The Northern Panhandle Workforce Investment Board, Inc. (NPWIB) recently held its quarterly Board of Directors meeting. At the meeting, the Board of Directors elected new Board Officers for terms beginning July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010.

John Sorrenti, president of John Jay Consultants in Weirton, was elected chairman. Pat Walsh, manager of operations at Proviron in Friendly, W.Va., and Eric Peters, president of Pro-Creative Services in Sistersville, W.Va., were elected vice-chairmen.

Rodd Haller, president of Wheeling Office Supply in Wheeling was elected treasurer and Frank Ellis, president of Ohio Valley Trades & Labor of Wheeling was elected secretary.

The Board of Directors also appointed and/or re-appointed the following individuals to serve on its regional Youth Council for terms beginning July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010: George Danford, Joe Paolo, Jim Boniey, Carole Scheerbaum, Bob Hagedorn, Mike Norman, Larry Kutay, Rod Lee, Connie Woods, John Eckels and Roger Romine.

NPWIB recently received approximately $1.3 million dollars in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding. Coupled with its approximate $1.4 million dollars in Workforce Investment Act funding, NPWIB is planning on providing a number of programs and services for adults, laid-off workers and youth within their six county region of service (Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel and Tyler counties) during the upcoming program year.

One of NPWIB-sponsored programs is the Summer Youth Work Experience Program. This program will operate from June 22 to July 30. Youth, ages, 14 to 24, will work 32 hours per week, Monday through Thursday. NPWIB is expecting to employ approximately 300 youth and 45 supervisors and monitors on this program.

Another NPWIB-sponsored program is the Older Youth Individual Training Account Program.

This program provides older youth, ages 19 to 21, with vouchers to attend training courses and/or classes in demand occupations for a period of up to 2 years. NPWIB will cover the cost of training courses and/or classes for program participants in the amount of $4,750 per program year.

NPWIB also sponsors an Individual Training Account Program for adults and laid-off workers.

All participants on NPWIB-sponsored programs must first be determined eligible for program participation at a WORKFORCE WV Career Center (One Stop Center) in the region. WORKFORCE WV Career Centers are located in the cities of Weirton, Wheeling and New Martinsville.

During the quarterly Board of Directors meeting, it was noted that NPWIB, one of seven local Workforce Investment Boards in the state, was currently meeting and/or exceeding all federal program performance standards.

WORKFORCE WV Career Centers are sponsoring two Consortiums in the region A Health Care Consortium and a Tourism and Hospitality Consortium. If anyone is interested in being a member on either of these Consortiums, he/she should contact the NPWIB office.

Currently, NPWIB is soliciting a potential agency(ies)/organization(s) to oversee and manage its regional WORKFORCE WV Career Centers for the upcoming program year.

The One Stop Center Operator Request for Proposal is available for review on NPWIB's Web site at: npworkforcewv.org under the heading of Available Downloads.

If you need information contact Chris Smith, administrative coordinator, at NPWIB at (304)?231-1170.