Western Wisconsin Workforce Development Area (WDA #9) consists of eight counties that include: Buffalo, Crawford, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Trempealeau, and Vernon.

The Workforce Development Board has two separate functions working within the same structure. Those functions include:

(1)The broader workforce investment system operated through local Job Centers and providing specific WIA oversight responsibility; and

(2)The WDB's own organizational goals and strategies which can be found in the WDB Business Plan.