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:

• The broader workforce investment system operated through local Job Centers and providing specific WIA oversight responsibility; and
• The WDB's own organizational goals and strategies.

Over the past year, the WDB (through its committees and taskforce) has accomplished the following:

• Promoted the top 30 jobs in during Workforce Development Month which was sponsored by River Valley Newspaper Group, the La Crosse Radio Group, WCOW, and the Wisconsin Job Centers.
• Produced the 3rd annual State of the Workforce Report
• Presented Western Wisconsin Employer of Choice Awards for best practices in attraction and retention of their workforces to: Riverfront, Inc., Dairyland Power Cooperative and Organic Valley.
• Assisted with financial events at over 23 schools throughout the eight county area.
• Provided a link between educators and employers for job shadowing opportunities and career speakers.
• Continued a system that tracks services, budgets and in-kind donations for our local Job Centers.
• Published a newsletter, "Connecting to Your Future", for educators and their students which were sponsored by the following businesses: Gundersen Lutheran Health System; Franciscan-Skemp; Michael Ablan, Attorney at Law; Firstlogic; and Courtesy Corp.
• Acknowledged the following for being great Job Center Partners: Gary Kirking, Western Technical College Regional Manager; Scott Bausch and Wanda Palmer of Workforce Connections, Inc.; Rick Larson of Job Service; Ken Smith, Consumer Credit Counseling; and Amy Schanhofer, UW Extension.
• Applied for and received a federal Incumbent Worker Manufacturing training grant
• Awarded a State of Wisconsin GROW grant that will help develop 7 Rivers Region initiatives.
• Assisted in the development of a Machinery, Equipment, and Metal Manufacturers cluster initiative which is looking to make their members globally competitive though networks, strategic alliances, joint ventures, and a highly skilled workforce.
• Provided oversight to Workforce Investment Act programs currently provided by Workforce Connections, Inc. and Couleecap, Inc. These programs, from July 2005 to March 2006, have served 171 economically disadvantaged youth, 244 adults, 288 dislocated workers, 181 workers in a national emergency grant, and 273 dislocated workers in a state Special Response grant.
• Provided oversight to a Job Center system that served over 51,000 services to individuals in our eight county area.
• Provided oversight to a program that provided for a Disability Navigator who has, since January 2004, served 2,058 customers and presented 1,132 presentations/workshops.