Mayor Appoints Senator Sanders to Local Workforce Development Board

Mayor Bill de Blasio has appointed Senator James Sanders Jr. to the Local Workforce Development Board of the City of New York Workforce Investment Area. It will be a three-year term of service beginning on April 5, 2021.

Senator Sanders is the only elected official named to the board, which includes leaders of local businesses, educational institutions, labor unions, community-based organizations, and other government agencies. Workforce Investment Boards (or "WIBs") were regional entities created to implement the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 in the United States. The implementing law was replaced by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in 2014. Two of the five WIDA titles that the senator will be particularly focused are:

Title I—Workforce Development Activities—authorizes job training and related services to unemployed or underemployed individuals and establishes the governance and performance accountability system for WIOA;

Title II—Adult Education and Literacy—authorizes education services to assist adults in improving their basic skills, completing secondary education, and transitioning to post secondary education;

The Board, in partnership with the Mayor, provides overall policy guidance and oversight on the implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), landmark legislation designed to strengthen and improve our nation's public workforce system. It helps Americans, including youth and those with significant barriers to employment, secure high-quality jobs, and careers and helps employers hire and retain skilled workers.

“The work of the board represents a vital link to improve the city’s workforce to better meet the needs of business and industry,” Sanders said. “As someone who has been a persistent supporter of entrepreneurship, and particularly Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) as well as workers, unions and labor in general, I am honored and humbled to accept this responsibility. I hope to use this position to create more good-paying jobs and expand union density in New York."

The NYC Workforce Development Board (WDB) engages leaders from the private sector, public agencies, labor unions and community-based organizations – all volunteers appointed by the Mayor – to inform the City's policies and services for adult learners, jobseekers, and employers.

The WDB conducts oversight of WIOA allocations and sets broad priorities to help ensure that workforce initiatives successfully fulfill the Mayor's vision of a strong workforce development system. This vision includes three key components:

A strong linkage to economic development projects in all five boroughs

A tight connection with businesses to ensure their needs are met

Services that effectively and efficiently connect New Yorkers to jobs in demand

Senator Sanders has hit the ground running with his new appointment. He has already visited the Northland Workforce Training Center as he plans to bring a much needed state-of-the-art workforce development center home to his district. He is also hosting his first event as a member of the WBD with his colleagues in the state legislature to ensure our local communities are prepared.