PRIVATE INDUSTRY COUNCIL SEEKS CHANGE UNDER LAW

The 13 Southeast Missouri counties that make up the Private Industry Council service area have petitioned Gov. Mel Carnahan to designate the area a Workforce Investment Area.

Ron Swift, executive director of the Private Industry Council, explained that reorganization is needed because of a change in the federal law that provides millions of dollars for job training to local communities.

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 reorganizes Private Industry Councils across the country in hopes of better using federal job-training dollars.

The Private Industry Council oversees job-training services in 13 counties from Ste. Genevieve to the Bootheel. It administers between $4 million and $5 million in federal money each year.

Swift said part of the reason the Southeast Missouri organization gets so much money is poverty in the Bootheel. "We are the primary deliverer of services to the Welfare to Work population," he said.

Most of Private Industry Council's money has come through the Job Training and Partnership Act. In the future that money will be delivered through the Workforce Investment Act.

Among changes, county commissioners in each of the counties would have considerably more oversight of how money is spent.

"Counties are fiscally liable for misappropriation of money," Swift explained.

That liability has gotten the attention of county commissioners throughout the region.

Gerald Jones, presiding commissioner of Cape Girardeau County, said: "All of a sudden we've got a lot of work to do. It seems we are coming full circle. Fifty years ago, the largest single expense in a county was county welfare. Now, through Welfare to Work, we're overseeing county welfare again."

Each of the 13 county commissions passed resolutions at their respective meetings. Copies of official minutes were compiled as part of the application process.

Swift said, "Because we have been a successful area, we are hopeful the governor will approve our application."

If approved, additional board members would be added. The board would grow from 39 to about 50 members. Some new areas would be represented.

The new legislation specifically says no more than 10 percent of funds can be used for administrative purposes. The other 90 percent of money must be used for getting people to work.

Swift said the reorganization will bring added services for the region. For example, adults will be able to receive job placement and training assistance regardless of economic status. Currently, all Private Industry Council clients must be economically disadvantaged.

"It will let us look at people and the needs they have," Swift said.

It would also solidify the one-stop career center concept that the Private Industry Council has been building.

Local areas have until May 14 to petition the governor. The governor's Missouri Training Employment Council is expected to make recommendations May 20 and 21.

The federal law change becomes effective July 1, 2000, giving local areas a year to complete the restructure.