1.3 Local Workforce Development Areas (WDA) and Planning Regions | 1.3.2 Initial WDA Designations

1.3.2 Initial WDA Designations

Effective date: July 1, 2020

WIOA required that within the first two years of enactment, DWD-DET, in consultation with the Governor's Council on Workforce Investment (CWI), chief elected officials (CEOs), and local WDBs, and after a public comment period, establish local workforce development areas (WDAs) within the state.¹

In the state of Wisconsin, all local WDAs previously established under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 were re-designated under WIOA on May 16, 2016 per the process outlined in Administrator's Memo 15-04.²

1.3.2.1 Initial Designation Timeline:

July 22, 2014	Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) signed into law
March 12, 2015	Local area designations discussed with local WDBs during WIOA state call
March 23, 2015	DWD Secretary Reggie Newson consulted with CWI about local area designations
April 15, 2015	DOL issued TEGL 27-14: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Transition Authority for Immediate Implementation of Governance Provisions
May 12, 2015	DOL issued TEGL 27-14, Change 1. Allows Concentrated Employment Programs (CEPs) established under WIA to apply for designation
June 2015	State policy routed in draft form for review and comment to local WDBs and Wisconsin Workforce Development Association (WWDA)
June 13, 2015	State policy and comments discussed with local WDBs at WIOA state call.
June 30, 2015	DWD-DET issued Administrator's Memo 15-04
December 31, 2015	Due date for local areas under WIA to submit "Request Form for Workforce Development Area Designation under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act" to DWD-DET for review
February 11-March 11, 2016	Designation requests posted to http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/wioa/doc/public_review_notice_area_designation.doc for 30-day public review
May 2, 2016	CWI recommended approval of local area designation requests for 11 WDAs to Governor Walker.
May 16, 2016	DWD Secretary Raymond Allen issued WDA designation approval letters to all 11 WDBs.
July 1, 2016	Local area designations in effect

1.3.2.2 Wisconsin's Local Workforce Development Areas:

Wisconsin has identified eleven (11) local WDAs encompassing its 72 counties:

WDA 1 – Southeastern Wisconsin: Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth counties
WDA 2 – Milwaukee: Milwaukee County
WDA 3 – Waukesha-Ozaukee-Washington: Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington counties
WDA 4 – Fox Valley: Calumet, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Waupaca, Waushara,and Winnebago counties
WDA 5 – Bay Area: Brown, Door, Florence, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, and Sheboygan counties
WDA 6 – North Central: Adams, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida, Portage, Wood, and Vilas counties
WDA 7 – Northwest: Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, and Washburn counties
WDA 8 – West Central: Barron, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix counties
WDA 9 – Western: Buffalo, Crawford, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Trempealeau, and Vernon counties
WDA 10 – South Central: Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Marquette, and Sauk counties
WDA 11 – Southwest: Grant, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, Richland, and Rock counties

¹ WIOA Sec. 106(b)
² Allowed by WIOA Sec. 106(b)(2)