Wise Taaccct Narrative

Washington Integrated Sector Employment (WISE) 1

TAACCCT Round IV July 2014

Introduction - The following proposal, representing a statewide collaboration that will serve

1,992 adults throughout Washington state, is the culmination of a multi-year effort to coordinate

the efforts of the public workforce system to support sustainable development in our most critical

industries: Clean Energy, Construction and Advanced Manufacturing. Led by the three

Washington State Centers of Excellence in these industries, the Washington Integrated Sector

Employment (WISE) partnership includes 8 colleges, 5 workforce investment boards, the state’s

TAA coordinating agency, the Washington State Labor Council, and 15 major employers.

While the WISE model is not overly complicated, the number of partners, strategies and

evidence supporting our interventions can make for a daunting proposal. The following table is

provided to assist in the navigation of the narrative. Footnotes offer evidence and definitions.

Criterion Key Strategies Page

Statement of

Need Serving the Needs of TAA-Eligible Workers

Evidence of Job Opportunities

Gap Analysis of Proposed Pathways

1

7

11

Methodology

and Workplan Evidence-based Design

Career Pathways

Advanced Online/Technology Enabled Learning

Strategic Workforce/System Alignment

Previous TAACCCT Alignment

Sector Strategies/Employer Engagement

Project Workplan

13

18

21

23

24

25

30

Outcomes and

Outputs Analysis of Outcome Projections

Systems for Tracking/Reporting Outcome Measures

Using Data for Continuous Improvement

35

36

39

Organizational

Profile Qualifications

Communication

Systems/Processes for Timely Reporting

41

44

44

I. Statement of Need

a. Serving the Education and Training Needs of TAA-Eligible Workers

(1) Impact of Foreign Trade on Washington State – The Positive: As a major port and border

state, Washington unquestionably benefits from foreign trade. With 75 port districts1, a 427-mile

1 Washington Public Ports Association. url: http://washingtonports.org/washington-ports/



border with Canada2, and 157 miles of coastline

3, isolation is not a sound or sustainable

economic strategy. One of every 4 jobs here relies on exports, and Washington is the most trade

dependent state in America, with exports driving 1/6 of the state’s entire economy; in 2011, the

state ranked fifth in total value of exports4. Trade with Asia, in particular, is growing at a healthy

rate, and offers Washington workers who have lost their jobs an opportunity to re-enter the

economic pipeline, granted they have adequate career preparation and support.

The Negative: There are also trade-related challenges for employment. Since 2007, over 15,000

workers in Washington have seen their jobs eliminated or affected by foreign competition5, with

many of those losses in both legacy industries, including forestry and agriculture, and emerging

industries, such as manufacturing. The choice to concentrate on manufacturing, construction and

energy was informed by an analysis of the companies most heavily impacted by foreign trade. Of

the 382 companies in Washington that have filed TAA petitions since 2007, 70% (269) represent

the sectors targeted by the WISE initiative (examples in Table 3):

2 Beaver, C.J. (2006). U.S. International Borders: Brief Facts. Congressional Research Service. url:

http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RS21729.pdf 3 Krosby, M., Hoffman, J. R., Lawler, J. J., & Mcrae, B. H. (2012). Washington State, USA. In Climate and

Conservation (pp. 115-125). Island Press/Center for Resource Economics. 4 Washington State Department of Commerce (2013). Fact Sheet. url:

http://www.commerce.wa.gov/Documents/International-Trade-2013-fact-sheet.pdf 5 Trade Adjustment Petition Database. url: http://www.citizen.org/Page.aspx?pid=4323



Table 3: Job Losses to Foreign Trade and Examples

Washington TAA Petitions – Sample of Manufacturing, Construction and Energy

Companies and Job Losses6

TAW # Company Location Date Job Losses

70520 Boeing Chelan County 5/22/08 1,600

81097 Kimberly-Clark Snohomish

County

2/13/10 843

73303 Weyerhaeuser King County 1/7/09 686

64616 Steelscape Cowlitz County 12/3/07 495

64993 TTM Technologies King County 1/23/08 487

72505 Silicon Forest Ind. Clark County 10/1/08 347

70234 Hampton Lumber Lewis County 9/14/10 234

64784 Kenworth Pierce County 7/21/08 214

Program Accessibility. Identifying impacted workers in Washington is straightforward for the

WISE partnership, given that both the Washington State Employment Security Department

(ESD) and Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) serve as partners in this proposal. ESD, as

the statewide TAA coordinating body, and WSLC, as the lead liaison for labor, maintain records

and contact information for all TAA-impacted workers, for both union and non-union jobs.

Providing access and services to those workers, however, requires an implementation

plan and agreement. The following table summarizes the partners and roles that will ensure that

the individuals in the region served (Washington) will benefit from a TAACCCT investment:

Table 4: TAA Partner Cooperation

Partner Accessibility Strategy Region

WA State

Employment Security

Department*

Statewide outreach (all non-union

impacted jobs): Contact Database;

Mailing List; Website Information.

Statewide (TAA

Coordinating Agency)

Washington State

Labor Council*

Statewide outreach (union impacted jobs):

Contact Database; Mailing List; Website

Information; Information Sessions.

Statewide (TAA Contract

for Labor)

State and Regional

Workforce Investment

Boards, Washington

Training Board

(WTB)*

Regional outreach through One-Stop

Centers representing 18 of Washington’s

39 counties (4.5 million of 6.7 million

statewide population); Contracted

employment navigation; Sponsored job

fairs for program participants.

Asotin, Columbia, Ferry,

Garfield, Grays Harbor,

King, Lewis Lincoln,

Mason, Pacific, Pierce,

Pend Oreille, Snohomish,

Thurston, Walla Walla

and Whitman Counties

6 Trade Adjustment Petition Database. url: http://www.citizen.org/Page.aspx?pid=4323



Washington State

Centers of

Excellence**

Statewide outreach, marketing,

conferences: Annual Energy &

Construction Best Practices Summit and

Biannual State Apprenticeship

Conference.

Statewide (Washington’s

Centers of Excellence

provide technical

assistance to every two-

year college in the state.

Washington State

Community and

Technical Colleges**

Local outreach, marketing; Local training;

Co-location for Workforce One-Stop

Centers; Site locations for employer

navigators. Co-presentations by faculty

and staff with workforce staff.

Pierce Co.; Pacific

Mountain Region;

Snohomish Co.; King Co.;

Eastern Washington

*Letter of Commitment, ** Consortium Agreement

(2) Understanding the Education/Training Needs of Washington’s TAA-Eligible Workers.

In compliance with the 2014 TAACCCT solicitation, WISE has adopted a sector emphasis

supported by the Governor’s Integrated Workforce Plan7. Accordingly, the following sectors,

and their associated Centers of Excellence (which represent the industry sector strategy for

Washington’s Community and Technical College system), 8

have been identified as representing

high-wage, high-demand pathways that support regional economic development goals:

Advanced Manufacturing and Aerospace Center of Excellence (Everett CC)

Construction Center of Excellence (Renton Technical College)

Center of Excellence for Clean Energy (Centralia College)

The identified sectors include pathways with short, medium and long-term entry/exit options,

which is critical to the TAA-impacted population in Washington state.

Characteristics and Needs of Impacted Workers. The sectors chosen represent high-wage,

high-demand opportunities for impacted workers. This project is designed to help Washington’s

TAA population overcome the specific challenges due to their skills and educational levels9. As

reported by the Washington State Employment Security Department, there have been 15,194

TAA-impacted workers in Washington since 2007. Some relevant characteristics stand out. The

7 State of Washington. Integrated workforce plan for Workforce Investment Act, Title I, and Wagner-Peyser Act,

Department of Labor Workforce Programs, July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2017. 8 Centers of Excellence are flagship institutions that build and sustain Washington’s competitive advantage through

statewide leadership. url: http://www.sbctc.ctc.edu/college/_e-wkforcecentersofexcellence.aspx 9 Trade Adjustment Petition Database. url: http://www.citizen.org/Page.aspx?pid=4323



average age of TAA worker in Washington State is 50. Of the TAA impacted workers, 2,038 are

veterans (109 disabled), 12,627 do not have a four-year degree, (10,745 have no college degree,

1350 have a GED, and 4,290 have less than a high school diploma). These characteristics are

relevant, since longitudinal studies demonstrate that addressing pre-employment deficiencies is

critical to long-term employment success. In an evaluation comparing TAA participants with a

control group of unemployment insurance (UI) claimants over a 7-year period across 34 states,

Mathematica found that after four years, TAA participants receiving pre-employment support

had almost entirely closed the gap in both employment and earnings10

. Projections of impacted

TAA workers suggest that educational challenges and age barriers are a chronic concern.

Tables 5 and 6 provide a visual representation of skills/education attainment and age:

Unfortunately, pre-employment potential itself is insufficient for fully re-integrating

TAA-impacted individuals into the workforce. When you consider that 10,702 TAA-impacted

adults in Washington State are 45 years of age or older, TAACCCT projects are tasked with

quickly making up a loss of 20+ years in career wage progression and savings. For these older

workers, time is the enemy. D’Amico & Schochet (2012) confirmed that TAA eligible workers

tended to be full-time with long tenures who were displaced from fairly high-paying positions.

10

D'Amico, R., & Schochet, P. Z. (2012). The Evaluation of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program: A Synthesis of Major Findings. Mathematica Policy Research.



In fact, within the private sector, workers in manufacturing have the longest average

tenure11

, and a number of companies with the highest job losses in Washington have some of the

longest average tenures nationwide (CenturyLink - 10 years; Agilent - 7.5 years; Weyerhaeuser -

7.2 years). Moreover, the TAA analysis demonstrates that certain characteristics predict better

labor market outcomes. Among these, workers who more quickly entered training (regardless of

the length of training), had better success, and those who received a career assessment to guide

them in training choices were more likely to obtain employment comparable to their displaced

positions and wages (D’Amico & Schochet, 2012, p. 11). This points to a need for a pre-

employment training that includes an industry-recognized credential, (i.e. National Career

Readiness Certificate)12

, as well as a career guidance mechanism. Based on the success of

previously funded TAACCCT initiatives in Washington, WISE partners will implement

WorkKeys13

, which consists of a job skills assessment, a job analysis, and related skills training.

