Missouri Governor Blunt Highlights Report Showing High Performance In Workforce Systems

Jefferson City, MO  (CompNewsNetwork) - Gov. Matt Blunt today touted the U.S. Department of Labor's annual performance review of workforce programs that provide employment and training services to Missouri workers, job seekers and Unemployment Insurance claimants. 

"As one of only ten states to receive a workforce program incentive grant for last year's performance, Missouri has shown the nation that innovation and hard work result in a top-notch workforce system,” Gov. Blunt said."I applaud our workforce professionals throughout the state for continuing the level of excellence that Missourians and Missouri businesses deserve and expect.”

The U.S. Department of Labor's report analyzed results over Program Year 2006, which ran from July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007, and included the following highlights:

Missouri met or exceeded all 17 of the negotiated performance goals for the Workforce Investment Act that provides career assistance services to eligible adults, dislocated workers and youth.

Missouri exceeded its goals for job seeker and business customer satisfaction levels.

Missouri met or exceeded both measures for the Wagner-Peyser Act employment services provided to all job seekers.

For the measures that assess reemployment services and payment systems for Unemployment Insurance claimants, Missouri met or exceeded standards. The report cited Missouri's"AutoCoder” initiative for the potential to accelerate reemployment and complimented the state for"adherence to the Secretary [of Labor]'s agenda for the National system.”

Missouri received over $21.8 million in competitive workforce grants, including the Workforce Innovation and Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grants in Southeast Missouri and the greater Kansas City area that are designed to align a patchwork of education and training programs into one continuum of lifelong learning to meet the needs of emerging, family supporting jobs in those regions.

Unemployment Insurance is administered by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and workforce services are administered by the Department of Economic Development (DED).  Services are provided through the statewide network of 14 Local Workforce Investment Boards (LWIB), 42 Missouri Career Centers and 33 access points under the Sharing How Access to Resources Empowers (SHARE) Network initiative.    The SHARE Network is a unique partnership between USDOL Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives, the Division of Workforce Development, LWIBs and community and faith-based organizations to offer employment and training services at the neighborhood level.  

More performance data and information about Missouri's workforce system can be found in the DED's Division of Workforce Development's 2007 Annual Report: Missouri Driving Talent, available at www.ded.mo.gov/wfd.

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