(1) The college
board, in consultation with business, industry, labor, the
workforce training and education coordinating board, the
department of commerce, the employment security department, and
community and technical colleges, shall designate centers of
excellence and allocate funds to existing and new centers of
excellence based on a competitive basis.
(2) Eligible applicants for the program established under
this section include community and technical colleges. Priority
shall be given to applicants that have an established education
and training program serving the targeted industry and that have
in their home district or region an industry cluster with the
same targeted industry at its core.
(3) It is the role of centers of excellence to employ
strategies to:
(a) Create educational efficiencies;
(b) Build a diverse, competitive workforce for strategic
industries;
(c) Maintain an institutional reputation for innovation and
responsiveness;
(d) Develop innovative curriculum and means of delivering
education and training;
(e) Act as brokers of information and resources related to
community and technical college education and training and
assistance available for firms in a targeted industry, including
working with innovate Washington to develop methods to identify
businesses within a targeted industry that could benefit from the
services offered by innovate Washington under chapter 43.333 RCW;
and
(f) Serve as partners with workforce development councils,
associate development organizations, and other workforce and
economic development organizations.
(4) Examples of strategies under subsection (3) of this
section include but are not limited to: Sharing curriculum and
other instructional resources, to ensure cost savings to the
system; delivering collaborative certificate and degree programs;
and holding statewide summits, seminars, conferences, and
workshops on industry trends and best practices in community and
technical college education and training.
[2011 1st sp.s. c 14 § 6; 2009 c 151 § 4.]
NOTES:
Effective date -- 2011 1st sp.s. c 14: See RCW 43.333.901.