(3) TAA Partnership Strength. Table 4 (p. 3) provides specific commitments of both the

agency responsible for the TAA for Workers program (Washington State Employment Security

Department) and the agency contracted to support TAA job losses in union jobs (Washington

State Labor Council, AFL-CIO). The strength of this partnership is codified in two letters of

commitment, which outlines the roles and responsibilities of the two TAA agencies.

In Washington, the TAA coordinating agency is the Washington State Department of

Employment Security (ESD). As the statewide coordinating agency for Trade Adjustment

Assistance, ESD provides oversight for eligibility. ESD offers the following services:

11

Giang, V. (2013). A new report ranks America's biggest companies based on how quickly employees jump ship. Business Insider. url: www.businessinsider.com/companies-ranked-by-turnover-rates-2013-7#ixzz33WROgaET 12

Clark, H. (2013). A Comprehensive Framework for Measuring Skills Gaps and Determining Work Readiness. Employment Relations Today, 40(3), 1-11. 13

Swaney,K. B., Allen, J.,Casillas, A., Hanson, M. A., & Robbins, S. B. (2012). Interests, work values and occupations: Predicting work outcomes with the WorkKeys Fit assessment. Journal of Career Assessment, 20(4), 359-374.



• Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA)

• Occupational skills training

• Re-employment services

• Job-search allowances

• Relocation allowances

• Alternative or Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA/RTAA)

ESD will support WISE by providing technical assistance regarding TAA services,

access to impacted workers, including the sharing of training opportunities offered through the

TAACCCT grant, and data regarding TAA impacted individuals in the state. ESD will provide

data to program evaluators, for continuous program improvement. As stated in its letter of

commitment, if funded, ESD would welcome information, including flyers, brochures and other

documents, regarding the WISE partnership’s proposed training programs in order to share with

TAA clients. ESD would also assign a representative to the WISE Grant Governance Board.14

Additionally, the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC), AFL-CIO, provides services to

TAA-impacted workers from labor supported jobs. WSLC will offer the following support:

Provide a representative to serve on the WISE Grant Governance Board.

Provide TAA participants information about employment, through job fairs, job

shadowing, mock interviews and other strategies.

Participate in joint outreach and marketing activities in order to build a strong potential

pool of future workers, with a particular emphasis on reaching under-represented and/or

non-traditional individuals.

The support of both ESD and WSLC will be critical to the WISE partnership’s goals for

recruiting and placing TAA-impacted workers into training programs leading to new careers in

the targeted industries of clean energy, construction and advanced manufacturing.

b. Evidence of Need of Job Opportunities in Clean Energy, Construction and

Advanced Manufacturing Industries in Washington State

(1) Appropriateness of Labor Market Data. To prepare this proposal, the WISE partnership

used a multi-tiered approach to investigating labor market resources, including the U.S. DOL

14

The WISE Grant Governance Board will consist of project partners (lead college, consortium colleges, Centers of Excellence, WDCs, non-profits and employers), and will be responsible for reviewing and approving project strategies. The Board will meet quarterly. The lead applicant will provide an annual report to the Board.



Market data, Washington Workforce Explorer, Washington Occupational Wages, and the

Washington State Governor’s economic development plan15

to obtain accurate and timely data.

Statewide data, including current median wage and projected growth was gathered and analyzed

for each target industry specific to the population centers to be served. Regional and local

occupation opportunities were identified, and then cross-referenced with state wide data. 16

As a

statewide consortium, the region served includes the entirety of Washington.

While the available labor market data show demand and wages for the targeted industries,

this doesn’t tell the whole story. TAA-impacted workers in Washington have, on average, spent

18 years in their lost careers. Part of WISE’s outreach strategy will be to convince impacted

workers that the targeted industries are both within their reach and represent significant

opportunities for employment and future wage increases. The industries most heavily impacted

by job loss, logging and paper mill workers, are relatively low-skilled and modestly

compensated. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median wages for loggers and mill

workers are $33,630 ($16.17/hour) and $35,550 ($17.60/hour)17

, respectively. Further, these jobs

are projected to continue to decline at a 9% rate annually. Each occupation targeted by the WISE

partnership has a growth rate of at least 11% and represents a minimum median wage increase

of at least $15,000. While displaced workers will not start at median wages, even the lowest

identified occupation has a starting average of over $30,000/year.18

All occupations require

credentials that can be completed in 3 to twelve months.

15

Washington State Governor’s Economic Development Goals. url:http://www.governor.wa.gov/issues/economy/ 16

Career OneStop. url: http://www.careerinfonet.org/ 17

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2014) url: http://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag322.htm 18

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2014). url:

http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?next=occ_rep&Level=&optstatus=011110111&jobfa

m=51&id=1&nodeid=2&soccode=514121&menuMode=&stfips=53&x=73&y=17

http://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag322.htm

http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?next=occ_rep&Level=&optstatus=011110111&jobfam=51&id=1&nodeid=2&soccode=514121&menuMode=&stfips=53&x=73&y=17

http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?next=occ_rep&Level=&optstatus=011110111&jobfam=51&id=1&nodeid=2&soccode=514121&menuMode=&stfips=53&x=73&y=17



Table 7: Labor Market Data for WISE – Washington State, June 2014

WISE

Partner

SOC

Code

Occupation Ave. Annual

Growth Rate

Employment

Projections

Wage Data

Bates

Technical

College

49-3031 Mechanics and

Diesel Engine

Specialists

11%; In-

demand

8,480 (total

employment); 260

(annual openings)

$51,300 (annual

wage); $26.64

(hourly wage)

Centralia

College

51-2022 Elect. Equip

assemblers

12.2%; In-

demand

5,800 (206) $34,440 ($16.71)

Everett

CC

51-421 Welders 26%; In-

demand

7,150 (320) $43,500 ($20.89)

Green

River CC

43-4051 Customer

Service Rep.

16%; In-

demand

39,750 (1,600) $34,300 ($16.67)

Renton TC 51-8021 Stationary

engineers

17%; In-

demand

910 (30) $62,300 ($26.26)

Shoreline

CC, South

Seattle CC

51.40xx

(51.4000

51.4035)

Manufacturing,

Industrial

Manufacturing,

27%; In-

demand

14,720 (570) $48,700 ($23.42)

Walla

Walla CC

47-2111 Electrician 16%; In-

demand

17,010 (660) $61,800 ($29.71)

(2) Understanding of Skills, Abilities and Credentials Needed to Transition from Previous

TAA-impacted Careers to Targeted Industry Sectors. For the typical TAA-impacted worker

being served by WISE colleges, the employment barriers associated with low levels of

educational attainment are often compounded by additional barriers such as lack of work-based

skills, lack of English language proficiency, and the need for extensive supportive services such

as transportation and childcare. This need for case management is derived from a 2009 Social

Policy Research Associates study that found that assessment and case management are much

more extensive for TAA customers who are interested in undertaking training.19

Fortunately, career training programs at Washington state community and technical

colleges require oversight from program advisory committees which are responsible for

confirming job demand, endorsing curricula and providing technical assistance regarding

19

Mack, M. (2009). Assessment, case management, and post-training assistance for TAA participants. Mathematica Policy Researcy. url: http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/FullText_Documents/Assessment%20Case%20Management%20and%20Post-Training%20Assistance%20for%20TAA%20Participants%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf



equipment. The program advisory committees, which include employers, organized labor and

community representatives, have provided information on skills and credentials needed for

WISE occupations. Employers have provided letters of commitment to hire qualified program

graduates and/or provide on-the-job training opportunities for participants. More information on

additional employer commitments (internships, hiring preferences, etc.) is provided below:

Table 8: Credentials and Employer Support Examples

Occupation Credential Employer Support

Diesel

Mechanic

Certificate of Competency

(20 credits); Certificate of

Completion (45 credits;

AAS (90 credits)

Dominos, Veneer Transport – interview

commitments, internships, outreach support.

Advisory Committee Participation. Curriculum

endorsement.

Welder Sub arc welding cert. (20

credits); TIG (45 credits);

ATA (90 credits);

Aerospace Fabrication

Welding Cert (30 credits).

Western Washington Sheet Metal Joint

Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC).

Boilermakers JATC. Will register apprenticeship.

Curriculum endorsement. Joint outreach.

Machining Basic Machining Cert. (20

credits); Principles of

Precision Machining Cert.

(40 credits); AAS Degree.

AJAC, Royell, Gosinger, Electro Impact.

Employers drive DACUM (developing a

curriculum) process; NIMS (National Institute for

Metalworking Skills) accreditation; Internships;

Hiring preferences for TAACCCT.

Customer

Support

Rep.

Certificate (30 -45

credits); ATA Degree

Business Technology

Puget Sound Energy, Center of Excellence

Advisory Board. Employers will advise curricula

will be based on the Skill Standards for Utility

Customer Support Representatives.

Manu-

facturing

Industrial Manufacturing

Academy (28 credits);

Industrial MFG Academy

Adv (28 credits);

Aerospace Composites

Training (45 credits)

Hexell, Asko Processing, Verallia, Certainteed

Gypsum, The Boeing Company. Companies will

participate in a DACUM to identify learning

outcomes, participate in mock interviews, provide

internships, hiring preferences and ensure industry

needs are met by the training.

Clean

Energy, inc.

Wind, Solar,

Smart Grid

Certificate of Completion

(54 credits); Associate of

Applied Science (94-97

credits)

Avista, Puget Sound Energy, Tacoma Power. CoE

Advisory Board is deeply involved with and

committed to the success of the WISE project, and

offers internships and work-based learning.

Construction Carpentry Certificate (20

credits); AAS Degree.

Leadership in the Trades

Cert. of Competency (45

credits).

Absher Construction, Seattle Building

Construction and Trades Council, Spokane

Homebuilders JATC. Companies will participate

in DACUM to identify learning outcomes, provide

internships, hiring preferences and ensure industry

needs are met by the training.



c. Analysis of Gaps in Existing Education and Training Programs

(1) Analysis of Existing Training Programs. To conduct an appropriate TAA gap analysis,

WISE relied on consortium partners who have previously participated in successfully funded

TAACCCT proposals, most recently the Credentials to Careers project, led by Northern Virginia

Community College. A similar community outreach process was used, which identified a

number of deficits related to the required six core elements of the 2014 TAACCCT competition.

The community outreach process required each WISE consortium partner to scan employer

demand in clean energy, construction and advanced manufacturing, and link those demands to

existing training programs, support services and pathway progression. As a result, WISE has

identified the greatest gaps and needs for program enhancement. Additionally, the WISE

development team conducted a literature review to demonstrate how these gaps are supported by

peer-reviewed research. The following gaps are the result of this analysis:

Lack of soft-skills competencies among new employees.

Lack of accelerated ABE onramps to provide remedial coursework and college preparation.

Lack of Technology-Enabled Learning/Job Simulation Programs to help impacted TAA

workers balance school and existing personal/family demands.20

Lack of coordinated prior learning assessment policies to adequately account for the

significant experiences TAA-impacted workers bring to a new career.21

Lack of sufficient competency based learning approach to account for vast differences in

learning styles among TAA-impacted workers.22

Lack of consistent approach to modularized curricula system-wide.23

Lack of agreement among colleges for articulation of credentials.

Inconsistency in Workforce System alignment, including lack of navigation for workers.24

Significant obstacles for TAA-impacted workers to take advantage of work-based learning.25

20

Rogers, K. R., & Pleasants, R. (2011). Greening Community Colleges: An Environmental Path to Improving Educational Outcomes. Jobs for the Future. 21

Stevens, K., Gerber, D., & Hendra, R. (2010). Transformational learning through prior learning assessment. Adult Education Quarterly, 60(4), 377-404. 22

Rivenbark, W. C., & Jacobson, W. S. (2014). Three Principles of Competency-Based Learning: Mission, Mission, Mission. JPAEJOURNAL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS EDUCATION VOLUME 20 NUMBER 2, 181. 23

Venezia, A., & Hughes, K. L. (2013). Acceleration Strategies in the New Developmental Education Landscape. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2013(164), 37-45. 24

Bragg, D., Dresser, L., & Smith, W. (2012). Leveraging workforce development and postsecondary education for low‐skilled, low‐income workers. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2012(157), 53-66.



(2) How Gaps Impact WISE’s Ability to Serve Participants. The community outreach

process helped us identify the following gaps in institutional capacities.

Table 9: Gap Analysis Impact

Identified Gap Training Impact

1.Soft-skills

Deficits

Without consistency in assessing soft skills, employers are challenged to hire new

workers without extended probationary periods. WISE will address through National

Career Readiness Certificate.26

2.ABE Deficits The majority of TAA-impacted workers have basic skills/ESL deficiencies, and this

need continues to be a challenge for community colleges. The gap requires an

intervention such as I-BEST.27

3.Technology

Enabled Deficits

TAA-impacted workers have their best opportunities for career reinvention in

professional-technical fields (manufacturing, welding, etc.), which lag in online and

technology enhanced curricula.28

4. Prior Learning

Assessment

(PLA) Gap

The Washington State Community and Technical College System lacks a consistent

PLA policy, which negatively impacts transitioning workers (particularly veterans).29

5. Competency

Based Learning

Gap

Employers have expressed a desire to hire workers based on the establishment of

relevant competencies, such as those established through the State’s apprenticeship

agreements.30

6.Modularized

Curricular Gaps

Accelerating the pathway progression of TAA-impacted students often leads to

conflicts with state policies, regional accreditation and advisory committee

recommendations.31

7.Articulation

Challenges

TAA-impacted workers reside in all areas of the state, but articulation agreements

between colleges are largely incomplete. New agreements are needed to help TAA-

impacted workers apply their skills in new regions where employers are located.

8.Workforce

System

Alignment Gaps

TAA-impacted workers face a bewildering maze of overlapping systems that they

struggle to navigate, including academic programs, financial aid, unemployment

offices, WIA-affiliated one-stops, employers, and nonprofit social service providers.

All partners will address this gap through career navigators who effectively align and

access systems immediately for new participants in underserved communities and in

STEM training programs that lack these boundary-crossing service providers.

25

Symonds, W. C., Schwartz, R. B., & Ferguson, R. (2011). Pathways to prosperity: Meeting the challenge of preparing young Americans for the 21st century. Pathways to Prosperity Project, Harvard School of Education. 26

Clark, H. (2013). A Comprehensive Framework for Measuring Skills Gaps and Determining Work Readiness. Employment Relations Today, 40(3), 1-11. 27

Jenkins, D., Zeidenberg, M., & Kienzl, G. (2009). Educational Outcomes of I-BEST. Community College Research Center, Columbia University. 28

Rogers, K. R., & Pleasants, R. (2011). Greening Community Colleges: An Environmental Path to Improving Educational Outcomes. Jobs for the Future. 29

Klein-Collins, R. (2010). Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success: A 48-Institution Study of Prior Learning Assessment and Adult Student Outcomes. Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (NJ1). 30

Seeber, S., & Lehmann, R. (2013). Basic competencies as determinants of success in commercial apprenticeships. In From Diagnostics to Learning Success (pp. 75-83). SensePublishers. 31

Venezia, A., & Hughes, K. L. (2013). Acceleration Strategies in the New Developmental Education Landscape. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2013(164), 37-45.



II. Methodology and Workplan

a. Evidence Based Design

(1) Quality of Evidence: The collective experiences of the WISE partners, supported by data,

have directly informed our approach to integrated, sector-based employment, which includes a

robust pre-employment program, a pathway-based training and apprenticeship model, and an

employer-driven job placement and retention strategy. Gaps are supported by 8 peer-reviewed

studies (Jenkins, et al, 2009; Rogers & Pleasants, 2011; Stevens et al, 2010; Rivenback et al,

2014; Venezia & Hughes, 2013; Mullin, 2012; Bragg & Smith, 2012; Symonds et al, 2011) that

include strategies for serving populations including TAA-impacted workers (See: Footnotes p.

13). But the evidence we have cited also includes studies of WISE partner outcomes in previous

TAACCCT grants, and is supplemented by career pathway development research (Harmon &

Ridley, 2014)32

and the contributions of the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP):

32

Harmon, T. and Ridley, N. (2014). Workforce results matter: The critical role of employment outcome data in improving transparency of postsecondary education and training. Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success. url: http://www.clasp.org/resources-and-publications/files/2014-04-29-CLASP-Workforce-Results-Paper.pdf



In a nutshell, the concept of the Washington Integrated Sector Employment (WISE)

initiative is built upon two premises. The first, collective wisdom (Levy, 2000)33

, states that in

unison, employers, labor, and the workforce and education system possess the knowledge

necessary to address the complex needs of Trade Assistance Act (TAA)-eligible workers. The

second, evidence-based design, demands that workforce coalitions effectively utilize the

significant amount of research produced nationally and locally over the past five decades of the

TAA’s existence. This body of evidence includes both longitudinal studies of TAA’s

effectiveness, local participant data and three years of Trade Adjustment Act Community

College Career Training (TAACCCT) best practices and lessons learned.

(2) Evidence Appropriate for Program Design: A robust pathway model, one that includes the

opportunity for apprenticeship and/or prior learning from experience, acknowledges the fact that

for many workers trying to rebuild their careers, time is of the essence. In particular, the WISE

initiative relies heavily upon the Mathematica study of TAA programs (D’Amico & Schochet,

2012)34

, a seven year evaluation measuring employment outcomes. The qualitative component of

this study consisted of site visits and interviews at over 100 locations in 34 states. Interviews

with state and local administrators, line staff, fiscal staff and program participants provided the

content for the qualitative analysis. The quantitative component evaluated administrative and

survey data, measuring the impact of services on employment, earnings and other outcomes.

Data from 26 states were analyzed, and included findings from TAA-eligible workers, as well as

Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Workforce Investment Act (WIA, now WIOA) participants.

33

Levy, P. (2005). Collective intelligence, a civilization: Towards a method of positive interpretation. International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society, 18 (3), 189-198. 34

D'Amico, R., & Schochet, P. Z. (2012). The Evaluation of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program: A Synthesis of Major Findings. Mathematica Policy Research.



The aggregate findings present a sobering reality for workers displaced from established

careers. Adults on average suffered earnings losses of 30% in the first quarter following a mass

layoff (Couch & Placzek, 2007)35

, and older adults who cannot find work similar to their

previous employment are the least likely to experience a meaningful economic recovery (Couch,

et al., 2009)36

. The 15,194 TAA-impacted workers in Washington state since 2007, in addition to

having an average age of 50, include a number of military veterans (2,038) and high school non-

completers (4,290), which presents additional demands for successful recruitment, training and

job placement. The WISE project plan has taken this appropriate evidence into consideration in

designing the following pathway model:

35

Couch, K. and Placzek, D. (2007). Earnings losses of displaced workers revisited. American Economic Review 100, 572-589. 36

Couch, K., Jolly, N., and Placzek, D. (2009). Earnings losses of older displaced workers: A detailed analysis with administrative data. Research on Aging, 31, 17-40.



This pathway model is supported by a national evaluation of previous TAACCCT-funded

programs that demonstrates the effectiveness of pre-employment, ongoing navigation support

and employer involvement for successful outcomes (Lessons from TAACCC Round One

Consortia: The Community College Transformative Change Initiative.)37

and by an Aspen

Institute study of navigation partnerships between the King County Workforce Development

Council and Shoreline Community College (both partners in the WISE consortium).38

(3) Description of Program Strategies: Both the Community College Transformative Change

Initiative and the Aspen Institute Study provide replication models appropriate for the WISE

partnership’s goals to address the gap analyses (Table 9, p. 14). As both these studies emphasize

gaps in soft skill preparation, the WISE partnership will implement WorkKeys and the National

Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) as targeted credentials for program participants. WISE

employer partners have agreed to provide hiring preferences for TAACCCT participants who

earn the NCRC. Evidence of the impact of this credential is provided by a 2012 study of the

WorkKeys Fit Assessment published in the Journal of Career Assessment.39

At least 12 previous TAACCCT consortia have adopted the National Career Readiness

Certificate as a targeted credential for TAA-impacted workers, including Air Washington, a $20

million Round I initiative that includes several WISE partners (Everett Community College,

Renton Technical College, South Seattle College). The WISE initiative will implement a new

strategy in Round IV of the TAACCCT competition by pursuing designation as a Certified Work

37

Office of Community College Research and Leadership. (2013). Lessons from TAACCCT Round One Consortia: The Community College Transformative Change Initiative (TCI). University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 38

Helmer, M., & Blair, A. (2010). Courses to employment: initial education and employment outcomes findings for community college-nonprofit partnership in Seattle, WA. Aspen Institute. url: http://www.aspenwsi.org/resource/cte-seattle/ 39

Swaney, K. B., Allen, J., Casillas, A., Hanson, M. A., & Robbins, S. B. (2012). Interests, Work Values, and Occupations Predicting Work Outcomes with the WorkKeys Fit Assessment. Journal of Career Assessment, 20(4), 359-374.



