WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION
ON WORKFORCE INVESTMENT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
2009- 20010 Interims
SENATE MEMBERSHOUSE MEMBERS
Brooks McCabe, Chair Delegate K. Steven Kominar, Chair
Senator Jeffrey V. KesslerDelegate Larry W. Barker
Senator Ron Stollings Delegate Orphy Klempa
Senator Frank Deem Delegate Bill Hamilton
Delegate Craig Blair, (nonvoting)
Final Report of
LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION ON
WORKFORCE INVESTMENT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The Legislative Oversight Commission on Workforce Investment for Economic Development
was appointed pursuant to the provisions of West Virginia Code §5B-2B-7, et seq, following the
2009 Regular Session of the 79th Legislature. Pursuant to their statutory charge the Commission
was to make a continued investigation, study and review of the practices, policies and
procedures of the workforce investment strategies and programs implemented in the state.
During the course of the 2009 - 2010 interim period the Legislative Oversight Commission on
Workforce Investment for Economic Development met and received information on these
practices, policies and procedures and other important issues from state agencies, political
subdivisions, advocacy groups and other pertinent sources. The Commission REPORTS as
follows:
Counsel to the Commissioner presented an overview at the initial Commission meeting of the
Commission's statutory charge so they were fully aware of their mission. To meet this
obligation, the Commission heard at various times throughout the year from Russell L. Fry, the
Acting Director of WorkForce West Virginia. Mr. Fry reported about reorganization efforts of
the agency and provided a financial overview of WorkForce West Virginia in terms of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Mr. Fry also discussed efforts he was taking to
alleviate the wait list of workers who desired to be retrained after losing their jobs by realigning
funding and seeking additional federal funding for his efforts.
The Commission continued to hear from Jim Skidmore, Chancellor for the West Virginia
Community and Technical College System regarding their interest in developing an Associate
Degree program within the Community College system in conjunction with United States
Department of Labor approved apprenticeship programs. Chancellor Skidmore also discussed
stimulus funding with the Commission as it related to the community and technical college
system. Most particularly, the Chancellor discussed stabilization funding, the Green-collar Job
Training Program, Pathway Out of Poverty Program and various other efforts. Finally,
Chancellor Skidmore related his efforts to take the community and technical college system into
middle schools to get that segment of the population interested in all the community and
technical college system may have to offer them.
The Commission also heard from Karen Price of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association.
Ms. Price discussed the need to "market" community and technical colleges in middle and high
schools and discussed a program in the State of Virginia that was aimed at that. She encouraged
the West Virginia program to adopt a similar approach. Dr. Stan Hopkins met with the
Commission to discuss coordination of introduction of community and technical college
information of education path to middle school children.
During the October interims, the Commission toured the WorkForce Investment Office in
Charleston. They met with various employees of the office and the Region III Workforce
Investment Board to better understand the manner in which the office operates.
The Commission RECOMMENDS that it continues to work with Director Fry, Chancellor
Skidmore and others to provide middle school and high school students a better understanding of
the opportunities that the community and technical college system provides. They will also
continue to monitor progress on the Associate Degree program and the efforts to alleviate
worker wait lists for retraining of displaced workers...
Respectfully submitted
Brooks F. McCabe, Jr. K. Steven Kominar
Senate Chair House Chair