FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2016
Contact: Bruce Wilson, Director
Napa-Lake Workforce Board
Bruce.Wilson@countyofnapa.org

NAPA, MARIN, AND LAKE COUNTIES FORM THE WORKFORCE ALLIANCE OF THE NORTH BAY

(NAPA, California) Napa, Marin, and Lake counties have formed the Workforce Alliance of the North Bay. The group was recently formed when each county’s board of supervisors signed a joint powers agency agreement in response to the new federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

The counties decided to merge for various regions including common industries, labor pool/workforce and a desire to consolidate both the administrative and the planning functions from the three counties into a single governance structure.

“Activities such as industry sector engagement, labor market analysis and career pathway development are among the areas a regional policy board can have a more substantive and positive impact on,” said Bruce Wilson, director of the Napa-Lake Workforce Board. “Additionally, forming a regional workforce policy board reflects the reality of our labor market: our businesses recruit regionally and our job seekers commute.”

Two board members from each county will serve on the agency’s governing board. The new agency will submit certification documents in June and seek endorsement by Gov. Jerry Brown in July.

“Marin has a long and successful history partnering with Napa/Lake as part of the North Bay region. By formalizing our partnership, we will be able to achieve greater economies of scale while maintaining our creative edge, as we strive to meet the workforce needs of our communities,” said Racy Ming, division director for the Marin County Employment and Training Branch.