Ready Community.40

This status identifies the WISE partners as having the full commitment of

the workforce system for advancing the pathway progression of adults with significant obstacles

to employment. Evidence for the effectiveness of these partnerships is based on a 5-year study of

WorkKeys examinees for three cognitive assessments. These three skills have been identified as

important for success in a broad range of jobs, making them foundational skills.41

WISE will

include each of these assessments in its pre-employment curricula for TAA-impacted workers.

As part of the WISE Memorandum of Participation, colleges will further agree to link

emerging competency based pathways across campuses through articulation agreements

facilitating access and accelerating student progress towards credential attainment, addressing

the articulation challenges identified in the gap analysis. All colleges will also adopt a common

assessment process for assessing industry-related aptitude, using Work Keys enabled tools

aligned with the National Workforce Readiness Certificate. As evidenced by their letters of

commitment, employer partners have agreed to:

Recognize the NCRC when applicants present one

Recommend the NCRC for applicants and/or existing employees

Require the NCRC, if the company has completed a job profile (job profiling is a job

analysis system that identifies the exact skill levels required for success in a given position)

Under the direction of the Centers of Excellence, the WISE partnership has identified a

program design that coalesces the eight gaps identified in Table 9 (p. 14) into a statewide

strategy appropriate to a program of this scope. Specifically, the Centers of Excellence have

compelled the WISE partners to adopt an intake, support, training and placement model

represented by the following diagram:

40

ACT Work Ready Communities (WRC) empower states, regions and counties with data, process and tools that drive economic growth. Participants are leveraging the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC™) to measure and close the skills gap — and building common frameworks that link, align and match their workforce development efforts. 41

ACT (2012). The condition of work readiness in the United States. url: http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/ConditionWorkReadiness.pdf



Table 12: Program Design Strategies

WISE will implement three sector-based strategies (Clean Energy, Construction, Advanced

Manufacturing)

Strategy 1 –

Access

Community-based coordination of pre-employment (outreach, career assessment,

customized support services, NCRC credential) for rapid reentry into high-wage,

high-demand occupational training.

Strategy 2 -

Training

Evidence-based training options, including stacked/latticed-pathways, credit for

prior learning and competencies, and apprenticeship programs.

Strategy 3 -

Employment

Employer integration and hiring preferences through state-wide Center of

Excellence, regional skill panel and local advisory committee participation.

b. Career Pathways

(1 - 8) Contextualized, Accelerated, Remedial Coursework through Pathway Articulation.

Washington has long been recognized as a leader in integrated, contextualized curricular delivery

to support the accelerated achievement of students with basic skills deficiencies. The Integrated

Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) model has been shown in peer-reviewed studies to

lead to improved outcomes. WISE partners have also received regional and national recognition

in everything from the completion agenda to 4-year articulation. In implementing CLASP’s

Sector Based Career Pathways, WISE colleges will implement the following plans and strategies,

which address gaps in (1) contextualized, accelerated remedial coursework, (2) retention/

completion, (3) prior learning assessment, (4) competency-based models, (5) modularized

curricula, (6) stacked/latticed credentials, (7) employer-driven certifications, and (8) articulation.

Table 13: Career Pathway Strategies

(1) Contextualized, accelerated remedial coursework

Evidence Educational Outcomes of I-BEST, Washington State Community and

Technical College System’s Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training

Program: Findings from a Multivariate Analysis42

Implementation All WISE consortium members have significant experience in using

contextualized education to accelerate student progress by way of

Washington’s I-BEST program. WISE is leveraging this knowledge and

experience by designing programs to utilize contextualization where

42

Jenkins, D., Zeidenberg, M. & Kienzl, G.S. (2009). Educational Outcomes of I-BEST, Washington State Community and Technical College System’s Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training Program: Findings from a Multivariate Analysis. CCRC Working Paper No. 16. Retrieved from http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/i-best-multivariate-analysis.html.



appropriate. All developed curriculum will use contextualization as a model

to most effectively improve participant outcomes and accelerate progress.

The WISE project will also employ a contextualized career readiness course

for appropriate participants to prepare them for success that prepares them for

the National Career Readiness Certificate.

(2) Retention/completion strategies

Evidence The Effects of Student Coaching in College: An Evaluation of a Randomized

Experiment in Student Mentoring43

Implementation A number of WISE partners have received national recognition for support

services that lead to retention of adults with career barriers. Navigator

supported automotive training programs at Shoreline Community College, for

instance, showed that links to employers and supportive ABE services result

in a 47% increase in employment and 31% higher wages. The career

navigation model commonly seen in TAACCCT projects originated, in fact,

in King County through its Workforce Development Council.

The WISE project will employ direct non-academic support for participants

via Navigator positions as a key element in the program design.

Each partner will hire its own Navigator to meet the demands of the unique

programs the colleges are bringing to the consortium. The consortium will

provide joint training and regular meetings of the Navigators to maintain

consistency across the project in terms of frequency, duration and intensity of

services offered to participants. Navigators will provide several critical

services, including: 1) student coaching, 2) credential planning, 3) career

guidance, 4) supporting internship preparation and experiences 5) assistance

with job preparation and search skills, 6) connecting students to jobs by

interfacing with businesses, and 7) delivering hiring events.

(3) Prior learning assessment (PLA)

Evidence Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success: A 48-Institution Study of Prior

Learning Assessment and Adult Student Outcomes44

Implementation WISE colleges have agreed to standardize our approach to awarding prior

learning credits for TAA-impacted workers in order to accelerate their

pathway progress.

Note: Any applicant that over-promises prior learning assessment credits is

not being entirely frank. Most PLA restrictions are a result of regional

accreditation standards that limit PLA as a component of a degree. Typically,

accrediting bodies limit the percentage of PLA to no more than 25%. While

WISE colleges do not wish to jeopardize their accreditation, we are

committed to helping participants earn this maximum 25%.

43

Bettinger, E. & Baker, Rachel. (2011). The Effects of Student Coaching in College: An Evaluation of a Randomized Experiment in Student Mentoring. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper No. 16881. Retrieved from http://www.nber.org/papers/w16881. 44

The Council For Adult & Experiential Learning (CAEL). (2010). Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success: A 48-Institution Study of Prior Learning Assessment and Adult Student Outcomes. Retrieved from http://www.cael.org/pdf/PLA_Fueling-the-Race.pdf.

http://www.cael.org/pdf/PLA_Fueling-the-Race.pdf



(4) Competency based models

Evidence Competency-Based Learning Models: A Necessary Future.45

Implementation The primary mechanism for awarding competency-based learning in the

WISE initiative is through crosswalking. Crosswalking refers to articulations

between colleges and military occupational skill standards (e.g. 88M MOS for

heavy equipment drivers to awarding of Commercial Driver’s License). The

WISE project serves a number of major military installations, including Joint

Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), the largest military installation on the west

coast, and, as a result, the consortium anticipates serving a large number of

transitioning military members. The crosswalk model will be applied to TAA

workers who have carryover skills from their previous industries.

(5) Modularized curricula

Evidence Vocational Ability Oriented Modularized Curriculum for Advanced

Vocational School46

Implementation Building off of the pre-employment strategy created through Air Washington

project (Round 1 TAACCCT grant), the career readiness course will provide a

series of online modules to improve foundational skills and knowledge. The

career readiness course will include modules like Pre-Algebra, Computer

Basics, Career Building, and Workplace Skills and Professional Conduct.

The Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced Materials

Manufacturing has sponsored workshops for the past year to create common

courses for a statewide manufacturing curriculum. Faculty agreed on

outcomes, assessment, standards, and content for several certificates which

will be offered by WISE partners. These common courses enable students to

move seamlessly throughout the system and support consistency to all

programs. The courses consist of skills modules which emphasize

competency and give credit for previous learning and experience.

(6) Stacked, latticed credentials

Evidence Developing Competency Based Program Models in Three Community

Colleges47

Implementation A study of stacked, latticed credentialing demonstrated positive gains in a

TAACCCT Round 2 initiative (Sinclair Community College). Through the

WISE initiative, each of the community college partners, in collaboration with

the three statewide Centers of Excellence, will develop and/or expand existing

program capacity to award industry recognized credentials for employment in

clean energy, construction and advanced manufacturing. The proposed

project provides comprehensive pre-employment training that incorporates a

series of interconnected credentials ranging from stackable and latticed

certificates to associate degrees.

45

Voorhees, Richard A. "Competency‐Based Learning Models: A Necessary Future." New Directions for Institutional Research 2001.110 (2001): 5-13. 46

Jianyu, Wu, Liang Xi, and Xing Chen. "Vocational Ability Oriented Modularized Curriculum for Advanced Vocational School." IERI Procedia 2 (2012): 897-900. 47

Person, A. E., Goble, L., & Bruch, J. (2014). Developing Competency-Based Program Models in Three Community Colleges (No. 8130). Mathematica Policy Research.



(7) Employer driven certifications

Evidence Certificates: Gateway to Gainful Employment and College Degrees48

Implementation Industry-driven credentials are both critical to the WISE implementation and

required to fulfill employer demands for participation on the Grant

Governance Board and Program Advisory Committees. A number of industry

certificates are included as part of the curriculum for TAA-impacted workers.

These include WABO (welding), NIMS (manufacturing), OSHA

(construction) and Finish First (diesel). Part of the requirement for employer

participation on the WISE Grant Governance Board is ongoing technical

assistance for both the provision of new industry credentials, as well as

college maintenance of industry accreditations, such as National Automotive

Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF), National Institute for

Metalworking Skills (NIMS) and American Welding Society (AWS).

(8) Articulation

Evidence Challenges and Opportunities for Improving Community College Success49

Implementation The project will work with other community and technical colleges in

Washington State to explore additional articulation agreements into their

Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) programs. The Washington State Board

of Community and Technical Colleges is encouraging the 34 colleges in the

state to develop appropriate articulation agreements into peer BAS programs.

