Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced Announces Federal Agencies Approve Unified State Plan

Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced and the secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC), Manuel A. Laboy Rivera, announced the approval by the United States Department of Labor and Education, the Unified State Plan that requires the Law of Workforce Innovation and Opportunities, known as WIOA. The document is effective from July 1 to June 30, 2024. “After a long time of teamwork, we achieved the approval of this Unified State Plan, which is important because it establishes the strategies to be used in the core programs required by the WIOA Act. The Unified State Plan entered into force on July 1 and will be in effect until June 30, 2024. We continue our commitment to provide the best resources and opportunities that allow the development of a skilled workforce that drives the economic development of Puerto Rico. and meet the demands of the current labor market, "said the governor. This Unified State Plan could be modified at any time to moderate it to the economic or labor situations that arise unexpectedly, as it happens in any other state. For his part, the secretary of the DDEC indicated: "The mission of this Unified State Plan focuses on establishing effective collaborations with employers, educational entities and system partners, as well as with non-profit organizations, in order to promote development from a highly skilled workforce. Meanwhile, her vision is focused on promoting economic development through a broad educational offer, training and employment opportunities for adults, youth and displaced workers who have barriers to employment. ” In addition, the director of the DDEC Labor Development Program, Natasha Vazqueztell Cordero, indicated that “this document establishes specific strategies for the creation and expansion of collaborations for the promotion and greater use of the system by local employers and job applicants and for the planning, development and management of a system based on work and data, among others ”. On the other hand, Laboy Rivera and Vazqueztell Cordero recently inaugurated the new facilities of the Labor Development Program within the Department of Economic Development and Commerce. This change responds to the reorganization process that the agency carries out since the execution of the Reorganization Plan of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce was signed in July 2018. PDL staff now locates in a large space that provides areas for the development of both individual and team work. For details on the Unified State Plan, go to https://www.ddec.pr.gov/rfps-y-avisos/.