There are two operating units often referred to collectively as the Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board, serving Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, as referenced in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014.

  1. The Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board (GRWDB) itself as the entity responsible for planning, policy, and oversight and employing staff to carry out its priorities.
  2. Greater Raritan Fiscal Agent (County of Somerset, NJ) as the recipient and custodian of federal and state workforce investment grant funds.

In order to establish a governance structure for the Greater Raritan Local Area, certified by the New Jersey State Employment and Training Commission, both Boards of County Commissioners of Hunterdon and Somerset Counties and the Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board entered into a “Joint Agreement” to further define roles and responsibilities of the partners.

The Joint Agreement was first entered into on January 31, 2003, and has been revised several times over the past two decades. An updated Joint Agreement was entered into on January 1, 2023, and can be read here.

Among other provisions, the Joint Agreement:

  • Establishes GRWDB Member appointments, and GRWDB Board responsibilities.
  • Designates staff and committee structures.
  • Designates the County of Somerset, New Jersey as the Grant Recipient and Fiscal Agent.
  • Requires the GRWDB to develop a four-year Local Plan and participate in the development of a four-year Regional Plan.

The GRWDB is responsible for the planning and oversight of the local One-Stop system. This includes working with the Chief Elected Official (CEO) of Somerset County and the Governor to get agreement on local Performance Standards. As part of the Joint Agreement, the GRWDB also will:

  • Competitively select a One-Stop Operator.
  • Competitively select providers of Career Training Services, Youth Services, WorkFirst New Jersey services and Workforce Learning Link services.
  • With agreement of the CEO, enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Local Area’s One-Stop Partners for the development and operation of comprehensive One-Stop Centers in the two counties.

One-Stop Operator selection

The Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board selects the area’s One-Stop Operator and the Career Training Services provider through a competitive process in accordance with the Uniform Guidance, WIOA and its implementing regulations, and Local procurement laws and regulations. The Request for Proposals (RFP) for One-Stop Operator and Career Training Services was released on April 5, 2023; responses are due on Friday, May 5, 2023. Details on the RFP can be found on the home page of www.thegrwdb.org, and the RFP can be downloaded here. The new contract period begins on July 1, 2023.

The Somerset County Department of Human Services currently provides the contracted One-Stop Operator services. The contract details how the One-Stop Operator will coordinate the service delivery of the required One-Stop Partners and service providers. The RFP for the procurement of a One-Stop Operator for Program Year 2022 can be found here. The response to that RFP and the evaluations of a review committee can be found here. During its June 23, 2022, meeting, the board of the GRWDB reviewed the committee’s recommendations, which had been approved by the GRWDB Executive Committee during a May 5, 2022 meeting. The 2022 Memorandum of Agreement between the GRWDB and the Somerset County, NJ Department of Human Services can be found here.

Further background on previous One-Stop Operator selection procedures can found on the Greater Raritan’s One-Stop Partners page.

The relationship

The following chart shows the relationship between the Boards of County Commissioners, the Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board, State entities, the Board’s staff, and the One-Stop Career Center Training Services Operator.

Please visit New Jersey’s State Employment and Training Commission’s website to learn more about the various local Workforce Development Boards throughout the state.

The SETC Dashboard provides workforce performance data in a user-friendly visualization tool. State and local workforce data are included, based on federal WIOA reports.  As resources allow, the dashboard may be expanded to include data on additional workforce programs.

For more information about WIOA, go here.