Washington Workforce Development News
Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board
June 29, 2023
WORKFORCE BOARD MEETS VIRTUALLY AUGUST 9
The Workforce Board will hold a virtual board meeting Wednesday, Aug. 9 to discuss next steps in planning and updating the state’s strategic workforce plan, Talent and Prosperity for All (TAP), along with reviewing potential legislative requests for the 2024 session. More meeting and registration details coming soon! Read more about TAP planning at: https://bit.ly/46v3m4m
CATCH HOUSE WORK SESSION ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND WORKFORCE
The Workforce Board participated in a panel discussion that featured futurists, journalists, and higher education leaders from the University of Washington’s Continuum College at a recent legislative work session focused on artificial intelligence and the future of work. The conversation included the rise of ChatGPT and Large Language Models, and a live demo that showed how quickly this new AI tool could answer topical questions and even write legislation. Panelists, including the Workforce Board’s Career Pathways Manager Joe Wilcox, noted how rapidly these new technologies have been incorporated into business and education, and their impact on our workforce in potentially displacing people, but also augmenting how we do our jobs. View on TVW: https://bit.ly/3NT71lq
WASHINGTON MEDIA SHARES WAVE STORY ACROSS STATE
The Washington Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE) is changing lives and making headlines across the state from Moses Lake to Yakima, to Monroe and Tri-Cities. This year’s winners of this merit-based scholarship administered by the Workforce Board shared how the scholarship will help them achieve their career and education goals. WAVE celebrates the state’s top career and technical education students at Washington high schools and community & technical colleges, helping pay a portion of tuition and other costs as they move forward with education and career plans. This year’s awardees are working to become commercial pilots, nurses, sign language interpreters, and manufacturing leaders, among other careers needed by Washington employers. Read more about WAVE and view the media coverage at: https://wtb.wa.gov/wave/
REGISTRATION OPEN FOR SUMMER WEDA CONFERENCE IN WALLA WALLA
Join economic development, local government, port, business, tribal, education and workforce leaders in Walla Walla from August 8-10 to gain new tools and insight for economic development in your community. This summer’s Washington Economic Development Association (WEDA) conference, dubbed Economic Vitality in Action: From Wheatfields to Main Street, includes an early bird savings for those who register by July 19. An agenda is coming soon. More details: https://bit.ly/3NQe52f
REGISTRATION OPEN FOR WWA WORKFORCE: STRONGER TOGETHER 2023
Registration is open and breakout session proposals are being sought for the Washington Workforce Association’s fall conference, “Stronger Together,” to be held Nov. 14-16 in Tacoma. Area leaders, industry experts, and workforce professionals will come together to provide workshops that address the new and growing demands currently facing the state’s workforce system. Learn more and register now.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Get ready for fireworks during this year’s Fourth of July celebration! But first, sit back and relax as you read this bite-sized digest of workforce news. Then be sure to share it with a friend (or two)! To subscribe or unsubscribe (we'll miss you), email workforce@wtb.wa.gov.