Holcomb Seeks Waiver For Workforce Cabinet
Holcomb signed the bill creating the Governor's Workforce Cabinet last week.k (photo courtesy Governor Eric Holcomb)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowGovernor Eric Holcomb has sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta requesting a waiver related to his recently-established Governor’s Workforce Cabinet. If approved, the waiver will allow the cabinet to fill the role of Indiana’s federally-mandated state workforce development board.
The Indiana General Assembly passed a bill during the most recently legislative session creating the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, which was signed into law last week. Holcomb’s office describes the cabinet as a "smaller group with more authority to drive collaboration among employers and state and local partners."
The federal mandate for a state workforce development board is the result of the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
Holcomb says he believes the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet has a structure that he believes will best serve Indiana residents. In the waiver request, the governor said the cabinet would provide more direct employer engagement, better collaboration between state government and employers, and better incentives for local partners and providers to get more Hoosiers into training and work.
The governor’s office says there is no specific deadline for a response, but Holcomb has requested an "expedited turnaround." In his letter to Secretary Acosta, Holcomb said immediate approval of the waiver, even as Acosta assesses the request, will "enable our team to continue ongoing work."
After signing the bill creating the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, Holcomb named is deputy chief of staff, Danny Lopez, chairman of the group. You can view the full waiver request below: