Workforce Development Month: A Q&A with CWA’s Bob Lanter

September is Workforce Development Month, a time to raise awareness about the importance of workforce development boards (WDB) to a growing national economy.

A key person in this work statewide is Bob Lanter, executive director of the California Workforce Association. A Contra Costa County native and former director of the WDB of Contra Costa County (WDBCCC), Bob recently returned to his roots to attend our board retreat. We asked him for his take on the importance of WDBs and how the WDBCCC is living up to its mission of achieving equity for all.

WDBCCC: What do you feel is the power of workforce development boards?

Bob: I think that the work of WDBs is a bit underrated. Here’s why: The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) establishes a program in which WDBs receive funding through the state. Therefore, the WDBs have fiscal accountability measures and program design responsibilities written into the federal law. However, WIOA also gives the WDBs the huge responsibility of serving as an intermediary and convener of key conversations and initiatives in their communities. What many people don’t know is that community development is a large portion of workforce development boards’ roles and responsibilities.

Their work has little to do with WIOA itself.

What we’re telling the 45 WDBs across the state is that the role of a WDB is really one of community development, an especially powerful role in a community like Contra Costa County. The people serving on the WDBs must be strategic-minded business and civic leaders who know and care about their communities. It’s not essential for board members to understand workforce development, but it is essential for them to know and be known in their communities.

A large part of a board member’s role is to capitalize and support economic opportunity to help solve social and economic challenges. While they may not understand the ins and outs of WIOA—and they don’t need to—board members certainly do understand that, for example, the county’s refining industry is an economic opportunity in terms of tax revenue. But the refining industry is struggling to find talent, and they’re importing labor from outside the state. That’s not good for Contra Costa County, particularly when we have populations of people who need family-sustaining jobs. How do we fix it?

We develop a pathway program from high school into the refineries that show young people or talent of all types that these are great, high-paying jobs. WDBs have people who can get the conversations going to start that career pathway. Additionally, a WDB can leverage funding and resources in support areas such as transportation and childcare.

In short, WDBs can begin to economically develop the community by helping individuals become more self-sufficient and helping industries find and retain the talent they need to be profitable.

So much of what the Contra Costa County Workforce Development Board is focusing on is selling imagination and hope to these communities. Telling people that there’s opportunity here.