A number of WISE partners have developed or are developing new applied

baccalaureate programs, providing TAA-impacted adults perhaps their first

opportunity for a four-year credential. These include Centralia College’s BAS

in Management, as well as a BAS in Diesel Mechanics (an articulation will be

developed between WISE partners Centralia College and Bates Technical

College). South Seattle College is offering both a BAS in Trades and

Organizational Leadership, as well as a BAS in Sustainable Building Science.

Other WISE initiated baccalaureates include a Vocational Instructor BAS

(Professional Technical Teacher Education).

c. Advanced Online and Technology Enabled Learning

(1) Advanced Technology. Each college partner in the WISE partnership was required to assess

their technology-enabled capacity and/or propose new strategies for incorporating promising

practices into their clean energy, construction or advanced manufacturing pathways. As most

TAA-impacted adults are transitioning from one vocational sector to another, technology-

48

Carnevale, A. P., Rose, S. J., & Hanson, A. R. (2012). Certificates: Gateway to Gainful Employment and College Degrees. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. 49

Goldrick-Rab, S. (2010). Challenges and opportunities for improving community college student success. Review of Educational Research, 80(3), 437-469.



enhanced curricula represents a bit of an obstacle. Take, for instance, welding training. Few, if

any, employers would be willing to hire a welder who’s never set foot in a stick welding booth.

WISE partners, however, have provided a number of strategies for implementing

promising technology interventions. These include:

Bates Technical College – Through a separate grant, Bates will implement a welding

simulator program that introduces the video game generation to the industry. The program

will also take advantage of hydraulic simulation to serve operating engineers.

Walla Walla Community College – Will add hybrid courses within the Certificate and

Degree sequence, including OSHA 10 training and certification completely online via Vivid

Learning Systems: www.learnatvivid.com/.

Centralia College will offer an online learning platform for Clean Energy (GPiLearn),

Incremental Systems for North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)

certification, and NTER open source learning management system for sharing curricula.

South Seattle College incorporates Solid Works, and students will have access to software

training on Solid Works 3D CAD software for design process used by industry in the

manufacturing process.

Shoreline Community College is planning a number of hybrid offerings within machining,

including Machine Maintenance, Quality Assurance, 3D and Metrology.

(2) Technology Plan. The Washington state system of community and technical colleges has

been well-represented within the technology-enabled curriculum community, emerging as an

early proponent of open source curricula, for instance. The governing body for the public, two-

year college system, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), has not

only incentivized innovation (see: Open Course Library at opencourselibrary.org), but has also

developed a Strategic Technology Plan (www.sbctc.ctc.edu/general/a_strategictechplan.aspx).

The SBCTC Strategic Technology Plan is the product of an 18-month analysis conducted

by the Technology Transformation Task Force for the purpose of creating a roadmap for how our

system needs to leverage 21st Century technologies to support student achievement. Its single-

minded goal is to ‘mobilize technology to increase student success.’ WISE partners will adopt

this plan as a roadmap for furthering innovation in our identified sectors. The plan may be

viewed here: http://sbctc.edu/docs/strategicplan/exec_summ.pdf.

http://www.learnatvivid.com/

http://www.sbctc.ctc.edu/general/a_strategictechplan.aspx

http://sbctc.edu/docs/strategicplan/exec_summ.pdf



d. Strategic Alignment with the Workforce System, Other Stakeholders

The WISE partnership enjoys the strong support of the workforce system, and this is evidenced

by letters of support from the Washington state Governor (demonstrating alignment with his

Economic Development Plan), local mayors, state legislative representatives and local workforce

investment boards. The following describes those commitments:

(1) Governor’s Economic Development and WIA Plan integration. – In his letter, Governor

Jay Inslee affirms that the WISE initiative aligns with his Economic Development Plan, the

statewide Wagner-Peyser plan, and will receive full support, which would include Rapid

Response services for laid off workers. Moreover, Governor Inslee’s Working Washington

Agenda identifies clean energy as one of Washington’s key industries, creating well-paying jobs

at a rate far above other economic sectors. His agenda states that success will be achieved

through broader adoption of smart grid solutions and related technologies, supported through a

new Clean Energy Fund. He also prioritizes establishing NCRC certification in Washington.

(2) WIA-WP Alignment. A navigator approach to education and career planning is directed by

Washington State’s Integrated Workforce Plan for Workforce Investment Act Title I and

Wagner-Peyser Act Department of Labor Workforce Programs (WIA-WP). This includes

information about apprenticeship and entrepreneurship opportunities and liaising with public and

private employers, labor, and community-based organizations for recruitment, design, and

implementation of training programs. The WIA-WP recommends use of industry-based skill

standards and employer involvement in designing stacked and latticed credentials which offer

multiple pathways to high-wage, high-skill careers. The WIA-WP advocates a leadership role for

Washington State Centers of Excellence. The three Centers of Excellence leading the WISE

project are actively working with Washington State’s Workforce Training and Education

Coordinating Board, which serves as the state’s Workforce Investment Board.



(3) Public Workforce System Alignment. The Washington State Employment Security

Department (ESD) and Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) have both committed

participation that is outlined in Table 4 (p. 4). These commitments include outreach to TAA

participants, joint marketing, assigning representatives to the WISE Grant Governance Board,

and leveraging WIA resources for eligible participants.

(4) Contract with WDC. WorkForce Central (WIB for Tacoma-Pierce County) will provide

contracted, specific, targeted outreach to and support for veterans through the ‘Designing

Yourself Program,’ which conducts an analysis of participant skills, competencies and fit, while

helping participants earn a white belt in Six Sigma.

(5) Community Organization Commitments. Additional integration with non-profits and

related workforce system participants are extensive - The Regional Education and Training

Center (RETC), a 501(c)3, will provide NTER open source learning and content management

technical assistance to support online modules for WISE partners to share and implement. The

Washington State Apprenticeship Training Council: Representing Registered Apprenticeship,

will assign a representative to serve on the statewide WISE Grant Governance Board, provide

expertise on pre apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, and publicize opportunities. The

Workforce Development Council Seattle-King County and their partners Pacific Associates,

Asian Counseling and Referral Services, Neighborhood House, Trac Associates and King

County Dislocated Workers will assist in outreach activities and employer engagement.

e. Alignment with Previously Funded TAACCCT Projects

(1) Several WISE colleges have participated in TAACCCT projects in Rounds 1-3. These

include Shoreline Community College (Credentials to Careers) and Everett Community College,

Renton Technical College, and South Seattle College (Air Washington). Previous TAACCCT

participants will assist new colleges avoid duplication of efforts, particularly in the area of open



coursework, as well as expand the geographical reach of TAACCCT to previously unfunded

regions of Washington state.

We are especially thankful to our sister colleges who have shared resources with us in the

development of this proposal, even though they are not directly participating. Spokane

Community College, for example, has provided us with a model for the Employer Scorecard.

Other examples of alignment include the following:

NOVA. The WISE colleges will build upon Navigation best practices established by

Shoreline Community College’s TAACCCT Round II grant led by Northern Virginia

Community College.

National STEM Initiative. Clover Park Technical College has provided curriculum technical

assistance for advanced manufacturing (composites) instruction.

Arizona Sun Corridor Get into Energy Consortium. An education consortium comprised of

five Arizona community colleges, formed as the Arizona Sun Corridor Get Into Energy

Consortium (ASC-GIEC), received a $13.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor

to develop programs and help fulfill the state’s energy industry workforce needs. Centralia,

the lead applicant for WISE, continues to benefit from this input.

f. Sector Strategies and Employer Engagement

(1) Scaling Industry Strategies through Centers of Excellence. WISE is a Center of

Excellence sponsored program. The Centers of Excellence are flagship institutions that build and

sustain Washington’s competitive advantage through statewide leadership in specific industry

sectors. By statute and funding, the Centers are in fact Washington’s industry sector strategy.

Housed at Washington state Community and Technical Colleges, they maintain specific advisory

boards including statewide industry representatives, and use the collective knowledge of industry



to scale best practices at all of Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges. The three

Centers of Excellence represented in this proposal are:

Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy (located at lead applicant

Centralia College). The Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy is a nationally

recognized model providing strategic coordination for the energy industry’s skilled workforce in

the Pacific Northwest. The Center is led by a broad based consortium comprised of industry and

labor leaders that guide the center to develop and mature industry and labor partnerships to better

understand the ever changing workforce issues facing electric utilities and independent power

producers and create a competitive workforce pipeline to meet increasing energy demands and

support the economic future of the Pacific Northwest. The Center of Excellence for Clean

Energy will provide oversight for the following training pathways: Stationary and Operating

Engineers, Electrical and Electronic Equipment Technicians, Customer Service Representatives.

Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing (located at WISE

partner Everett Community College). The Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced

Manufacturing develops resources and training, works with industry and Washington's 34

community and technical colleges to create results. The Center is partnered with several

community colleges, industry leaders and apprenticeship groups. The Center’s purpose facilitates

the growth of aerospace manufacturing jobs and the training of skilled labor in Washington. The

Center was a key factor in Washington state’s recent designation of Washington’s Aerospace

Economy as a ‘Manufacturing Community.’ The Center of Excellence for Aerospace and

Advanced Manufacturing will provide oversight for the following training pathways: Mechanics

and Diesel Engine Specialists, Manufacturing and Machining.



Construction Center of Excellence (located at WISE partner Renton Technical

College). The Construction Center of Excellence (CCE) is a resource for industry, education and

labor in the construction industry in Washington state. The Center provides useful information –

a host of training offerings, apprenticeships, skills standards, sustainability links, and agency

listings, and bridges high school and college instructors with industry. Center resources include

career pathways, college programs, and apprenticeship information which will help guide TAA

participants. The Construction Center of Excellence will provide oversight for the following

training pathways: Welders and Electricians.

