California Workforce Development Board

CWDB forges partnerships with business, labor, and government to build a high road economy defined by equity, quality jobs, and climate resiliency that challenges systemic barriers towards shared economic prosperity.

The California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) was established in 1998, as outlined in the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA). In 2014, the WIA was replaced by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which outlines the vision and structure through which state workforce training and education programs are funded and administered regionally and locally.

The CWDB is responsible for the oversight and continuous improvement of the workforce system in California, which encompasses a wide array of work, including: policy development; workforce support and innovation; and performance assessment, measurement and reporting.

WIOA mandates the creation of a statewide strategic workforce plan. In 2016, the CWDB, in conjunction with its statewide partners, released the Unified Strategic State Plan, which was then updated in 2018. This plan is built around three policy objectives, which are intended to guide state policy and practice across partner programs, as well as inform local policy and service delivery. These objectives are:

Fostering demand-driven skills attainment
Enabling upward mobility for all Californians
Aligning, coordinating and integrating programs and services

The State Plan outlines specific strategies with which to achieve these overarching strategic goals. To read an executive summary, or the State Plan in full, visit the State Plan page in the Plans and Policies section of the website.

In conjunction with the State Plan, the CWDB manages multiple grants and initiatives aimed at reorienting and realigning California’s workforce programs and institutions, to support a dynamic and globally successful state economy that offers all residents an opportunity for a higher quality of life.