Industry Skill Panels

Contact: Mike Brennan
Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board
128 – 10th Avenue, SW
P.O. Box 43105
Olympia, WA 98504-3105
Telephone: 360.586.8683
E-mail: mbrennan@wtb.wa.gov

State Website: http://www.wtb.wa.gov

Participation: 15 Industry Skill Panels were funded by the Workforce Board during July 1, 2007-June 30, 2008.

Who is Served: Employers in selected industries.

Program Description:  Industry Skill Panels are partnerships of businesses, labor, education, and training providers that identify skill gaps in their industry and develop actions to reduce or close the gaps.  The Workforce Board administers state and federal funding for the panels and monitors their progress.  

Examples of Skill Panel activities include:

• Creating industry skill standards and expanding their use.
• Assessing skill gaps in an industry.
• Assisting in the design of training curriculum.
• Facilitating resource sharing between employers and education and training providers.  
• Informing investment decisions by education and training providers.
• Developing policy recommendations for state policy makers and program administrators.

Other Program Characteristics: The Workforce Board requires applicants to link proposals to their regional cluster strategies. Proposals must focus on industries in which there is a regional concentration of firms or employment, including employment opportunities in family-wage jobs. 

Program History: The Governor requested and the Legislature funded Industry Skill Panels for the first time in 2000.

Planning Cycle: Two-year grants.

Outcome Measures: The Workforce Board is currently conducting an evaluation of Industry Skill Panels, including an evaluation of appropriate performance measures.  There will be four areas of measurement, with a number of measures in each area.  The four areas are:

1. Measuring Impact on Workers
2. Business Impact Measures
3. Partnership Development, Management and Capacity
4. 4)   Sustainability Measures

Funding and Regional Division: Eligible applicants include the 12 regional Workforce Development Councils, community and technical colleges, Centers of Excellence representing the targeted industry, Chambers of Commerce, local Economic Development Councils, apprenticeship trusts, and Private Career Colleges.

State Funding: $340,000 (July 1, 2007-June 30, 2008).

Federal Funding: $400,000 (July 1, 2007-June 30, 2008).

Statutory Authority:  State – Chapter 103, Laws of 2008, Federal – P.L. 105-220 Sec.134(a)(3)