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116L.666 WORKFORCE SERVICE AREAS.

Subdivision 1.Designation of workforce service areas.

For the purpose of administering federal, state, and local employment and training services, the commissioner shall designate the geographic boundaries for workforce service areas in Minnesota.

The commissioner shall approve a request to be a workforce service area from:

(1) a home rule charter or statutory city with a population of 200,000 or more or a county with a population of 200,000 or more; or

(2) a consortium of contiguous home rule charter or statutory cities or counties with an aggregate population of 200,000 or more that serves a substantial part of one or more labor markets.

The commissioner may approve a request to be a workforce service area from a home rule charter or statutory city or a county or a consortium of contiguous home rule charter or statutory cities or counties, without regard to population, that serves a substantial portion of a labor market area.

The commissioner shall make a final designation of workforce service areas within the state after consulting with local elected officials and the governor's Workforce Development Council. Existing service delivery areas designated under the federal Job Training Partnership Act shall be initially designated as workforce service areas providing that no other petitions are submitted by local elected officials.

The commissioner may redesignate workforce service areas, upon the advice of the affected local elected officials, no more frequently than every two years. These redesignations must be made not later than four months before the beginning of a program year.

Subd. 2.Creation of local workforce councils.

A local workforce council must be established in each workforce service area, designated according to subdivision 1.

Subd. 3.Membership on local workforce councils.

In workforce service areas representing only one home rule charter or statutory city or a county, the chief elected official must appoint members to the council. In workforce service areas representing two or more home rule charter or statutory cities or counties, the chief elected officials of the home rule charter or statutory cities or counties must appoint members to the council, in accordance with an agreement entered into by such units of general local government.

A council shall include as members:

(1) representatives of the private sector, who must constitute a majority of the membership of the council and who are owners of business concerns, chief executives or chief operating officers of nongovernmental employers, or other private sector executives who have substantial management or policy responsibility;

(2) at least two representatives of organized labor;

(3) representatives of the area workforce and community-based organizations, who shall constitute not less than 15 percent of the membership of the council; and

(4) representatives of each of the following:

(i) educational agencies that are representative of all educational agencies within the workforce service area;

(ii) vocational rehabilitation agencies;

(iii) public assistance agencies;

(iv) economic development agencies; and

(v) public employment service agencies.

The chair of each local workforce council shall be selected from among the members of the council who are representatives of the private sector.

Private sector representatives on the local workforce council shall be selected from among individuals nominated by general purpose business organizations, such as local chambers of commerce, in the workforce service area.

Education representatives on the local workforce council must include at least one representative from a local adult basic education program approved under section 124D.52 and the remaining education representatives shall be selected from among individuals nominated by secondary and postsecondary educational institutions within the workforce service area.

Organized labor representatives on the local workforce council shall be selected from individuals recommended by recognized state and local labor federations, organizations, or councils. If the state or local labor federations, organizations, or councils fail to nominate a sufficient number of individuals to meet the labor representation requirements, individual workers may be included on the local workforce council to complete the labor representation.

The commissioner must certify a local workforce council if the commissioner determines that its composition and appointments are consistent with this subdivision.

Subd. 4.Purpose; duties of local workforce council.

The local workforce council is responsible for providing policy guidance for, and exercising oversight with respect to, activities conducted by local workforce centers in partnership with the local unit or units of general local government within the workforce service area and with the commissioner.

A local workforce center is a location where federal, state, and local employment and training services are provided to job seekers and employers.

A local workforce council, in accordance with an agreement or agreements with the appropriate chief elected official or officials and the commissioner, shall:

(1) determine procedures for the development of the local workforce service area plan. The procedures may provide for the preparation of all or any part of the plan:

(i) by the council;

(ii) by any unit of general local or state government in the workforce service area, or by an agency of that unit; or

(iii) by any other methods or institutions as may be provided in the agreement;

(2) select the recipients for local grants and an administrator of the local workforce service area plan. These may be the same entity or separate entities and must be chosen from among the following:

(i) the council;

(ii) a unit of general local or state government in its workforce service area, or an agency of that unit;

(iii) a nonprofit organization or corporation; or

(iv) any other agreed-upon entity;

(3) jointly plan for local collaborative activities including the transition of public assistance recipients to employment in the public or private sectors;

(4) provide on-site review and oversight of program performance;

(5) establish local priorities for service and target populations;

(6) ensure nonduplication of services and a unified service delivery system within the workforce service area;

(7) ensure that local workforce centers provide meeting space, free of charge, for meetings of displaced homemaker programs, established under section 116L.96; and

(8) nominate individuals to the governor to consider for membership on the governor's Workforce Development Council.

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes