About Us

The Eastern Carolina Workforce Development Board, Inc. (ECWDB) is a non-profit organization located in New Bern, North Carolina. ECWDB is governed by a twenty-eight member board of directors in partnership with the local elected officials. This is the designated administrative/fiscal agent for the Federal and State workforce development funds appropriated by the North Carolina Department of Commerce to operate employment and training services in a nine county local area. Members of the ECWDB are appointed by the Elected Officials of their respective counties in accordance with criteria established by the Governor. ECWDB membership includes representatives from business and industry, education agencies, economic development agencies, vocational rehabilitation, and labor organizations. The ECWDB administers workforce development programs funded through the Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). It contracts its programs with reputable organizations throughout the nine counties who provide services in their local NCWorks Career Center, serving both the job seeker and employer populations.

What We Do

The ECWDB's role is to ensure that the local workforce development system is market-driven and responsive to meeting the employment and training needs of both job seekers and employers. Specifically, the ECWDB:

• Coordinates rapid response meetings with employers who are downsizing or facing a plant closure;
• Serves as a point of contact for business, industry and the public sector to identify solutions that address their workforce needs;
• Promotes strategies to encourage life-long learning and improve workplace skills;
• Assists in the development of new training programs to benefit the region's workforce;
• Conducts planning, oversight and evaluation of local workforce development programs to include the NCWorks Career Center system;
• Offers advice regarding workforce policy and programs to local elected officials, employers, education and employment agencies, and citizens;
• Coordinates with economic development efforts to promote the region's availability of qualified workers; and
• Reviews local agency plans and grant applications for workforce development to ensure coordination of services.

Staff to the Board: