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Community Council
Findings
ponent, such as computer science,
rely on internships to provide students
with work experience.
Jessica Gilmore, Dean of Business,
Entrepreneurial Programs and Ex-
tended Learning at WWCC, provided
several suggestions to make workforce
education more valuable and effective:
●
●
Higher wages for employees who
have earned relevant certifications
and credentials to compensate for
the value that additional training
adds.
●
●
Strategies to increase enrollment
among populations who tend to
be underrepresented in workforce
programs such as Hispanic, low-
income and first-generation college
students.
●
●
Funding for proactive advising (as
opposed to on-demand advising)
and other support services to im-
prove retention and completion.
Several employers reported that
there is a need to expand opportuni-
ties for workforce education within
our region to fill existing job demand,
and to provide additional training and
credentials for individuals who are
already working. For example, within
the health care field there is demand
for medical scribes, nurse practitioners,
physician assistants, and health care
administrators. One speaker suggested
that cooperation among health care
providers to support training pro-
grams for those jobs would be benefi-
cial. In order to move up the job ladder
into higher-paying jobs, employees at
the DOC often need additional educa-
tion. The state of Washington used to
provide a generous tuition reimburse-
ment benefit that helped employees
gain additional training. That benefit
has been reduced significantly due
to budget cuts over the past several
years. Shift schedules may also be a
barrier for employees who would like
to pursue additional education.
Liberal arts education
As speakers repeatedly highlighted,
our region is fortunate to be home to
four institutions of higher education:
BMCC, WWCC, WWU, and Whitman
College. WWU and Whitman College
are private institutions that offer a
four-year liberal arts degree (WWU
also offers graduate degrees) designed
to provide students with the skills
and abilities to be productive citizens.
Kathleen Murray, President of Whitman
College, noted that employers
recognize the workforce benefits of
a liberal arts education. According to
“It Takes More Than a Major: Employer
Priorities for College Learning and
Student Success,” by Hart Research
3
The Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board is now the Washington Student Achievement Council.
LIVINGWAGE INWALLA WALLA COUNTY*
Hourly
wage
1 adult 1 adult,
1 child
1 adult,
2 children
1 adult,
3 children
2 adults
(one working)
2 adults (one
working), 1 child
2 adults (one working),
2 children
2 adults (one
working), 3 children
Living
wage
$9.22 $20.84 $25.00 $31.20 $15.34
$18.87
$21.46
$23.72
Poverty
wage
$5.00 $7.00 $9.00
$11.00 $7.00
$9.00
$11.00
$13.00
Minimum
wage
$9.32 $9.32 $9.32
$9.32
$9.32
$9.32
$9.32
$9.32
* Living Wage Calculator (2014), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Associates (2013), employers seek the
competencies and abilities that are the
foundation of a liberal arts education,
such as critical thinking, problem
solving, effective communication, and
the ability to make ethical decisions.
THE LEAKY PIPELINE
VanAusdle reported that out of every
100 ninth-graders inWashington state,
only 19 go on to earn an Associate’s
degree or higher (from the Washington
Higher Education Coordinating Board’s
Strategic Master Plan for Higher Educa-
tion, 2008).
3
That suggests there is a
“leaky pipeline,”where over 80 percent
fall off the path to completing a post-
secondary degree. There was a general
concern among the speakers that
the dropout rate must be addressed.
Though the leaky pipeline statistic
presented by VanAusdle refers to high
school freshmen, other speakers noted
that experiences prior to high school
also impact the dropout rate. Several
speakers identified leaks along the
pipeline and reported strategies to keep
youth on track.
Early learning and
kindergarten readiness
●
●
Samantha Bowen, an early learn-
ing specialist, presented research
that shows factors influencing the