About WWA

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WWA works in the field of workforce development, for purposes that are beneficial to the public interest. We help to create better services to help unemployed people find jobs, to help current workers move up in their careers, and to help employers find the skilled workers they need.

In short, WWA works to make workforce development programs more effective.

Workforce development is increasingly being given proper recognition by policymakers as a critical element of effective economic policy. Much of our work centers on building consensus and coordinated policy development across organizational boundaries in the public and private sectors.

Our partners include the state agencies that run workforce development programs, businesses that serve on WDCs and their associations, such as Association of Washington Business, labor representatives and their associations, such as the Washington State Labor Council.

WWA’s leadership is comprised of the chief executives of Washington's 12 certified Workforce Development Councils (WDCs). WDCs are led by local business leaders representing nearly 200 Washington state employers, including Boeing, Regence Washington Health, CH2M Hill, Ocean Spray, Lockheed Martin, WaferTech and Weyerhaeuser. Business leaders are joined by labor, education, community based, and public sector members to form a single point of contact for all local workforce development initiatives. WDCs are dedicated to providing quality services to all individuals seeking employment and helping employers find the qualified workers they need. By coordinating local workforce and economic development activities, Workforce Development Councils provide the leadership to help Washington meet the challenges of the 21st Century economy.

WDCs are the leadership and vision behind WorkSource - Washington's single point of contact for both job seekers and employers for information, training, and human resource assistance. Local WDCs oversee more than 60 WorkSource sites that meet the highest standards for service, efficiency and results.

We actively monitor local performance measures, and consistently exceed state and federal performance targets, as well. Our statewide network of WorkSource centers serves over 40,000 people each month. Our Workforce Investment Act programs help over 6,000 people per year gain a degree or credential, and prevent over 1,000 high school students from dropping out. WorkSource helps over 12,000 people per month move directly into employment. Finally, the Workforce Investment Act supports 41 Industry Skill Panels across the state helping 16 different industry sectors create a more reliable supply of skilled workers.