Below are three paragraphs from the plan's Executive Summary. We highly recommend you read the complete Westchester-Putnam Workforce Investment Area Three-Year Strategic Plan 2015-2019 to fully appreciate the stakeholders' committment to the area's economic progress.

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Implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act brings both opportunity and challenge to the workforce development system. The current strategic plan reflects the challenges and opportunities presented by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on July 22, 2014. The first legislative reform of the public workforce system in 15 years, WIOA begins to take effect on July 1, 2015, with full implementation scheduled to begin in July 2016.

The Westchester-Putnam WDB welcomes the new WIOA legislation as it validates several initiatives and strategies that they have pursued. The legislation calls for a stronger Workforce Development Board. The legislation also preserves the private sector majority of the WDB and private sector chair. It further calls for the establishment of industry sectors and regional strategies. The WDB has operated sector partnerships for over six years and has lead or participated in an active role in the Hudson Valley Regional partnerships and is experienced with many of the coming changes.

Strategic planning has guided the Westchester-Putnam Workforce Development Area's activities since the first plan was developed in 2000. Planning for the Westchester-Putnam area of the Hudson Valley requires being responsive to needs within a large area of remarkably diversity from geography to demographics to economics.