Workforce development: one-stop career center systems.

The federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 provides for workforce investment activities, including activities in which states may participate. Existing law contains various programs for job training and employment investment, including work incentive and employment training outreach programs. Existing law, the California Workforce Investment Act declares that it is the intent of the Legislature to deliver comprehensive workforce services to jobseekers, students, and employers through a system of one-stop career centers to, among other things, make job outreach, intake, job search and placement assistance, and other related services available in one location. Existing law provides for the payment of unemployment compensation benefits to eligible unemployed persons during the period that the person is unemployed, and requires the Employment Development Department to implement and administer the unemployment compensation program. This bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2010, to provide in-person unemployment benefit assistance in at least one comprehensive state one-stop career center in each workforce area, as prescribed. The bill would require that the unemployment benefit assistance services required to be provided at these one-stop career centers be funded with existing moneys available to the department for the administration of the unemployment compensation program.