A Workforce Development Board (WDB) is a public agency that helps develop the workforce and support economic growth. They are an essential part of the public workforce system, a network of federal, state, and local offices that work with employers, educators, and community leaders to ensure employment needs are met.
There are almost 600 workforce development boards across the country, supported largely by federal funding, eager to partner with businesses, including energy companies, to identify and cultivate talent. These essential workforce partners will host job fairs, support training readiness, provide supportive services, and even pay salaries for certain workers. They ensure that regional training investments, education programs, and economic incentives are aligned with short and long-term goals of the businesses in their region.
Energy companies are encouraged to engage with their state and/or local workforce boards to ensure the sector’s voice is represented in regional workforce considerations. Find a workforce development board near you here.
While industry stewards engage workforce development boards in their regions, CEWD works at the national level, collaborating with the National Association of Workforce Boards, to inform the workforce development board network about the historic hiring needs that face the energy industry, encouraging them to include the needs of energy employers in their business plans. To learn more about workforce development boards and why or how to engage, contact [email protected] for more information.