"Building Partnerships for a Better Workforce"
The Metro North Regional Employment Board (REB) is a public-private
partnership whose mission is to enable area residents to
gain the skills to maximize their economic self-sufficiency
and provide employers with the workforce they need to effectively
compete in the changing world economy. The REB serves the 20 Metro North communities of Arlington, Belmont, Burlington, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Revere, Somerville, Stoneham, Wakefield, Watertown, Wilmington, Winchester, Winthrop, and Woburn.
Metro North Regional Employment Board
The Metro North REB is one of sixteen local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) established in Massachusetts by the the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998. The focus of the WIA legislation was to create a locally-controlled workforce system that emphasizes performance and customer satisfaction.
By law, business leaders must constitute a majority of the board with other members coming from education, training, labor, and economic development.
The functions of the Metro North Regional Employment Board (REB) include the following:
- Setting local workforce policy
- Selecting and overseeing career center operators
- Identifying eligible training providers
- Matching the needs of business for skilled employees with training opportunities in the area
- Promoting the participation of business in the statewide workforce system
- Coordinating local workforce activities with economic development strategies
- Assessing the effectiveness of the local workforce system
- Administering federal Workforce Investment Act funds for the region
Metro North REB Committees
Career Center Committee
Oversees career center three-year rechartering process
- Ensures implementation of career center vision
- Reviews broad conceptual issues related to center services
- Evaluates career center performance
- Recommends strategies to ensure ongoing financial viability
Conducts ongoing career center oversight and evaluation
- Oversees the Consumer Advisory Group (CAG)
- Reviews customer feedback
- Reviews and recommends CAG member composition
Policy, Funding, and Oversight Committee
- Makes general planning decisions such as WIA plan development and funding
- Develops WIA performance standards and criteria
- Determines funding formula for career centers
- Reviews/approves Memoranda of Understanding (MOA) with One-Stop career center partners
Youth Council
- Develops portions of the local plan relating to eligible youth
- Recommends eligible providers of youth education and training services through a competitive RFP process
- Oversees and evaluates effectiveness of youth programs and providers
- Coordinates all youth workforce activities under WIA and other state and federal grants
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