Building the World's Best Workforce
2006 Fall Conference a Big Success!
The Washington Workforce Association held its statewide conference on Oct 19 and 20 in SeaTac. The conference highlighted the fact that the skills of our people will be the primary determinant of each community's economic success. Senator Patty Murray, Speaker of theHouse Frank Chopp, Senator Cantwell's Chief of Staff Kurt Beckett, and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Hedrick Smith headlined the conference.Conference attendees described Pulitzer Prize winner Hedrick Smith's keynote remarks on the connection between workforce development and economic viability as "fascinating" and "compelling". Senator Murray's clear knowledge and appreciation of our work was met with applause, and her predictions about the next steps for workforce development issues in Congress gave conferees a clear vision of the future of our system.
The 200-plus attendees participated in discussions led by panels of legislators, government agency leaders, and representatives of business and labor. Long networking breaks allowed for the deeper exploration of ideas, and thoughts were recorded from round-table breakfast discussions.
The conference was a success; thanks to all who attended and thanks to everyone who works towards the goal of building the world's best workforce here in Washington. Please download our report for highlights and next steps:
Taking the Message Home
Workforce Development Council members, the targeted audience, were encouraged by conference speakers to help spread the word about the critical importance of a skilled workforce by making brief presentations to local civic organizations. To aid this effort, we are providing here a concise, two-page summary of important ideas and arguments.Also, for your information, our conference press release: