Area 14 is one of twenty local workforce areas in the state of Ohio, consisting of Athens, Meigs and Perry counties. The Area 14 Workforce Development Board (WDB) is the representative group that is part of the Public Workforce System, a network of federal, state, and local offices that support economic expansion and develop the talent of the nation’s workforce. Our WDB serves as a connector between the U.S. Department of Labor, state office of Ohio Job and Family Services and the three Ohio Means Jobs Centers in our area that deliver services to workers and employers. Our role is to develop regional strategic plans and set funding priorities for this system. Our goals are to facilitate partnerships between local businesses with similar training needs, rely on labor market information to develop sector strategies that focus resources on a particular high growth industry for this area, and to provide the required tools for job-seekers to succeed.