Wisconsin Balance of State is prime sponsor for 49 Wisconsin counties covering 35,923 square miles that are primarily rural or consist of small urban-rural complexes. It is one of ten Wisconsin prime sponsors. Local prime sponsors are those counties and cities having over 100,000 population who apply to the Department of Labor for prime sponsorship, or multi-counties and cities, one of which has a population of over 100,000, who join together to form a consortium. After all local prime sponsors have been designated, the remaining counties, the “Balance of State,” are assigned to the Governor, the chief elected official of the state. The Department of Industry, Labor, and Human Relations, Division of Employment and Training Services has been appointed by the Governor to administer the CETA programs in Wisconsin Balance of State.
Balance of State is divided into six administrative districts - Southern, Lake Winnebago, Lake Michigan, Western, West Central and North Central. Each district is responsible for planning, administering, monitoring and evaluating the CETA programs in its area, with policy initiatives, general direction, and technical services provided by the central administrative staff. Beginning in Fiscal Year 1982, District staffs will also be responsible for providing Intake services to CETA applicants. Each district has a District Employment and Training Advisory Board (DETAB) that advises the district staff on employment and training needs, goals, objectives to be provided, service delivery systems, and plans for services. Membership of the DETABs consists of four sectors: service delivery agents, business and labor representatives, public and consumer representatives, and elected county officials and local government representatives.
The Balance of State has an advisory council to advise the prime sponsor on broad policy direction for Balance of State as a whole, program purpose, long-term goals, and program priorities. The Balance of State Employment and Training Advisory Council (BOSETAC) is representative of the Balance of State population, and consists of representatives from state agencies and local and county governments, District Employment and Training Advisory Boards, and public and consumer groups.
A Private Industry Council (PIC) has been established to plan, in conjunction with the prime sponsor, the Private Sector Initiatives Program under Title VII. The majority of Private Industry Council members are representatives of industry and business, including small and minority business enterprises. The PIC also includes members representing organized labor, community-based organizations, and educational agencies and institutions. Program administration, as well as the direct provision of some services, has been granted to the Wisconsin Private Sector Initiatives Program, Inc., a non-profit organization which also provides staffing to the Private Industry Council.
From Wisconsin Department of Industry, Labor, and Human Relations, Division of Employment and Training Services, Balance of State Annual Report, 1983, pp. 13-14.
