                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SECRETARY (§ 2.2-214.3)

A. The Secretary shall assist the Governor in his capacity as the Chief
Workforce Development Officer for the Commonwealth pursuant to &#xA7; 2.2-435.6.
The Secretary shall be responsible for the duties assigned to him pursuant to
this article, Chapter 4.2 (&#xA7; 2.2-435.6 et seq.), Article 24 (&#xA7;
2.2-2470 et seq.) of Chapter 24, and other tasks as may be assigned to him by
the Governor.

B. The Chief Workforce Development Officer&#8217;s responsibilities as carried
out by the Secretary of Labor shall include:

   1. Developing a strategic plan for the statewide delivery of workforce
   development and training programs and activities. The strategic plan shall be
   developed in coordination with the development of the comprehensive economic
   development policy required by &#xA7; 2.2-205. The strategic plan shall
   include mandatory performance measures for all workforce development programs
   across state government that link the objectives of such programs and
   activities to the record of state agencies, local workforce development
   boards, and other relevant entities in attaining such objectives. The
   Secretary shall have the authority to require compliance with such mandatory
   performance measures by all workforce development program administrators and
   providers across state government;

   2. Determining the appropriate allocation, to the extent permissible under
   applicable federal law, of funds and other resources that have been
   appropriated or are otherwise available for disbursement by the Commonwealth
   for workforce development programs and activities;

   3. Ensuring that the Commonwealth&#8217;s workforce development efforts are
   implemented in a coordinated and efficient manner by, among other activities,
   taking appropriate executive action to this end and recommending to the
   General Assembly necessary legislative actions to streamline and eliminate
   duplication in such efforts;

   4. Providing oversight and directing efficient implementation of workforce
   development and training programs by Cabinet Secretaries and agencies
   responsible for such programs;

   5. Developing, in consultation with the Virginia Board of Workforce
   Development, (i) certification standards and metrics for programs and
   providers and (ii) uniform policies and procedures, including standardized
   forms and applications, for one-stop centers;

   6. Monitoring, in coordination with the Virginia Board of Workforce
   Development, the effectiveness of each one-stop center and recommending
   actions needed to improve its effectiveness;

   7. Establishing measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the local workforce
   development boards and conducting annual evaluations of the effectiveness of
   each local workforce development board. As part of the evaluation process, the
   Governor shall recommend to such boards specific best management practices;

   8. Conducting annual evaluations of the performance of workforce development
   and training programs and activities across state government and their
   administrators and service providers using the performance measures developed
   through the strategic planning process described in subdivision 1. The
   evaluations shall include, to the extent feasible, (i) a comparison of the
   per-person costs for each program or activity; (ii) a comparative rating of
   each program or activity based on its success in meeting program objectives
   consisting of individuals placed in jobs, jobs retained, and wages or earnings
   paid, as determined by the Secretary; and (iii) an explanation of the extent
   to which each agency&#8217;s appropriation requests incorporate the data
   reflected in the cost comparison described in clause (i) and the comparative
   rating described in clause (ii). These evaluations, including the comparative
   rankings, shall be considered in allocating resources for workforce
   development and training programs. These evaluations shall be submitted to the
   Chairmen of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and the Senate Committee
   on Commerce and Labor and included in the biennial reports pursuant to
   subdivision 10;

   9. Monitoring federal legislation and policy in order to maximize the
   Commonwealth&#8217;s effective use of access to federal funding available for
   workforce development programs; and

   10. Submitting biennial reports, which shall be included in the
   Governor&#8217;s executive budget submissions to the General Assembly, on
   improvements in the coordination of workforce development efforts statewide.
   The reports shall identify (i) program success rates in relation to
   performance measures established by the Secretary in consultation with the
   Virginia Board of Workforce Development, (ii) obstacles to program and
   resource coordination, and (iii) strategies for facilitating statewide program
   and resource coordination.

HISTORY: 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 453; 2023, cc. 624, 625.