Workforce Development Funds

About the Workforce Development Funds

The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) is committed to helping industry thrive and expand in Washington State and to continue the development of a skilled workforce. The allocated resources will support the continued alignment of education and training programs with current industry practice and employee recruitment needs.

This funding is to support one-time projects that are necessary to meet changing needs and expectations of industry and/or prospective students, or to support local workforce and economic development initiatives. Successful proposals will do one or more of the following:

• Support the transition, redesign, or adjustment of workforce education and training programs to meet the changing needs and expectations of industry (e.g., new competencies, articulation agreements, career pathways, competency-based credentials, badging/micro-credentials, new technology, etc.);
• Support the transition, redesign, or adjustment of instructional programs to meet changing needs and expectations of prospective students for how instructional programs are delivered (e.g., hybrid, remote, virtual, asynchronous);
• Create, support, or streamline local workforce and economic development initiatives; and/or
• Support and expand workforce development partnerships among employers, education and training providers, and workers.

Who may apply:

• Public community and technical colleges, as defined under RCW 28B.50.030, and Centers of Excellence (COE), as codified under RCW 28B.50.902, may apply for funding.
• Colleges may submit only one application as an individual institution or as the lead institution of a consortium.
• Applications are allowed from both a Center of Excellence (COE) and, separately, from their host college.
• Applications from a COE should be in a separate OGMS application, but submitted through its host college.
  • While a COE can submit applications separately, and colleges may participate in more than one consortium, the review panel will be cautious about awarding funding for multiple projects to one institution.

Invest in Washington

Invest in Washington funding has been added to the Workforce Development Fund to meet the specifications of the Invest in Washington Account, RCW 82.85.070. Preference points will be given to projects designed to accomplish one or more of the priorities specific to manufacturing and production occupations: customized training, job skills, job readiness training, workforce professional development, and/or to assist employers with state-approved registered apprenticeship programs specifically for manufacturing and production occupations.

2026-27 Important dates

2026-27 Program Guidelines and Resources

• 2026-27 Workforce Development, High Demand, and Invest in WA Program Guidelines
• Assurances
• Budget and Equipment List (single applicant)
• Budget and Equipment List (consortium)
• Application Webinar PowerPoint Presentation
• Application Webinar Video Recording
• Q & A - updated March 12, 2026

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Impacts

Construction Center of Excellence
(via Renton Technical College)

Centering Equity in Construction Management Curricula

On behalf of colleges with relevant programs, the Washington State Construction Center of Excellence (WSCCE), used Workforce Development Funds to modernize and align Construction Management curricula across Washington’s community and technical colleges. The project addressed industry needs for a more equitable, skilled, and diverse construction management workforce, amid workforce retirements and increasing demands for professionalized construction leadership.

A key learning from the project was the urgent need for real-world field experience in Construction Management education. Industry leaders emphasized shortcomings among the workforce about site safety knowledge and jobsite expectations. The highly transient nature of construction work also highlights the importance of durable skills, such as communication, critical thinking, and cultural awareness. The project identified the opportunity to create internships, job shadows, and skills validation pathways, especially for experienced workers who perform construction management functions but lack formal titles or credentials.

To support this shift, the Center of Excellence convened statewide industry and education partners to define core competencies for Construction Managers and to develop equity-centered tools and curriculum strategies that better align educational pathways with the needs of the modern construction workforce.

Notable achievements include:

Developing A Curriculum (DACUM) Process and Industry Engagement

• Conducted three DACUM sessions (Jan-Feb 2025) with construction industry experts, identifying 10 duties and 145 tasks essential to the Construction Manager role.
• Engaged stakeholders from Exxcel Pacific, Hensel Phelps, Sellen Construction, AllStar Glass, McKinstry, and multiple union leaders to ensure statewide relevance and buy-in.

Equity Tools and Data Innovation

• Using Shiny, a free open-source package for building interactive web apps, the team developed and launched the Construction Equity Dashboard, incorporating local labor demographics, transit access, and social vulnerability indices to help training providers identify and address systemic barriers in education and employment.

Community of Practice and Long-Term Impact

• Launched plans for the Construction Education Community of Practice (CECoP), set to begin October 2025, to support continuous innovation in construction education.
• Drafted models for micro-pathways, marketing, and surveys for CECoP participants
• Focused on exploring alternative education pathways, including skills validation and badging systems, and gained valuable insights from collaborating with EDL, SBCTC, industry representatives, and through specialized training and listening sessions

Informing Future Initiatives and Curriculum Innovation

• Laid the foundation for two major statewide initiatives, the Construction Education Community of Practice, and Micro-pathways & Micro-credentials in Construction Management
• Through surveys and engagement sessions, identified gaps in current two-year academic programs:
  • • Advanced Contract & Regulatory Knowledge
    • Soft Skills Development
    • Technology Integration (Blue Beam, Autodesk, AI tools, Microsoft Project, etc.)
    • Environmental & Safety Compliance
    • Stakeholder Communication
• Subject matter experts (SMEs) recommended enhancing curriculum through real-world simulations, industry-recognized certifications, cross-disciplinary training, and mentorship and apprenticeship pathways.