Special Initiatives
In addition to the specific work being carried out by individual Panels, WIRED continues to look for partners and exciting ways to promote the region, spark innovation and entrepreneurship and transform the talent pool of the Pacific Mountain Region. For more information contact Cheryl Fambles, WIRED Director.
Focus on Business
- WIRED is pleased to work with the Association of Washington Business to establish a program for Work Readiness Credentials. Working with local chambers of commerce and other business organizations, the credential gives business a tool for work readiness assessment. Look for a spring launch of this business driven credential and for additional information on WIRED's involvement with this, and other assessment tools.
- Tribal Hospitality Job Certifications and Apprenticeships is a pilot program with Lucky Eagle Casino affords WIRED the opportunity to assist tribal communities with development of career pathways for tribal employees. A program that provides employees with skill enhancements and ways of understanding all the opportunities within the business generates enthusiasm and continuous learning and promotion into higher paying jobs.
- The Life Long Learning Accounts (LiLA) program is being piloted in this region before it rolls out under national legislation and in a state-wide effort. LiLAs are employer-matched, employee-owned individual educational accounts used to finance worker’s education and training. It is closely modeled after the Guarantee Education Trust program for college funding. It provides business with a tangible way to support employee self improvements that could include skill development classes, college degrees or other learning that inspires and encourages employees to stay engaged in continuous learning. The program establishes a contribution fund into which employees and employers can add dollars dedicated to self enhancement.
- Employing People with Disabilities makes good business sense. That's the message of Work For All, an initiative spear-headed by the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce. The effort is designed to: Communicate the human resource advantage of employing individuals with disabilities; Connect employers to resources related to recruiting/hiring/retraining these workers; and Celebrate the successes of businesses employing disabled workers. Employment of individuals with disabilities is proven to enhance innovation, which in turn creates greater competitive advantage.
Partnerships with our System of Education and Learning
- A new Math Curriculum for Career and Technical Education (CTE) students is being funded by WIRED in partnership with ESD 113 and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. When the state board of education increased the math requirement to include an additional math credit it became critical that CTE students be offered a math course that enabled them to meet the requirements while staying in their course of study and learning the math principles in ways that tie directly to that course of study. The project will create the curriculum and will pilot in the Pacific Mountain region. In the upcoming 2009 legislature OSPI will lobby additional monies to take the curriculum statewide.
- Through events like South Sound Vocational Educators In-service, Educator Camps, classroom presentations and numerous projects to support and enhance classroom learning WIRED is working with teachers’ meet the needs of industry.
- K12 Construction Trades Center of Excellence outreach to our regions rural areas will be expanded through the RETC (Regional Education & Training Center). What makes this possible is the bandwidth available through Satsop. It provides unlimited access throughout the region and the state providing students with project blueprints, construction training videos and skill competencies, career paths, senior portfolio process, articulation agreements, and available tech prep credits.
- Focus on Tech Based Learning (TBL) at the Regional Education and Training Center creates a learning mix that brings together the capabilities of people and new emerging technology required in the workplace. While hosting a variety of learning options it can also be tailored to fit multiple different schedules and learning styles. TBL is on-demand, on-line, web based, and virtual, while providing innovative options for blended classrooms where new knowledge and skills can be applied immediately.
- FIRST (For Innovation and Recognition for Science and Technology), Digi-Pen. Inc. and Project Lead the Way programs are designed to get kids excited about the future of science and technology. Working with teachers in select school districts the NWMA Manufacturing Panel is introducing these robotics programs to each of our five counties.
Career Oppertunities
- Reestablishing Rural Communities: Working on Common Ground is a project designed to train up to eight purchasers/contractors in U.S. Forest Service contracting processes and general business management principles and up to twenty individuals in the technical skills necessary for working on forestry contract crews. Grant activities will begin in January and be centered in east Lewis County, where an unemployment rate of 8.6 percent continues to outpace state and national averages.
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification at regional mills and local manufacturing businesses may provide the region with a way to significantly impact the “building green” demand. Market forces and the State’s own commitment to LEED (sustainable building standards) are creating needs for sustainable forestry practices and green building materials. This initiative encourages Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification included providing information, training, and incentives for producers and manufacturers to access the FSC process chain and to support small landowners wanting to more efficiently bring products to market.
- Collaborations with Pacific Education Institute and Nisqually Wildlife Refuge will create high school programs that inspire students toward careers in the natural sciences. The State’s strong focus on S.T.E. M. occupations (those in science, technology, engineering and mathematics) necessitates finding creative ways to bring hands-on, fun learning to the classroom and prompt student interaction with the natural environment.
Pacific Mountain Alliance for Innovation, 1570 Irving Street SW, Tumwater WA 98512
Ph: 360-570-6957, Fx: 360-704-6444
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