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Workforce board outlines regional programs, shows 'Merv' mobile employment van
Summary
Heather of the regional workforce board reviewed funding, training and rapid‑response work across 10 counties, promoted a sprinter‑van outreach unit called "Merv," and said incumbent‑worker and youth programs will be priorities as funding tightens.
Heather, the local workforce development board representative, told BDAB members that her organization coordinates federal and state workforce funds across 10 counties east of the Cascades and does not deliver direct services by design. "We are your local workforce development board," she said, describing the board’s oversight role and funding formula.
Heather walked the group through funding sources and constraints, noting that 70% of the board’s money comes from the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and that recent state withholdings have tightened local allocations. She said the region received an increase in federal funding this year but that state decisions continue to reduce local flexibility, adding that the board keeps a smaller-than-average operations share (about 17%). Heather said the board secured a waiver to provide direct services in Lake County because of geographic isolation and pointed to investments in youth programs, on‑the‑job training subsidies and incumbent‑worker training funds set to relaunch in October.
The presentation highlighted the Business Response Network (BRN), which coordinates rapid responses to layoffs and regional reemployment efforts. Heather described an instance where partners organized a large job fair after an employer closure, saying the network enabled quick reconnection of displaced workers with new opportunities. She also introduced "Merv," a sprinter van outfitted with computers to bring services directly to rural communities. "Merv is the mobile employment resource vehicle," Heather said, and invited members to view the vehicle after the meeting.
Heather also outlined specific employer‑focused supports: individual training accounts for non‑Pell‑eligible credentials, partial wage reimbursement for on‑the‑job training and small grants to subsidize employers training incumbent workers (examples include bilingual supervisor training and point‑of‑sale implementations). She urged BDAB and city partners to help advocate for steadier state allocations and recommended using the region’s labor‑market information to target sector supports.
The board’s presentation concluded with an offer to provide updated LMI (labor market information) in October and to work with BDAB to prepare briefing packets before guest speakers arrive at future sessions. Members thanked Heather for the detailed overview and followed to see the mobile unit outside.
