Our Mission
PA Workforce Development Association (PWDA) serves as the voice of the Pennsylvania workforce development system and a clearinghouse for workforce development information statewide. Known for Pennsylvania’s premier annual workforce development gathering every spring, we provide development and capacity building opportunities to workforce development professionals, local workforce development boards (WDBs), and other stakeholders while continuing proactive advocacy efforts on behalf of Pennsylvania’s workforce development system.
At the FEDERAL level, PWDA…
- Works with federal policymakers to shape legislation that reinvests in a dynamic and efficient workforce system
- Educates policymakers about the high-performing Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) in Pennsylvania and how to continue to invest in our system
- Advocates for Pennsylvania’s workforce development systems and the business and individual customers served
At the STATE level, PWDA…
- Collaborates with state agencies to advance working partnerships with Pennsylvania’s workforce development system and WDBs
- Advocates for smarter performance and accountability standards that reflect the excellent workforce development efforts at the regional and local levels
- Partners with advocacy groups and service organizations in economic development, education, youth, human services, and vocational rehabilitation
Meet the PWDA team
Carrie Amann, CAE, MPA
Executive Director
camann@pawork.org
Rebecca O’Shea, MPAP
Director of Workforce Initiatives
roshea@pawork.org
Lisa Moyer
Training & Events Coordinator
lmoyer@pawork.org
Board of Directors
- Partner4Work
Robert Cherry, CEO - Berks County Workforce Development Board
Dan Fogarty, COO & Director - County of Bucks Workforce & Economic Development
Billie Barnes, Executive Director - Advance Central PA
Erica Mulberger, Executive Director - Chester County Workforce Development Board
Jeannette Roman, Director - Delaware County Workforce Development Board
Kate McGeever, Director - Lackawanna County Workforce Development Board
Virginia Turano, Executive Director - Lancaster County Workforce Development Board
Anna Ramos, Executive Director - Workforce Board Lehigh Valley
Nancy Dischinat, Executive Director - Luzerne-Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board
Patricia Lenahan, Executive Director - MontcoWorks
Jennifer Butler, Executive Director
- Workforce Solutions for North Central PA
Pam Streich, Director - Northern Tier Workforce Development Board
Melissa Fleming, Deputy Director - NWPA Job Connect
Lisa Miller, Director - Philadelphia Works
H. Patrick Clancy, President & CEO - Poconos Workforce Development Board
Sam Hellen, Executive Director - SCPA Works
Jesse McCree, CEO - Southern Alleghenies Workforce Development Board
Jennifer Sklodowski, Director - Southwest Corner Workforce Development Board
Ami Gatts, President - Tri-County Workforce Investment Board
Mary Salony, Executive Director - West Central PA Job Partnership
Gregg Dogan, Chief Administrative Officer - Westmoreland-Fayette Workforce Development Board
Janet Ward, Executive Director
Pennsylvania’s Local Workforce System
The federal government funds a nationwide infrastructure to assist all individuals looking for a new job or to advance their careers, as well as employers who need to fill vacancies with skilled workers or to train their workforce.
These federal programs provide a vast array of services to fulfill these functions. They are based on a community implementation model to ensure that programs are locally driven to serve their communities with guidance from employers, as well as other community stakeholders.
Workforce Development Areas – Pennsylvania’s workforce development system is divided into 23 countywide or regional Local Workforce Development Areas (LWDA). Each LWDA has a Workforce Development Board (WDB), with the exception of the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, which share one WDB. Local WDBs develop workforce policies and regional strategies. They provide oversight and coordination for the workforce services provided in their region and the overall operation of the storefront delivery of these services, the state’s 60+ PA CareerLink® centers. Nationally, these centers are referred to as “one stops,” because they were created to serve as local one-stop centers for the delivery of a multitude of government services that support the employment and training of individuals. These centers are part of the nation’s American Job Centers.
Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) are regional entities created to implement the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA), which authorizes and funds employment and training programs in the United States. Every community in Pennsylvania is associated with a local WDB. For each WDB, a chief elected official (a county commissioner or the mayor of a major city) appoints members to sit on the WDB. These appointed positions are unpaid. A majority of a WDB’s membership must come from private businesses. There are also designated seats for representatives of labor and educational institutions, such as community colleges. Beyond these basic guidelines, many aspects of how an individual WDB operates can vary.
The WDB’s main role is to direct federal, state, and local funding to workforce development programs. WDBs conduct and publish research on the needs of the regional economy. They also oversee the PA CareerLink® locations, where job seekers can get employment information, find out about career development training opportunities, and connect to various programs in their area.
pwda’S annUAL REPORT
Access PWDA’s latest Annual Report recapping activities throughout 2023.