Minnesota Agencies

Assume duties, requirements and responsibilities of the Governor's Job Training Council. Coordinate development, implementation, and evaluation of the statewide education and employment transitions system and MN youth services programs, reviews provision of services and use of funds and resources under applicable federal human resource programs and advises governor on methods of coordinating provision of services and use of funds resources consistent with the laws and regulations governing the programs. Review federal, state, local education, post-secondary, job skills training, and youth employment programs. Advise governor on development service to learners and workers of all ages, advise governor on development and implementation of statewide and local performance standards and measures relating to federal human resources programs, and administer grants.

The council replaced the Governor's Job Training Council and assumed all of its requirements, duties and responsibilities.

The Governor's Workforce Development Council is Minnesota's Workforce Investment Board. Guided by the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 and further defined by Minnesota State Statute 116L.665.

The GWDC is a federally mandated business-led council whose mission is to analyze and recommend workforce development policies to the governor and legislature toward talent development, resource alignment and system effectiveness to ensure a globally competitive workforce for Minnesota.

The Governor's Workforce Development Council was reviewed by the Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy (LCPFP) in 2013 as part of their biennial duty required by Minn. Stat. 3.885 Subd. 11. The LCPFP's 2013 Recommendations called for keeping the council.

According to the August 2015 Notice of Vacancies in State Boards, Councils, and Committees report from the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, the Council is changing its name to the Governor's Workforce Development Board. 

The 31 members are governor-appointed: commissioners of Employment and Economic Development, Education, Human Services, six members representing business and industry, six members representing labor organizations, four members representing community-based organizations, five members representing education (one representing local public secondary education, one having expertise in design and implementation of school-based service learning, one representing post-secondary, one representing post-secondary vocational institutions and the chancellor of the MNSCU, two representing other constituencies including units of local government and applicable state or local programs). The remaining four will be appointed by the House of Representatives and the Senate.