 National Association of Counties * Washington, D.C. Vol. 31, No. 9 * May 10, 1999 Previous story | Table of Contents | Next story NACo spotlights new workforce law in satellite broadcast By Mary Ann Barton
Suzanne from Greenville, North Carolina was on the line. She wanted to know if the Workforce Investment Act had funding caps. Tuned to a live satellite broadcast sponsored by NACo and the National League of Cities April 29, she was one of many from around the country – including Louisiana, California, New Jersey, Oregon and Illinois – who called with questions about the new law. A panel that included Union County (Pa.) Commissioner Harry Van Sickle, who co-chairs the NACo Employment Steering Committee, answered the questions during a two-hour broadcast of "A Better Workforce, A Brighter Economy: What Officials Need to Know About the Workforce Investment Act." The program aired from an M Street studio in Washington, D.C. and was picked up by 182 sites around the country. Planners estimate that approximately 20 individuals attend at each site. After getting their noses puffed and powdered by studio staff, the bright lights turned on Van Sickle and other panelists, including Ray Uhalde, deputy assistant secretary of Labor, in a program format that was something like CNN’s "Capital Gang." The program began with each participant summing up their take on the new legislation. "Local electeds play a very significant role," Van Sickle said. "They are full partners with the local workforce investment board. The law gives state and local governments greater flexibility than they’ve ever had to shape employment and training programs to meet the local needs they’ve identified." Van Sickle’s positive comments about the new law were echoed by the others. "This new law is going to be a great boon to small and medium-sized industries – they’ve been getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop for some years," opined Eisen. Other panelists included Clarence Anthony, mayor, South Bay, Fla., Rosalyn Key, director, Capital Area Training Consortium, Sandston, Va.; Pam Loving, president, CEO and CFO of Michigan Works-Career Alliance; Kal Kunkel, manager, Trident One-Stop Career Center in Charleston, S.C.; Marty Finnegan, director, Napa County Employment and Training Center in California; and Phyllis Eisen, executive director of the Center for Workforce Success at the National Association of Manufacturers. |
