(a) Through the department of labor and workforce development, Tennessee state government, in cooperation with business and industry, will strive to provide integrated, effective, efficient delivery of employment related services and training, in compliance with the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. § 3101 et seq.), so the state can increase the occupational skill attainment of its workforce and, as a result, improve the quality of the workforce, further the reduction of welfare dependency and enhance the state's productivity and competitiveness in the global economy. The department shall strive to meet the needs of business and industry in this state for the development of a highly skilled and productive workforce.

(b) The department shall strive to meet the needs of employees, unemployed persons, and persons making the transition into the workplace through education, skills training, labor market information, and an efficient unemployment insurance program to enhance their employability, earnings and standard of living while ensuring that employees have a safe, healthy workplace. These services for employees shall focus, whenever possible, on assisting employees to obtain jobs of their choice that provide health insurance, job security and the opportunity for self-sufficiency. The department shall serve as a model employer relative to safety and working conditions in the workplace and in the training and retraining of employees to meet the changes in the work environment. The departments of labor and workforce development and economic and community development shall collaborate relative to job creation, attraction and expansion of business and industry. The department of labor and workforce development shall work to continuously improve the management and coordination of employment-related services for the benefit of business and industry and Tennessee's workforce and shall ensure the taxpayers of this state that revenues for workforce development and unemployment insurance programs are spent effectively and efficiently.