Job Skills Program (JSP) Grant

43 Years of Impact

The Job Skills Program (JSP) – started in 1983 to enhance economic development through short-term customized training – is now 43 years old. From 2,256 employees trained in the biennium 1983-1985, the program has grown and trained more than 81,000 employees in Washington State. 

About the Program

Job Skills grants are distributed to all corners of the state, including rural areas. They primarily serve areas where: 

• There is a shortage of skilled labor to meet businesses’ needs 
• Upgrading employee skills is necessary to avoid layoffs 
• New businesses or industry clusters need a skilled labor pool 
• Communities struggle with high unemployment 

The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges administers the Job Skills Program with guidance from an advisory committee made up of representatives from business, labor and public and private educational institutions. A subcommittee meets to review, provide input, and recommend applications for the grants. Representatives of the Department of Commerce and the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board also participate in the review process. 

The program awards grants to licensed educational institutions in Washington. JSP funds half of the training cost. Partner employers provide cash or in-kind match to fund the other half. Funds are awarded on a first-approved, rolling basis throughout the fiscal year. 

2026-27 Important Dates

2026-27 Program Guidelines and Resources

The following documents provide detailed information about how grant funds can be used, who can apply, the application process and deadlines.

• 2026-27 JSP Program and Fiscal Guidelines
• 2026-27 JSP Assurances
• Applicant Webinar Recording 
• Applicant Webinar Slide Presentation
• Questions & Answers - updated Apr. 23, 2026
• 2026-27 Trainee, Match, Courses, and Final Report spreadsheet

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Impacts

Strengthening NW Manufacturing Workforce Consortium

"I’m proud to share that this Job Skills Grant has significantly strengthened our team and operations. With matching support from the State of Washington, we’ve been able to invest in targeted employee training across Kaizen, Communication, Clifton Strengths, ERP, CRM, and cGMP – building a more agile, collaborative, and systems-minded workforce. This training not only enhances individual capability but also drives continuous improvement and operational excellence throughout our growing company." - Steve Reed, COO, Scratch and Peck Feeds

"The JSP Grant has been an asset to EGIS Mobile Electric. It enabled us to strengthen our team through targeted training, leadership development, and system upgrades tied to our ISO Certification. These efforts have driven a sharper focus on quality and operational excellence across the company—resulting in a more capable, efficient workforce fully aligned with the program’s mission.

We’ve seen over 60% revenue growth in the past year—growth we attribute in large part to the upskilling of our employees and the refinement of our processes supported by the JSP Grant. That momentum has fueled capital investments aimed at scaling our operations, including over $60,000 in facility expansion and upgrades, as well as $27,928 in automation equipment such as a precision epoxy machine, an orbital riveter, and other high-grade production tools. These investments increased our throughput by 31%, and our already excellent quality metrics have improved by approximately 10%.

In addition to the growth in revenue, our facility, and our production capability, we have made significant investments in our staff. Notably, our team grew by approximately 40%. Beyond headcount, the JSP Grant enabled us to upskill 80% of our workforce in valuable areas such as increased computer proficiency, soldering, and lean manufacturing principles. Our management team also benefited from high-quality communication training, which has helped maintain strong team dynamics and high morale during this period of rapid growth. As a direct result of our expanding and upskilled workforce, as well as our growing revenue, our payroll investments grew by nearly 100%. These increased payroll investments benefited both employees already on staff prior to the JSP Grant timeline, through benefit and salary expenditure increases of approximately 25%, and the newly hired staff who joined during the grant period. Additionally, we are investing in continued education for our team, including sponsoring an MBA and an Associate’s Degree in Accounting for two employees pursuing further academic and professional development." - Eric Graham, CEO, EGOS Mobile Electric

Scratch & Peck Feeds has expanded operations due to increased demand for organic feed, requiring elevated leads and supervisors. The company adopted an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to streamline operations, recognizing the need for thorough training to ensure effective use and ongoing process improvement.

Notable outcomes include:

• For EGIS
  • Hired 12 new employees and promoted six.
  • Wages and benefits increased by 25% on average.
  • Increased throughput by 30%.
  • Improved quality by 10%.
  • Increased customer on-time delivery by 99%.
• For Scratch & Peck
  • Eight employees received pay increases.
  • Initiated a Waste Tracking program in WA production mill.
  • Decreased defects by 35%; quality issues continue to trend down.
  • Inventory over $500K favorable, freeing up the Line of Credit for other uses.

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Reports to Legislature

Job Skills Program reports are submitted by the State Board for Community and Technical colleges to the Washington State Legislature in fulfillment of RCW 28C.04.420 Job skills program — Grants — Reports.

• 2023-25 Job Skills progress report
• 2023-25 Job Skills biennial report

Reports from prior years are available upon request.