(2) Employer and Industry Commitment to Grant Governance. Led by the Center of

Excellence for Clean Energy Advisory chair, Pat McCarty (Tacoma Power), 18 employers and

industry organizations have provided letters of commitment to ensure that WISE partners meet

and achieve program strategies and goals. The following is a list of those organizations:

Tacoma Power Generation

Avista Utilities

City of Seattle/City of Tacoma

Puget Sound Energy

Royell Manufacturing

Pacific Tool

Absher Construction

Spokane Homebuilders

PNWER (Pacific Northwest Economic

Region)

Veneer Chip

AGC Apprenticeship Center

Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Training

Committee (AJAC)

Seattle – King County Building and

Construction Trades Council

NW Laborers Employer Training Trust

Washington State Labor Council

Emerald Cities

Regional Education and Training Center

Dominos

All industry partners have provided documentation committing their participation in the WISE

initiative by serving on the WISE Grant Governance Board, which will be the project governing

body for affirming, endorsing and reviewing project outcomes and timelines. The Grant

Governance Board will meet quarterly. Additionally, the partner letters commit to the following

eight strategies:



1. Recommend that grant participants complete the National Career Readiness Certificate

(NCRC) and offer hiring preferences to job applicants with this credential.

2. Offer internships or other work-based learning experiences for grant-funded participants.

3. Provide participants information about employment, through job fairs, job shadowing, mock

interviews or other strategies.

4. Where available, provide training providers with technical assistance, including curricular

updates, tool lists, and equipment or supplies donations.

5. Participate in joint outreach and marketing activities in order to build a strong potential pool

of future workers, with a particular emphasis on reaching under-represented and/or non-

traditional individuals.

6. Join the Centers of Excellence and community college staff for presentations at local and

regional and national conferences, including, but not limited to, the Annual Energy &

Construction Best Practices Summit, the Pacific Northwest Apprenticeship Education

Conference and/or the National Council for Workforce Education Annual Conference.

7. Assist with curriculum development, program design, and subsequent program

implementation.

8. Provide WISE program evaluators with data on hired participants and share success stories

for dissemination.

(3) Employer and Industry Contributions. As a condition of joining the Grant Governance

Board for the WISE initiative, the Centers of Excellence and partner colleges required that

industry participants commit to increasing the employability of TAA-participants. Each of the

employers agreed to provide these supports in a number of ways. For instance, the following

companies and organizations have committed to providing internships and work-based learning

for program participants: Emerald Cities, Absher, Tacoma Power, Avista, Veneer Chip, and

Dominos. Several companies who have provided letters of commitment have participated in

previous TAACCCT grants, and have already either hired or provided work-based learning

opportunities to participants. These include Royell Manufacturing and Pacific Tool.

Apprenticeship opportunities are a key component of the WISE initiative, and a number of

partners have provided substantial commitments. The Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship

Committee (AJAC) is a statewide, nonprofit 501(c)3 aerospace and advanced manufacturing

registered apprenticeship program. AJAC’s commitment to the WISE initiative, as evidenced by

their attached letter, substantially increases the ability of partners to provide apprenticeship



pathways for TAA-impacted workers. A regional aerospace and advanced manufacturing body,

AJAC partners with over 150 employers to provide apprenticeships for 300 individuals

statewide. AJAC will also assist WISE with the establishment of pre-apprenticeship training for

dislocated workers in King and Pierce counties. Organized labor is also represented as an

apprenticeship partner in the WISE initiative. The Seattle/King County Building and

Construction Trades Council will provide apprenticeships in the construction sector. They are

joined in the construction apprenticeship sector by the Spokane Home Builders Association

Apprenticeship Committee, which has agreed to provide apprenticeship opportunities, as well.

Additionally, partner organizations representing industry will provide additional

commitments to support WISE’s strategic goals. For instance, the Regional Education and

Training Center (RETC) will offer “…independent, innovative and responsive-competency-

based training modules to WISE. One example of our work is our open source learning and

content management services we use to develop and deploy online educational and training

courses through the National Training and Education Resource (NTER). RETC provide these

services to partners so they can share NTER compliant content across all partner institutions and

to targeted audiences.” (Source: RETC Letter of Commitment, attached).

WorkForce Central, whose service area includes Joint Base Lewis McChord, the largest

military installation on the West Coast, will provide employment outreach for WISE as a

contracted partner. It is expected that 13,000 veterans will make Washington their home when

they transition. Having the third largest population of veterans, WorkForce Central and its

partners continue to invest in strategies that effectively prepare service members effectively

transition into civilian life. One of these strategies that WorkForce Central is committed to

provide as part of the WISE Initiative is the Defining Yourself Program.



PROJECT WORKPLAN

PROGRAM OF STUDY or OTHER ACTIVITY: 1. Project Administration

Strategies Description Implementer(s) Costs Time

Activity 1.1

1: Access Develop policies, position descriptions, etc. for WISE Grant Governance Board. Recruit board members. Set meeting schedules and core vs. optional responsibilities. Incorporate Board-related reports into WISE evaluation plan (include project evaluator as appropriate). Reference Board members in appropriate project-related communications, and share roster with ETA program officer.

Lead college. Centers of Excellence and member colleges' CTE advisory boards assist with recruitment.

Strategy Total: $988,467.00 Start Date: Fall 2014

2: Training Equipment: $0.00 End Date: Summer 2018

3: Employment Year 1: $296,676.00 Milestones

Year 2: $309,852.00 1. Winter 2015: Board roster confirmed.

2. Spring 2015: Begin meetings.

Year 3: $304,544.00

Year 4: $77,741.00

Activity 1.2

1: Access Hiring of initial personnel, contractors, and third-party evaluator to achieve project learning outcomes and projected outcome measures. Follow relevant personnel hiring policies and procedures. Make approved changes to colleges' administrative and fiscal infrastructures to enable project-related data collection, monitoring, and reporting.

All colleges. Start Date: Fall 2014

2: Training End Date: Winter 2015

Milestones:

1. Wint 2015: hiring complete.

Activity 1.3

1: Access Collaborate with workforce system to further articulate its engagement; e.g., referring candidates for training, helping applicants to select educational programs, leveraging resources to implement work-based training, and tracking graduates re-entering the workforce. Ensure that TAACCCT-funded programs of study are included in appropriate eligible training provider lists.

Lead college. State and regional workforce system representatives.

Start Date: Winter 2015

2: Training End Date: Summer 2015

Milestones:

1. Sum 2015: agreements in place

Deliverable 1.1

1: Access Administrative documents, including award receipt and grantee commitments; requests for equipment and capital improvements, and implementation details in place

Start Date: Fall 2014


Milestones:

Deliverable 1.2

1: Access Articulation and transferability documents, including formal articulation agreements between member colleges and other Washington State community and technical colleges, approved by colleges and state higher ed agencies.



Milestones:



PROGRAM OF STUDY or OTHER ACTIVITY: 2. Instructional Programs


Activity 2.1 1: Access Identify and make immediate enhancements to existing programs in operation, which require minimal modification. Continue enrolling students in programs while introducing modifications and basic evaluation methods consistent with evaluation plan. Plan to integrate existing programs into clusters/modules and new certificates to be developed. Continue using NCRC in existing programs which employ it.

All colleges. Lead college reports to DOL on impacted programs and certificates.

Strategy Total:

$4,859,687 Start Date: Fall 2014

2: Training Equipment: $513,140 End Date: Summer 2017

3: Employment

Year 1: $2,066,021 Milestones:

Year 2: $1,411,735 1. First enrollments in programs.

Year 3: $1,381,931

Year 4: $0.00

Activity 2.2 Submit new certificate and degree proposals to other Washington State colleges, state and national accreditors. Obtain approval of degrees from accreditors, and notice from U.S. Department of Education approving participants to receive federal financial aid.

Colleges developing relevant new credentials. Accrediting bodies.


2: Training End Date: Fall 2015

Milestones:

1. 2015: New credentials approved.

Activity 2.3 1: Access Prepare new and enhanced instructional materials for easy dissemination and adoption by other colleges. Present successful activities at regional and national professional forums. Establish means for easy, long-term public access to project-related materials; e.g., a project website, and committed institutional resources to maintain it.

All colleges. Lead college compiles data and authorizes its dissemination.

Start Date: Spring 2017


Milestones:

1. Summer 2017: presentation

Fall 2017: post best practices online.

Deliverable 2.1

Formal letters and agreements supporting new and enhanced certificates, from private employers and labor and industry associations. Formal articulation agreements between colleges and state higher ed agencies. Endorsements as appropriate from industry experts, national certification bodies, college accreditors, and the U.S. Dept. of Education.



3: Employment

Milestones:

1. Fall 2015: secure formal agreements.

Deliverable 2.2

1: Access New and enhanced instructional materials in credit-based and competency-based format, including curricula, syllabi, assessments, reading, online modules., etc. Updated class schedules, course catalogs, external websites, and other directories.



Milestones:

1. Summer 2015:

1.9/ 2015: Begin using tools



Fully functional and integrated advanced online and virtual simulation instructional tools. Joint protocols shared by member colleges for requirements (e.g., CCBY), use, and assessment of online tools.

confirm joint usage protocols.

PROGRAM OF STUDY or OTHER ACTIVITY: 3. Participant Support


Activity 3.1 1: Access Conduct review of member colleges' and best practices on NCRC and WorkKeys for competency-based assessment (CBA) and prior learning assessment (PLA), especially veterans. Initiate discussion among all member college student service offices around introduction of CBA and improvement of PLA. Review new and enhanced curricula to identify correlations between NCRC competencies, relevant prior learning and assessment tools

All colleges. Lead college compiles and shares best practices, establishes standard procedures.

Strategy Total:

$3,635,110.00 Start Date: Fall 2014

2: Training Equipment: $0.00 End Date: Spring 2015

Year 1: $922,994.00 Milestones:

Year 2: $1,232,427.00

Year 3: $1,218,394.00

Year 4: $252,498.00

Activity 3.2 Solidify ties with committed employer partners. Establish clear contacts for work-based learning (internships, on-the-job training, etc.) and implementation timeline. Collect employer feedback on new and enhanced curricula, and pre-employment services. Assess potential for integrating new certificates and NCRC (competency-based assessment) into employers' career ladders. Create promotional materials for work-based learning opportunities and distribute to candidates.

All colleges. Private employers. Industry and labor professional associations. Lead college reviews promotional materials.



3: Employment

Milestones:

1. Summer 2015: commitments from key employers.

Activity 3.3 1: Access Meet with business, civic, community-based, labor, and workforce organizations. Invite successful participants and graduates to represent project. Review support available for participants (e.g., pre-employment services) and clarify referral processes for services. Proactively connect participants with relevant services. Review service information quarterly for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Follow regular meeting/update schedule with community

Listed organizations. All colleges. Program participants.


