What Makes a Quality Job?
Job quality is central to our mission. For employers, it’s essential for retaining employees and fostering satisfaction. By promoting fair wages, supportive environments, and growth opportunities, we help businesses build productive teams, driving long-term success and a thriving workforce.
Over $500,000 Awarded to King County Small Businesses for Equitable Economic Development
We're proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Small Business Investment Grant. After reviewing over 450 applications, 40 small businesses and nonprofits —predominantly owned and operated by individuals from Black, urban Indian/Tribal, and Latine communities— have been selected to receive grants of up to $15,000 each. The Small Business Investment Grant aims to help these organizations build capacity, support worker retention, and foster long-term economic growth and sustainability. In addition to financial assistance, awardees will receive ongoing guidance through coaching, consulting, and access to resources designed to enhance their business operations and community impact.
Health Professions Opportunity Grant: A Decade of Success
Designed to meet the expanding labor needs of Seattle-King County, the Health Professions Opportunity Grant (HPOG) connects job seekers to training that leads to careers in healthcare. This year marks the 11th and possibly final year of the program, with HPOG slated to end in September without re-authorization by Congress. As we look back, and look forward, it is important to highlight the accomplishments of program participants and the organizations the WDC has partnered with for more than a decade to bring success to TANF recipients, immigrants and refugees, and large and small healthcare employers.
RFP 20-02 - Business Services: Announcement + Virtual Bidder's Conference
On March 15, 2021, the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County (WDC) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the provision of business services within the WorkSource Seattle-King County system. Services will be funded in accordance with resources from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
Manufacturing Workforce in Seattle-King County to Receive Grant from National Fund for Workforce Solutions
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Fund for Workforce Solutions has announced that two workforce collaboratives in its network—Seattle, Washington and Sarasota, Florida—will each receive $125,000 in grants for on-the-job training in high-demand advanced manufacturing skills.
Kaiser Permanente Awards $350,000 to Expand Youth Apprenticeship
On May 22nd the Kaiser Permanente Health Plan of Washington announced a generous grant of $350,000 to the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County (WDC) to expand apprenticeship opportunities in in-demand sectors for opportunity youth. "We’re pleased to have so many partners on-board as we take on this project,” said Marie Kurose, new CEO of the WDC. “It’s exciting to bring our focus on high-quality training and high-demand jobs into a community like South King County, where those resources, combined with a commitment to equitable outcomes, can have a huge impact on the lives of opportunity youth."
King County Executive & City of Seattle Spotlight the Efforts of the Workforce Development Council
King County and City of Seattle are transforming the workforce system to connect more people to high-demand jobs. The new model will better align funding to help people who face barriers to employment and help ensure that employers have the well-trained workforce they need to remain competitive in the global economy.
Map Your Career | Redesign Walkthrough
Map Your Career, a career pathway planning resource illustrating Seattle-King County’s current and predicted labor market, has been completely redesigned with updated data.
In a classroom or career counseling setting, Map Your Career is most useful for broadening awareness around local opportunities, and inspiring further discovery of education, training pathways, and networking starting points.
In addition to a printed booklet for the public school and workforce systems, MapYourCareer.org is easily accessible on both desktop and mobile devices.
Let's take a walkthrough of the major features.
