Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board
Washington’s Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (Workforce Board) is a Governor-appointed partnership of labor, business and government that is dedicated to helping Washington residents obtain and succeed in family-wage jobs, while meeting employers’ needs for skilled workers. The agency was created by the Washington Legislature in 1991. Click here to read the law creating and governing the Workforce Board.
The Workforce Board acts as:
- An advocate on all issues and programs related to workforce development, which includes 16 education and training programs.
- An independent third party evaluator of the state’s workforce system.
- The lead policy advisor over the state’s workforce development system and federally funded Career and Technical Education.
- A regulator of private career school programs and veterans education programs.
Why We Exist
In 1991, the Legislature set about eliminating the four state boards that supervised the state’s tangled training system. The Workforce Board replaced these boards and created a coordinated and more accountable workforce system. Our strategic plan, Talent and Prosperity for All, details the state’s opportunities and workforce objectives while our performance reports enforce strict accountability measures that go beyond federal requirements, ensuring the state’s education and training programs receive an objective evaluation, meet Washington’s high performance goals, and offer a return on investment for taxpayers.
"The Hub"
State and federal law makes clear that the we are “the hub” of the state’s workforce training system, a central coordination point that gives Washington strategic direction toward common goals.
Who We Are
The Workforce Board is a Governor-appointed partnership of nine voting members from business, labor, and government. Click here to learn about our board members.
Business & Workers at the Table
With business and labor working together, we get a real-world view of our challenges and opportunities, and can guide key agencies and local boards to take action.