(1) The State Workforce and Talent Development Board shall identify:

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(a) Key industries in this state and the workforce skills needed for key industries to grow and thrive;

(b) In collaboration with workforce representatives, needs for education, training, work experience, and job preparation to ensure Oregonians access to stable high-wage jobs and employment advancement; and

(c) Opportunities for partnerships with key industry sectors to coordinate workforce development, economic development and education in response to industry and workforce needs.

(2) The board shall assist the Governor in:

(a) Developing Oregon’s workforce development system;

(b) Ensuring timely consultation and collaboration with chief elected officials, local workforce development boards and other workforce stakeholders, including but not limited to business and labor organizations and organizations working with persons with disabilities, persons living at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty guidelines and the chronically unemployed and underemployed;

(c) Reviewing and approving local workforce plans;

(d) Developing, as required by the federal Act, allocation formulas for the distribution of funds to local workforce development areas for adult employment and training activities and for youth activities that are developed by the local workforce development boards;

(e) Working with local workforce development boards to increase efficiencies and align workforce programs and services with local needs;

(f) Recommending the duties and responsibilities of state agencies to implement the federal Act, to avoid conflicts of interest and to capitalize on the experience developed by workforce partners that are efficient and effective at meeting the requirements of the federal Act;

(g) Participating in the development of a coordinated statewide system of activities and services that includes both mandatory and optional partners of the one-stop delivery system, as provided in the federal Act;

(h) Providing for the development, accountability and continuous improvement of comprehensive workforce performance measures to assess the effectiveness of the workforce development activities in this state;

(i) Developing a statewide employment statistics system, as described in section 15(e) of the Wagner-Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. § 49L-2(e)); and

(j) Preparing an annual report and submitting it to the United States Department of Labor.

(3) The State Workforce and Talent Development Board, in partnership with the Governor, shall establish criteria for use by chief elected officials in appointing members to local workforce development boards in accordance with the requirements of section 3122 of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The State Workforce and Talent Development Board shall establish the following requirements:

(a) To transact business at a meeting of a local workforce development board, a quorum of members must participate. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the members. At least 25 percent of the members participating must be representatives of business.

(b) When appropriate and upon a request from the chief elected official of a county or the City of Portland, the State Workforce and Talent Development Board shall consider the county or the City of Portland to be a candidate for designation as a local workforce development area. The board shall consult with the county or the City of Portland before designating the county or the City of Portland as a local workforce development area. After considering the criteria in section 3121 of the federal Act for designating local workforce development areas, chief elected officials may submit a request to the board to combine their units of government into a local workforce development area. The board shall make recommendations to the Governor about the designation of local workforce development areas. Only the Governor may designate local workforce development areas. The Governor must show just cause for not designating a requested local workforce development area. A county or the City of Portland may submit an appeal to the board, as provided in section 3121 of the federal Act, if the Governor does not grant the county’s or the city’s request to designate a local workforce development area.

(4) The State Workforce and Talent Development Board shall provide guidance and direction to local workforce development boards in the development of local workforce plans. The State Workforce and Talent Development Board shall adopt policies that:

(a) Require each local workforce development board, in partnership with its chief elected officials and in accordance with section 3123 of the federal Act, to develop and submit to the Governor and the State Workforce and Talent Development Board a strategic local workforce plan that includes, but is not limited to, performance goals; and

(b) Permit each local workforce development board, in consultation with its chief elected officials:

(A) To determine, consistent with the requirements of the federal Act, the appropriate level of services based on the workforce needs in the local workforce development area; and

(B) To designate or certify one-stop operators and to terminate for cause the eligibility of such operators.

(5) The State Workforce and Talent Development Board may charter and enter into performance compacts with local workforce development boards.

(6) The State Workforce and Talent Development Board shall:

(a) Function as the primary advisory committee to the Employment Department in conjunction with the Employment Department Advisory Council established under ORS § 657.695;

(b) Collaborate with other advisory bodies also tasked with workforce development, including but not limited to the Oregon State Rehabilitation Council, the Commission for the Blind, the State Apprenticeship and Training Council and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission;

(c) Work with the Oregon Business Development Commission to identify areas of common interest to efficiently align resources, recommend common strategies and provide accountability for reaching statewide goals; and

(d) Hold state workforce agencies and local workforce development boards accountable for meeting performance goals and system outcomes.

