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Allied Workforce Development outlines training wins and limits of eligibility for employer‑sponsored training in Lassen County
Summary
Alliance for Workforce Development told the Lassen County Board it served 939 county clients in program year 2024–25, spent $186,681 in WIOA participant funds locally, and is supporting Lassen College nursing cohorts while noting eligibility limits for employer‑sponsored Class A truck training.
James Cox, business services manager for the Alliance for Workforce Development (AFWD), told the Lassen County Board of Supervisors on the Alliance’s 2024–25 work in the county and regional labor trends. AFWD reported Lassen County unemployment above 6% during the year and said the organization provided job‑search help, classroom training and on‑the‑job placements for hundreds of residents.
“We were able to serve in Lassen County 939 individual clients with job search, resume assistance, skills testing and assessments, classroom training assistance, work‑based learning and on‑the‑job training,” Cox said during his presentation. AFWD staff said the organization spent $186,681 in WIOA funding on participants in the county in program year 2024–25 and that the youth program served people ages 17–24 with barriers to employment.
AFWD highlighted partnerships with Lassen College, Blossom Community College and local employers, and pointed to two job fairs last year that attracted more than 100 and 200 job seekers respectively. The presentation also described support for health‑care training: AFWD staff said they helped participants with tuition gaps, books, scrubs and NCLEX testing fees and noted an RN cohort is scheduled to graduate in December.
During a question‑and‑answer exchange, Christine Zuazua, AFWD executive director, said the program can help county employees pursue Class A commercial driver licenses but that financial support depends on eligibility rules. “We can help, but it depends on the individual,” Zuazua said, describing an income threshold and other criteria AFWD uses to determine financial assistance for training. AFWD representatives offered individualized referrals and urged department heads to submit program referrals for employees who might qualify.
Board members repeatedly praised the partnership with Lassen College and asked staff to connect public‑works employees to AFWD for potential training support. AFWD also described a recent national dislocated‑worker grant tied to wildfire recovery and said that, across affected communities, wages invested through that grant were nearly $2.6 million.
The board did not take action on AFWD program funding during the meeting; AFWD staff said they would follow up with department leaders and individual referrals where appropriate.
