Regional workforce board details $4.6M allocation and performance metrics to council

John Olsen, chair of the Greater Peninsula Workforce Board, and Bill Mann, the board's executive director, briefed council on the board’s scope, mission and funding. Olsen said the board serves Area 14, covering the Peninsula and Gloucester, and that membership includes local elected officials and private‑sector partners. Mann outlined board finances and performance: "We have an allocation, in excess of $4,600,000 on an annual basis," he said, noting federal funds represent roughly $4.1 million (about 89%) of that total.

Mann described WIOA performance metrics and follow‑up: workforce programs must track employment outcomes, median earnings and credential attainment and perform follow‑up for a year after program completion. The board highlighted a business services unit that arranges on‑the‑job training contracts where the board can subsidize up to 50% of wages during employer‑specified training periods to reduce employer risk and improve placement prospects. Mann said registrations at the Virginia Career Works/Hampton center rose from 632 (end of October) to 879 (end of December) and that participants enrolled in intensive services had increased in the latest reporting period.

Council members asked about credentials versus experience and whether employers will hire candidates straight from training. Mann said the board works directly with employers to craft on‑the‑job training and hiring plans and emphasized the board's role in coordinating education providers and employers to ensure training aligns with employer needs.