Resource: Maximizing Federal Funding Impact on Workforce Development in Washington State
Over the past four years, we have seen unprecedented federal investments in American infrastructure and innovation through federal legislation. These sweeping laws hold immense potential to transform state economies, workforce, and educational landscapes.
Washington State is a leader in expanding access to postsecondary education and training opportunities for its residents. However, given the scale and complexity of the resource deployment required across these federal programs, state leaders must strategically organize, collaborate, and pursue innovative approaches to training, upskilling, and reskilling residents.
Education Strategy Group was asked to investigate opportunities to complement, strengthen, and accelerate existing activities in the state to support greater coordination and implementation of federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and CHIPS and Science Act funds. While the resulting report is focused specifically on the state of Washington, the recommendations outlined can easily be transferred to other states that are looking to cultivate a skilled workforce able to meet the anticipated demand required to build and operate the projects funded through recent federal infrastructure programs.