(7) The State Workforce and Talent Development Board shall convene, engage and coordinate with senior executives of identified key industries in this state, the Oregon Business Development Commission, the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, the Department of Education, the Bureau of Labor and Industries, the STEM Investment Council, local workforce development boards, the Employment Department, the Department of Human Services, the Commission for the Blind, the Youth Development Council and any other partners from training or workforce development entities in this state to:

(a) Determine needs across identified key industries in this state, including challenges and opportunities in developing and growing relevant talent pipelines;

(b) Ensure that the talent pipeline development infrastructure includes:

(A) A listening process to collect workforce needs of employers from identified key industries in this state;

(B) Curriculum alignment for high-demand occupation skill needs;

(C) Prediction and monitoring of national trends relating to high-demand industries and occupations;

(D) Occupation-aligned education and training options with a clearly articulated progression;

(E) Skills assessments; and

(F) Academic career counseling;

(c) Utilize sector partnerships to:

(A) Advise the development of career pathway programs for critical occupations in identified key industries in this state; and

(B) Ensure the coordination of education, economic development, business and workforce initiatives between key partners to develop a strong talent pipeline;

(d) Leverage and optimize existing measures and data systems to improve systems alignment and interagency communication; and

(e) Ensure state alignment and coordination between industry sector partnerships and initiatives in the local workforce development areas.

(8)(a) Every biennium, the State Workforce and Talent Development Board shall coordinate and collaborate with entities listed under subsection (7) of this section to create a single, unified state Workforce and Talent Development Plan.

(b) The Workforce and Talent Development Plan must include:

(A) A strategy, with quantitative goals, for the statewide workforce development system for the State of Oregon in accordance with section 3111 of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act;

(B) Quantifiable goals designed to promote Oregonians’ self-sufficiency and that will empower Oregonians to gain independence from public assistance and move up the socioeconomic ladder;

(C) Expectations for performance and the priorities for delivery of services to local workforce development boards and state workforce agencies;

(D) Industry-based information and data from the Employment Department and other agencies and entities listed in subsection (7) of this section related to talent needs and gaps;

(E) Analysis of data regarding the skills required for identified key industry jobs;

(F) Information regarding the status of career pathway programs targeted at identified key industries in this state;

(G) Recommendations related to advancing talent pipeline and career pathways development based on the identified talent issues and trends;

(H) Recommendations regarding the alignment and consistency of data nomenclature, collection practices and data sharing;

(I) Utilization and, as appropriate, expansion of existing data-sharing agreements between agencies and partners;

(J) Identification of talent issues and trends related to identified key industries in this state that are in strategic alignment with state and local workforce and economic priorities;

(K) Identification and prioritization of the urgent talent gaps of identified key industries in this state;

(L) A response to immediate talent needs through the creation of additional opportunities for Oregonians to pursue education and training in disciplines critical to the advancement of identified key industries in this state;

(M) Ways to strengthen efforts to enhance student work experience and job preparedness in high-demand and critical occupations;

(N) New means of delivering workforce training and proficiency-based education to enhance program efficiency, upgrading and sharing resources and facilities and improving student outcomes and access to typically underrepresented populations while meeting talent needs of traded sector and high growth industries; and

(O) Ways to increase the skills of the existing professional and technical workforce, including the issuance of certifications, badges and industry-based credentials.

(c) The State Workforce and Talent Development Board shall:

(A) Update the plan every biennium; and

(B) Submit a report about the plan every year to:

(i) The Governor; and

(ii) The Legislative Assembly in the manner provided by ORS § 192.245. [Formerly 411.929; 2005 c.242 § 2; 2014 c.49 § 6; 2015 c.774 35,65; 2017 c.185 28,29; 2017 c.297 7a,7b; 2021 c.97 § 73]