About

Gov. Jim Justice’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Aligning the Roles and Missions of the State Community and Technical College System and Workforce Development System

“We really want to remove the bureaucracy West Virginians currently face in navigating multiple systems,” said Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker, West Virginia’s Chancellor for Higher Education who serves on the Task Force. “An integrated web system would allow individuals to not only access resources in one location, but also be better informed about the additional services they might be eligible for and weren’t previously aware of. This is one way we can really start to achieve Governor Justice’s vision of creating greater efficiencies for West Virginians served by multiple state agencies and better connect them with jobs here at home.”

The Task Force will now begin looking at data solutions for this integrated web system that would provide West Virginians with access to services and programs focused on:

• Gainful employment, including career opportunities, current job demand, and assistance with job placement;
• Basic human needs, including healthcare, family assistance services, and other social services; and,
• Training/retraining and education opportunities, including adult education and apprenticeships.

This recommendation results from the work of the Data Sharing and Cross-Training Subcommittees. The Task Force also heard today from the Agency Integration Subcommittee, which is working broadly to align the work of multiple state agencies serving West Virginians through training and employment; the Co-Enrollment Subcommittee, which continues collecting inventories of services that can be better streamlined; and, the Employer Engagement Subcommittee, which continues identifying ways the state can work more closely with employers through workforce policies and programs.

Gov. Justice established the Blue Ribbon Task Force by Executive Order in June to open the door to better employment opportunities by more strongly aligning credentialed training programs at community and technical colleges with the state’s workforce development programs. The group, which is chaired by Gov. Justice’s Deputy Chief of Staff Ann Urling, is comprised of leaders from West Virginia businesses, two-year colleges, and various state agencies.

The Blue Ribbon Task Force will continue meeting every three weeks through the end of the year, at which time it plans to present final findings and recommendations to Gov. Justice.

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