REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Local Plan for NOVA and Regional Plan for Bay-Peninsula Regional Planning Unit
Report
BACKGROUND
The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires local workforce boards in a state-designated planning region (Regional Planning Unit or RPU) to engage in a regional planning process. This regional plan describes workforce development activities and service strategies. It also incorporates local plans developed by each of the local boards within the planning region. The Bay-Peninsula RPU encompasses three workforce boards, including NOVAworks Workforce Board (NOVA), San Jose-based work2future Board, and San Francisco Workforce Development Board.
The California Unified Strategic Workforce Development Plan (State Plan) is the overarching policy document for local and regional plans. It establishes the state’s vision and direction and serves as a conceptual outline for local boards and their partners to jointly develop these plans. Service delivery is typically integrated at the local level, where resources are braided, and support is provided to participants through workforce partners. Individuals experience the workforce system through local programs. As such, a Local Plan operationalizes local program access, service strategies and collaboration with partner agencies within a regional framework. The intent is to improve service coordination and address barriers to equitable access to economic self-sufficiency. The Regional Plan provides the roadmap for cross-jurisdiction service outcomes and aligns local programs with regional labor markets and industry sectors that drive regional employment.
WIOA requires that local and regional plans be developed every four years, with modifications to these plans completed in the middle of this four-year period. In 2017, the Council approved the four-year Local Plan for program years (PY) 2017 to 2020 at its February 28, 2017, meeting (RTC No. 17-0042) and the Regional Plan for the same period at its September 12, 2017, meeting (RTC No. 17-0860). The Council approved both plans for PY 2021 to 2024 at its April 20, 2021, meeting (RTC No. 21-0451.) The modifications to the plans were approved at the May 21, 2019, Council meeting (RTC No. 19-0489) and March 21, 2023, meeting (RTC No. 23-0410.) In 2025, State Directive WSD24-09 requires that local boards develop four-year local and regional plans for PY 2025 to 2028.
EXISTING POLICY
Council Policy 5.1.1: Socio-Economic - Goals and Policies: Education and Training Goal 5.1F: Provide job training and employment services, within constraints of operative Federal regulations and available Federal funding, to address the locally-determined employment and training needs of economically disadvantaged residents and others with special needs.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental, organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
DISCUSSION
State Directive WSD24-09 stipulates the mandatory components for local and regional plans to achieve alignment with the State Plan. The Local Plan is required to:
• Identify how the local board and partners will coordinate services and resources; work towards co-enrollment and/or common case management as a service-delivery strategy; facilitate access to services through the one-stop service system; coordinate workforce and education activities with supportive services; and compliance with federal and state programmatic and physical requirements for serving individuals with disabilities; and
• Describe local board coordination with state strategic partners, including county health and human services agencies CalFresh Employment and Training services; local child support agencies non-custodial parent program; local partners who serve individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities; community-based organizations who serve English language learners, foreign-born, and/or refugees; Local Veterans Affairs and community-based organizations serving veterans; and strategic planning partners to address environmental sustainability.
The Regional Plan is required to:
• Provide an analytical overview of the region including economic and workforce trends, education and skill levels of workers, and industries and occupations with emerging demand;
• Foster demand-driven skills attainment that includes identifying in-demand industry sectors, including climate and environmental sustainability, and ways the RPU will expand or further develop workforce initiatives for these sectors;
• Enable upward mobility for all Californians that includes supporting equitable access, improving job quality and advancing prosperity for target populations with barriers to employment; and
• Align, coordinate and integrate programs and services through leveraged resources to provide services, training, and education to meet customer needs, and track progress toward achieving objective metrics for key indicators.
The three local workforce boards of the Bay-Peninsula RPU worked together with partner agencies to develop the local and regional plans. A stakeholder community engagement meeting was convened to discuss the workforce needs of the community. Over 200 individuals from diverse organizations were invited to attend. To ensure maximum participation, the meeting was held both in-person and virtually. In addition, NOVA distributed the local and regional plans to over 200 community partners during a 30-day public review and comment period. NOVA received several public comments providing input on the proposed local and regional plans. The comments have been summarized in the public comments section of the plans and incorporated into the plans, when feasible.
Both the local and regional plans have effectively addressed the requirements stipulated by the State. The plans provide a seamless blueprint for a comprehensive workforce system that impacts poverty through sustainable employment, promotes income mobility by equipping workers with the skills that employers demand, and embeds equity as a cornerstone of service delivery by ensuring access for all residents. The local plan for NOVA can be viewed on Attachment 1. The regional plan for the Bay-Peninsula RPU can be viewed on Attachment 2.
The NOVA Workforce Board approved the Local and Regional Plans at its Jan. 22, 2025, meeting.
FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council meeting agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board at City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Public Library and in the Department of Public Safety Lobby. In addition, the agenda and this report are available at the City Hall reception desk located on the first floor of City Hall at 456 W. Olive Avenue (during normal business hours), and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve the Local Plan for NOVA and the Regional Plan for the Bay-Peninsula Regional Planning Unit.
Levine Act
LEVINE ACT
The Levine Act (Gov. Code Section 84308) prohibits city officials from participating in certain decisions regarding licenses, permits, and other entitlements for use if the official has received a campaign contribution of more than $500 from a party, participant, or agent of a party or participant in the previous 12 months. The Levine Act is intended to prevent financial influence on decisions that affect specific, identifiable persons or participants. For more information see the Fair Political Practices Commission website: www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/pay-to-play-limits-and-prohibitions.html
An “X” in the checklist below indicates that the action being considered falls under a Levine Act category or exemption:
SUBJECT TO THE LEVINE ACT
___ Land development entitlements
___ Other permit, license, or entitlement for use
___ Contract or franchise
EXEMPT FROM THE LEVINE ACT
___ Competitively bid contract*
___ Labor or personal employment contract
___ Contract under $50,000 or non-fiscal
___ Contract between public agencies
_X_ General policy and legislative actions
* "Competitively bid" means a contract that must be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
Staff
Prepared by: Eileen Stanly, Administrative Analyst
Reviewed by: Marléna Sessions, Director, NOVA Workforce Services
Reviewed by: Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Tim Kirby, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. NOVA Local Plan
2. Bay Peninsula RPU Regional Plan