Retooling Washington's Workforce Initiative

Innovation at the Local Level

Washington's 12 area Workforce Development Councils provide outreach to employers, and oversee the WorkSource system, the state's one-stop access to employment services. Below are examples of recent innovations developed and practiced by the area Workforce Development Councils (WDC):

Business Outreach Strategies

• Allied Health Clinical Placement Project - South Central WDC
• Market Managers - Spokane Area WDC
• Passport to Aerospace - WDC Snohomish County
• Youth Work Experience Project - Northwest Workforce Council
• Integrating Outreach Efforts - Eastern Washington Partnership
• Ramping Up Communication - North Central WDC
• Entrepreneurs/Pub Talk - Southwest Washington WDC
• WIRED grant - Pacific Mountain Alliance
• Youth Manufacturing Work Experience Program - Seattle-King County WDC

Pre-Employment Training/Screening/Career Readiness

• WorkKeys Assessment Strategy - Spokane Area WDC
• Pre-employment Partnership - Northwest Workforce Council
• Manufacturing Academy - Workforce Central (Pierce County WDC)
• Aerospace applicant screening - Olympic WDC
• Green Mountain Coffee Roasters project -- Workforce Central

On-the-Job Training

• Leveraging Resources - Olympic WDC
• Renewed Focus - Eastern Washington Partnership
• Helping Employers Find Trainees - Spokane Area WDC
• Individualized Certificate Program - Southwest Washington WDC
• Learnings from OJT emphasis - North Central WDC
• Customized Training - Northwest Workforce Council

Long-Term Unemployed Strategies

• Project RISE - WDC Snohomish County
• Hiring Academy - Workforce Central (Pierce County WDC)
• Back2Work Now - Seattle-King County WDC
• Aligning Service Delivery - Benton-Franklin WDC
• Outreach to Veterans - Olympic WDC
• Targeting Long-Term Unemployed - Eastern Washington Partnership
• Outreach to Benefit Exhaustees - North Central WDC
• Targeting Older Workers - Seattle-King County WDC
• Long-Term Claim Specialists - Spokane Area WDC

High Demand Focus

• Community College-WDC partnership - Seattle-King County WDC
• Rural Commercial Driver's Licenses - North Central WDC

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