Washington Workforce Development News
Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board
March 22, 2023
WORKFORCE BOARD TO HEAR FROM BUILDING TRADES APPRENTICESHIP PANEL THURSDAY
The Workforce Board is holding a hybrid meeting Thursday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Olympia and will hear from a building trades apprenticeship panel that includes highlights on how these apprenticeships relate to the state’s strategic plan for workforce development, Talent and Prosperity for All (TAP). The TAP plan is being updated this year and the next and the Board is actively soliciting input from stakeholders to incorporate key workforce and education policies and strategies. The Board will also hear from National Governors Association staff on federal legislation impacting workforce development. The Board may also take action on approving a new role in resolving workforce system disputes and setting minimum hours for WorkSource employment center hours of operation. More: https://bit.ly/3LC0qLl
HEALTH WORKFORCE COUNCIL ALSO MEETS THURSDAY
The Health Workforce Council, staffed by the Workforce Board, meets (virtually) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, March 23. Council members will hear from several speakers about Washington’s health careers pathway landscape. The Council will also learn about higher education enrollment trends from the Washington Student Achievement Council, and get more details on health program completion/graduation numbers gathered by Workforce Board research staff. The Council will also have an opportunity to dig in on the Council’s direction in 2023 and beyond. More: https://bit.ly/3LHr4Tc
HEALTH WORKFORCE SENTINEL NETWORK OPEN FOR FEEDBACK
Washington’s Health Workforce Sentinel Network is open and once again ready to hear from employers around the state about their greatest health workforce needs. Twice a year, the Sentinel Network helps capture key recruitment, retention, and skills issues being confronted, and makes that information available to educators, policymakers, and others. There is an additional module for behavioral health facilities, with requests details on challenges in the behavioral health sector, including educational background preferences for new hires, clinical supervision challenges and procedures, and regulatory changes needed related to clinical supervision. Washington’s Sentinel Network is a collaboration of the state’s Workforce Board, the Health Workforce Council, and the University of Washington’s Center for Health Workforce Studies. The data collection will be open through mid-April. More: https://wa.sentinelnetwork.org/
ADVANCE CTE RELAUNCHES INITIATIVE TO MODERNIZE CAREER CLUSTERS
Advance CTE has announced the relaunch of an initiative to modernize the National Career Clusters Framework. This framework serves as an organizing tool for Career Technical Education (CTE) programs, curriculum design and instruction. There are 16 Career Clusters in the National Career Clusters Framework, representing 79 Career Pathways to help learners navigate their way to greater success in college and careers. The framework also functions as a useful guide in developing programs of study bridging secondary and postsecondary systems and for creating individual student plans of study for a complete range of career options. More: https://careertech.org/the-framework
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES INVITED TO APPLY FOR YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM
High school students with disabilities can apply to the 21st annual Youth Leadership Forum to learn leadership, citizenship and personal skills. About 30 students will attend this free overnight camp, which will be at the Dumas Bay Center in Federal Way from July 30 to Aug. 4.The Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues & Employment (GCDE) is accepting applications through May 31. There is no cost to parents for their student to attend. The Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) is designed for students with disabilities who want to be or are leaders in their schools and communities. Eligible youth are: High school juniors and seniors ages 16 to 21 who have a disability and students up to age 21 who are receiving transition services. The Youth Leadership Forum is a project of the GCDE with funding from the state’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. https://bit.ly/3TByiu2