End Date: Summer 2018

3: Employment

Milestones:



partners.

Deliverable 3.1

1: Access List of updated college policies and procedures to track and support participants, including protection of PII, to ensure coordinated and complementary support services for participants. Formal agreements between member colleges to share appropriate service provision data, if participants transfer between colleges.


End Date: Spring 2015

3: Employment

Milestones:

Deliverable 3.2

1: Access Consortium marketing plan, program brochures, letters of endorsement, online testimonials, and other resources to promote acceptance and adoption of new and enhanced credentials, as well as work-based learning. Employers' internal documentation establishing TAACCCT-funded credentials as part of internal career ladders. Includes documentation related to student veterans.



3: Employment

Milestones:

1. Summer 2015: document credentials' integration

Deliverable 3.3

1: Access WISE Navigator Model report outlining strategies, principles and guidelines. Outcomes data, student feedback, and industry participation and response will be included.


End Date: Fall 2016

3: Employment

Milestones:

PROGRAM OF STUDY or OTHER ACTIVITY: 4. Project Evaluation


Activity 4.1 1: Access Immediately design and introduce basic evaluation methods in existing courses and programs which need little enhancement. Continue refining evaluation methods during remainder of Year 1, to be consistent with evaluation plan. Agree with employers and labor representatives by Winter 2015 on tracking methods to capture employment results as initial TAACCCT-funded program graduates enter job market in Spring 2015. Begin quarterly formal data reviews.

All colleges. Private employers. Labor associations. Lead college and SJI coordinate, standardize, compile, and report data.

Strategy Total:

$511,590.00 Start Date: Fall 2014

2: Training Equipment: $0.00 End Date: Spring 2015

3: Employment

Year 1: $127,898.00 Milestones:

Year 2: $127,898.00 1. Spring 2015: start tracking employment data.

Year 3: $127,898.00

Year 4: $127,898.00

Activity 4.2 1: Access Review and articulate college-by-college evaluation plans. Design individual and shared assessment tools. Circulate and test evaluation tools with pilot

All colleges. Private employers. Community-

Start Date: Spring 2015


Milestones:



participant, workforce, and employer groups. Include assessment of environmental data such as industry needs, community infrastructure, and member college service capacity, to update initial gap analysis. Identify comparison groups for quasi-experimental analyses.

based, industry, and labor organizations. SJI. Lead college oversees process.

1. Summer 2015: Implement evaluation

2. Summer 2015:gap analysis.

Activity 4.3 Conduct mid-project report on evaluation design and findings, and submit to DOL for review. Prepare modified report and distribute it to member colleges and key stakeholders (workforce agencies, employer partners, etc.)

All colleges. SJI. Lead college

Start Date: Summer 2016

End Date: Fall 2016

3: Employment

Milestones:

Deliverable 4.1

1: Access Evaluation plans for each each member college, as well as entire consortium. Valid and reliable evaluation tools stored in easily accessible location (e.g., online), as well as project quarterly and annual reports with confidential information redacted. Documented protocols for appropriate use of evaluation tools and Personally Identifiable Information (PII), approved by colleges, industry, labor, and government.

All colleges. SJI. External partners with data-sharing agreements.



Milestones:

1. Summer 2015: evaluation plans done

Deliverable 4.2

Online employment results scorecard for all grant-funded credentials, featuring performance metrics in TAACCCT SGA. Documentation of student consent protocols, data sharing agreements, partnerships with state workforce agencies, and other assurances needed to populate scorecard with data. Continuous Improvement Work Plan for use of scorecard data by member colleges, signed by colleges' leadership.

SJI and lead college. Member colleges review and consent.



3: Employment

Milestones:

1. Summer 2017: full launch of scorecard

.



III. Outcomes and Outputs

a. Analysis of Outcome Projections

(1) Annualized Numerical Projections. Outcomes projections were calculated based on

data from the labor market analysis, anticipated market demands and employer input. The

projected outcomes reflect significant improvement in student outcomes. The following table

presents projected outcome targets in raw numbers for the project as a whole at all locations.

Table 15: Outcomes Projections

Outcome Measures Targets for TAACCCT Program 1 Total Unique Participants Served Year 1: 265

Year 2: 801

Year 3: 926

Total: 1992

2 Total Number of Participants Completing a

TAACCCT-Funded Program of Study

Year 1: 188

Year 2: 503

Year 3: 625

Total: 1316

3 Total Number of Participants Still Retained in Their

Program of Study or Other TAACCCT-Funded

Program

Year 1: 26

Year 2: 120

Year 3: 131

Total: 277

4 Total Number of Participants Completing Credit

Hours

Year 1: 147

Year 2: 525

Year 3: 664

Total: 1336

5 Total Number of Participants Earning Credentials Year 1: 305

Year 2: 727

Year 3: 1053

Total: 2085

6 Total Number of Participants Enrolled in Further

Education

Year 1: 145

Year 2: 230

Year 3: 280

Total: 655

7 Total Number of Participants Employed After

TAACCCT-funded Program of Study Completion

Year 1: 78

Year 2: 199

Year 3: 357

Year 4: 276

Total: 910

8 Total Number of Participants Retained in

Employment After Program of Study Completion

Year 1: 64

Year 2: 152

Year 3: 248

Year 4: 214

Total: 678

9 Total Number of Those Participants Employed at

Enrollment Who Received a Wage Increase at Post-

Enrollment

Year 1: 107

Year 2: 172

Year 3: 239

Year 4: 203

Total: 721

(2) Rationale for Targets and Timeline. The baseline data for the nine required outcome

measures in Table 15, were based on students enrolled and/or recently graduated from similar

non-grant funded programs in Washington’s Community and Technical College System.



Consideration was given to the amount of time that is needed at the beginning of the grant period

in order to allow for any curriculum development, faculty hiring and offering of courses so the

number of participants are calculated at a lower rate during year one. In addition, some cohorts

may be able to be run overlapping or simultaneously, reflected in the number of certifications

and completions. Outcome projections were derived from data collected from focus groups that

consisted of industry, labor, community based organizations and educational institutions.

Additionally, the Centers of Excellence convened targeted data collection from subcommittees,

large-group facilitations, consortium questionnaires, labor market data surveys. This data

collected was validated by evidence from previously funded TAACCCT project, Air

Washington, as the benchmark for the WISE partnership project outcomes measures.

(3) Reasonability of Nine Outcome Measures. In order to be most effective, a variety of

outcomes are included simultaneously for robust pathway strategies including access, training

and employment. ACT National Career Readiness Certificate, pre-apprenticeship, pre-

employment, work based learning programs and the ability for continued education if desired

through articulations to applied BAS degree programs allow multiple education/contextual work

based learning opportunities to fit the participants needs taking into consideration their current

employability and competencies. In many of the programs cohorts will be able to earn several

industry recognized credentials while also completing their certificate/program, such as OSHA

30, NIMS, MSSC, Forklift, Welding, LEED GA, etc., creating a broader base of competencies

for students to master, increasing their employability.

b. Systems for Tracking/Reporting Outcome Measures

(1) Annualized Numerical Projections. Each college partner will have a program director

dedicated to track and report on the required outcome metrics. The consortium will work closely

with the State’s Employment Security Department to allow navigators to track student outcomes.



Consortium members will hold monthly meetings to assess progress, review data, share with

partners and stakeholders as needed and identify barriers, identify solutions and continuously

improve programming. Program coordinators hired to track students’ progress through WISE

partner programs will be the primary reporting agents from each WISE institution to the

consortium lead. Program directors will acquire data regarding students entering grant-funded

programs from the WISE program director, who will receive information from each WISE

partner’s program director. Institutional Research departments on each WISE campus will aid

coordinators’ data collection and compilation tasks. Departmental and institutional cooperation

will ensure program coordinators have access to the Washington State Board for Community and

Technical College’s Student Management System (SMS), the Data Linked Outcomes

Assessment (DLOA) database, Washington ESD’s Services, Knowledge, and Information

Exchange Service (SKIES) database, and various other employment statistics reporting tools.

These databases currently capture or have the capacity to capture demographic information,

assessment test scores, program intent, course enrollments, course completions, certificate and

degree awards, individual student transcript information, employment status, and average

earnings. The progress measures outlined below are available through various population

selections and correlations by Student ID numbers (SID), Classification of Instructional

Programs codes (CIP), and other field indicators unique to the databases. Quarterly reports from

each WISE partner will be compiled and examined by the evaluation team, who will also make

individual and cross-site evaluations, in order to make recommendations to expedite program

implementation, improve program effectiveness and/or efficiency, and identify best practices.

(2) Plan for Identification of Tracking Gaps. The implementation and progress measures

will require comparison and longitudinal data. Longer-term outcome measures will be tracked



and reported in much the same way as the shorter-term progress measures. Program directors and

institutional research departments will pull data from a common statewide data set via the

databases listed above, which will ensure consistency in metrics have identified places needing

improved data collection protocols: Entered Employment Rate is only available in the second

quarter after exit rather than the first, and Employment Retention Rate is not available at all. A

method to collect more accurate data is already planned: WISE partner schools will implement 3-

month follow ups with program completers. Upon filing a petition to graduate, students will take

the first exit survey. Students identifying themselves as unemployed on the initial survey will be

contacted via updated email address in 3 months. Email non-respondents and email respondents

identifying themselves as unemployed will be contacted via phone as well. Regardless of

employment status, all program completers will be contacted nine months after program

completion. LaunchPad™, a statewide social media tool, will be used to help track program

completers and serve as a job-posting site to connect graduates to potential TAACCCT-WISE

partnership employers. Because information on LaunchPad™ will be readily accessible by

WDCs, colleges, and One Stops, employment placement services will be better coordinated.

