NC S837

Expresses the General Assembly's opinion that local Workforce Investment Act (WIA) services should be streamlined by realigning local workforce development areas with councils of governments (COG) boundaries established under G.S. 160A-470.

Adopts recommendations from the Program Evaluation Division's March 28, 2012 report, which found that North Carolina's 23 local workforce development areas are based on outdated criteria from nearly 40 years ago and are not strategically aligned with economic development activities.

Proposes reducing the number of local workforce development areas from 23 to 16 by realigning them with COG boundaries, which would disband nine areas including six single-county areas and increase county ranges from three to 12 counties per area.

Notes that realignment would increase funding and resources available to job seekers in local areas, as population partly determines area funding and larger areas receive proportionally more resources to expand programs or improve service delivery.

Finds that COGs are already equipped as administrative entities, with 13 of the current 23 local workforce development areas already administered by COGs with existing infrastructure for managing various state and federal programs.