What is a Center of Excellence?

Washington’s 12 Centers of Excellence support systemwide connections between education, business, industry and labor. Each Center focuses on a targeted industry that drives or supports the state’s economy. Centers are guided by industry representatives to lead collaborative and coordinated statewide education and training efforts to build a competitive workforce in a global economy. Centers serve the needs of all 34 community and technical colleges across Washington and provide resources, industry insights and connections, best practices, and much more. Centers of Excellence work in five core focus areas: Economic Development; Education Innovation, and Efficiency; Workforce Supply/Demand; Industry Sector Strategy; Equity and Access.

Learn more here: https://www.coewa.com/

Core Expectations of the Centers

  • Economic Development Focus: Serve as partners with various state and local agencies, regional, national, and global organizations to support economic vitality and competitiveness in Washington’s driver industries.
  • Industry Sector Strategy Focus: Collaboratively build, expand and leverage industry, labor and community and technical college partnerships to support and promote responsive, rigorous, and relevant workforce education and training.
  • Education, Innovation & Efficiency Focus: Leverage resources and educational partnerships to create efficiencies and support development of curriculum and innovative delivery of educational strategies to build a diverse and competitive workforce.
  • Workforce Supply/Demand Focus: Research, analyze and disseminate information related to training capacity, skill gaps, trends, and best practices within each industry sector to support a viable new and incumbent workforce.

Washington Centers of Excellence