Program directors will work closely with student navigators to track WISE partner outcomes:

(1) Establish data sharing agreements with participants and report the data;

(2) Collect data from their college and sub-contracting colleges,

a. Annual graduation and completion rate for all students enrolled by program;

b. Employment rate of program completers by program;

c. Employment retention rate, one year following program completion, by program;

d. Collect data on transfer rates for programs that have facilitating transfers as substantial

part of their mission;

(3) Work with local workforce investment boards to capture average earnings of completers, one

to three years following program completion, by program; and



(4) Leverage social media to enhance employment opportunities for students as well as create a

conduit for communication to gather supplemental employment data after program completion.

c. Using Data for Continuous Improvement

(1) Ongoing Review of Participant Outcomes. The Lead WISE Project Director with

support from the Executive Director, third party-evaluator, and staff will establish a process and

procedure for reviewing project data, deliverables progress, and consortium performance on a

quarterly basis. Results will be conveyed to the Governance Board and Taskforces for

recommendations to improve programs and mid-course corrections to the WISE model.

Curriculum and assessments developed by the project will be aligned to skill standards

and job profiles developed by consortium partners in partnership with industry and labor. In

addition, the WISE will procure a rigorous third-party evaluation of our proposed TAACCCT-

funded program that will allow us to reflect upon and improve the implementation of our

planned strategies. The selected evaluator will develop at least one interim report by 18 months

outlining evaluation findings to-date to help guide our efforts to improve grant-funded programs

and ensure implementation of the program is on track to meet our stated goals. WISE partnership

will require the third-party evaluator to focus on the following questions in the interim report:

1) Steps taken by the institution to create and run the training program.

2) The operational strengths and weaknesses of the project during implementation.

3) Suggestions on how the project might be strengthened within appropriate timing as not to

interfere with the impact/outcomes analysis.

4) Analysis of teacher and student feedback regarding completed courses or programs.

The interim report will be reviewed by the Governance Board to develop strategies to

improve programming. The information will then be disseminated at the midpoint (at 1.5 years

into the project) in the project during a two-day convening of project partners. Work sessions

will be held to develop a feasible strategy to implement programmatic modifications for the

remainder of the grant.



Using Data for Continuous Improvement. RETC will make available to the project, a unique

continuous improvement data collection tool through the NTER portal. This tool focuses on

profiling student competency, workplace performance levels, and identifying skill gaps through

data-aggregation. Data generated by the tool can be used to improve how the project identifies

and remediates student skill gaps, as well as to accelerate and focus the training processes on

certification of student skill sets. The tool is designed to collect data that identifies areas of skill

gaps throughout the project that would be universally enhanced by improving upon consortia

training activities. The value inherent to the project is the ability to improve the overall quality of

project offerings and to focus training directly on the areas where additional capabilities are

required for a specific job related skill set. Using the NTER portal to aggregate data of student

skill gaps by consortia members provides an excellent platform to improve project programs,

learning designs, training processes and services in order to better accelerate overall student

performance, minimize gaps and in obtaining job skill certifications.

(2) Program Sustainability. The strategies proposed by the WISE partnership will be

sustained beyond the life of the TAACCCT grant by tuition dollars, state funding (both annual

allocations and special grants), industry training budgets, and professional development during

the grant cycle to allow no- or low-cost implementation practices. All programs with expanded

capacity will be able to run the additional sections through collection of tuition payments by

students in those sections, as well as full-time enrollment equivalents—i.e. state instructional

subsidies. Because curriculum will be designed to meet industry needs and feedback from

industry will be ongoing, curriculum will continue to evolve with the industry input post grant.

Since curricula and training will remain sensitive to industry needs, the WISE partnership can



solicit employers to invest their own training budgets in CTC programs, thereby reducing

program and service replication.

In programs implementing I-BEST-modeled courses, schools will have the option to continue

to simultaneously employ both instructors with funds secured by I-BEST state funding. The

current Perkins-funded instructor boot-camp will be offered on a recurring basis as new hires

independent of the grant will continue to be brought on staff. Data will be collected quarterly,

aggregated, and synthesized into composites that will serve as the basis for the final report and

third party evaluation. Curriculum developed as a result of this grant will be accessible through

the SBCTC Open Course Library, as well as on the three Center of Excellence websites.

IV. Organizational Profile

a. Qualifications

Centralia College and its Center of Excellence (CoE) for Clean Energy will oversee the project

management and administration of WISE. Centralia College is highly experienced in effectively

managing programmatic, fiscal, and administrative aspects of multiyear, federal grants. The CoE

has a proven record of leadership in managing state and federal grant-funded projects. Such

grants include the 2013 U.S. Department of Commerce consortium project to establish the

Academy of Energy Entrepreneurs; the nationally recognized leadership of a 2010 U.S.

Department of Energy grant ($5 million) which served five partner states (Washington, Oregon,

Idaho, Utah, Montana) and established energy training satellites to meet smart grid training

needs; a lead state recipient in the 2010 national Center for Energy Workforce Development Bill

and Melinda Gates Foundation demonstration project to support low-income young adults

pursuing energy occupations; a 2010 National Science Foundation Co-Principal Investigator with

Edmonds Community College to develop energy efficiency skill profiles; a sub-recipient for the



2007 U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Initiatives in Regional Economic Development

(WIRED) coordinating regional energy partners.

Previous experience with these projects informs WISE’s approach to ensuring that

performance/fiscal reporting and procurement adheres to federal, state and local statutes. Though

supported by fiscal and programmatic staff at Centralia College, the full-time DOL TAACCCT

Project Director must be exceptionally skilled and experienced with the implementation and

management of the WISE project. A proven track record of managing performance reporting,

fiscal reporting, and procurement must be established in order for an applicant to be hired;

should a project manager not be hired by October 1, 2014, the Executive Director of the CoE,

and/or another designated appointee, will temporarily oversee the carryout of the project.

PROJECT DIRECTOR - REQUIRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND

RESPONSIBILITIES

Education:

A master’s degree in a related field from a regionally accredited

institution of higher education.

Experience:

Three years related work experience, including progressive experience

developing or implementing grant funded programs, project

management, and supervision.

Excellent organizational, personnel and budget management, and

communication skills.

Leadership experience in managing state and federally funded programs.

Responsibilities:

Manages the implementation, operation and evaluation of the WISE

grant, and the consortium partners which comprise it, in accordance with

project goals, objectives and established timelines.

Maintains adherence to specific requirements of the grant outline,

including accomplishing timelines and outcomes within a specified time

frame.

Coaches, mentors and motivates program faculty and staff from both

Centralia and its partner colleges, to take positive action and

accountability to meet established goals, objectives and timelines.

Establishes open lines of communication with local partners and other

stakeholders for the purpose of gathering timely data, as well as

troubleshooting potential issues before they escalate.

Develops and implements student recruitment strategies alongside

project personnel and multiple Career Navigators; also, coordinates with

the Workforce Investment Board for recruitment and identification of

TAA-eligible individuals and other workers.



Coordinates the collection of accurate student data alongside project

partners.

Prepares and maintains reports and appropriate documentation as

required by the DOL and other outside sources.

Upholds an understanding of, and sensitivity to, the diverse academic,

socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds of community college

staff and students.

Maintains confidentiality of work related information and materials, in

accordance with federal and state guidelines.

Required Professional Qualifications. The Project Director will be responsible for the day-to-

day management of the project. In addition, each WISE consortium member will have a

designated project coordinator. Qualifications of the Project Management staff, in general, have

been carefully considered. Hiring rubrics, job descriptions, expectations, lessons learned from

previous TAACCCT grantees have been discussed and are available to support effective staff

management. Positions are expected to be filled within the first three months of project award

date. Previous project management of large scale projects is critical to the project director

position: the position specialist hired for the project ensure proper performance reporting.

Administrative oversight, regularly scheduled accountability reporting, and internal compliance

monitoring procedures all support effective project management systems and procedures.

b. Communication

WISE has developed a highly effective organizational structure that allows communication

among all levels of project management. The Project Manager will directly report to the Center

of Excellence Director who has direct access to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Centralia College’s president has committed active involvement with the project, particularly

assisting and facilitating state and national strategic alignment initiatives. The Project Director

will meet weekly with the support staff during the grant cycle. The Project Manager will meet

with each site coordinator monthly to discuss and monitor progress. Communication between the

3rd party evaluator and the management structure is a strength of project management, and



assures ongoing and timely information about project progress, successes, and stumbling blocks.

This formative feedback will allow the management team to make mid-course adjustments to

improve the project and maximize success.

A Grant Governance Board will be formed and will include the chief academic officer

from each member institution (or their designee) and representatives from community agencies

and industry partners. The Grant Governance Board will meet monthly during the first year of

the grant and at least quarterly in subsequent years. Organizational charts reflecting the structure

that will enable effective management of the grant is included as an attachment.

c. Systems for Timely Reporting

Financial accounting processes and procedures at Centralia College follow General Accepted

Accounting Principles (GAAP). The robust administrative database used by the college allows

for the separation of projects for tracking and auditing purposes and enables timely and accurate

financial and performance reporting. As a previous federal grantee, Centralia has already

established the systems and processes needed to successfully manage the project. Several of the

colleges have previous experience either with a Round 1 or a Round 2 TAACCCT grant. Each

institution has previous experience with federal and state grants and has established a record of

submitting reports in a timely manner. The procurement processes at each institution are at least

as restrictive as those in OMB A21.

Each institution maintains separate accounting systems for tracking this project; all have

independent annual audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the US

and Washington state. This audit is conducted for the purpose of forming an opinion regarding

the financial statements of the institution and its compliance with the US Office of Management

and Budget A-133 to obtain a reasonable assurance about compliance with federal programs.

Audits are available upon request and are provided to federal and state agencies as required or



requested. Each institution follows purchasing policies as adopted by their respective governing

boards, maintains detailed procedures for the approval and authorization for all purchases made,

and receives monthly financial statements of the financial condition of their institutions.

Consortium members have met numerous times during the planning phase of this project.

The first meeting with the presidents was to discuss the viability of the project. Each president

assigned a lead person who attended the subsequent meetings. Staff from each Consortium

Institution participated fully in all phases of the project design, development, delivery and review

of supporting documents, tasks, and expectations. The comprehensive project will be managed

from Centralia College, but each member organization will have representative leadership as

well as the site coordinator from that institution who will attend monthly meetings during year 1

and a minimum of quarterly meetings thereafter. Signature employers will also serve on the

Grant Governance Board, which will meet quarterly. The project is adequately staffed to achieve

project outcomes and each institution will further support the activities with selected personnel.

Thank you for taking the time to review our proposal. We are looking forward to serving

TAA-workers through this project, if funded.

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