2018 Worker Retraining Accountability Report. Research Report 18-6

The Worker Retraining (WRT) program is a key strategy in meeting the economic and workforce needs of Washington's workers and employers. Funded through the state legislature, the aim of WRT is to ensure dislocated and other unemployed workers have access to education and training that will help them reattach to the labor market in jobs and careers supporting themselves, their families, and their communities. This program works closely with the broader workforce development system across Washington to respond quickly to large lay-offs, support Unemployment Insurance claimants in getting retrained, helping workers who are displaced due to natural disasters or major restructuring of the economy, and working with unemployed populations with significant barriers to employment. Funding for the program flows through the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges to all Washington state community and technical colleges (CTCs). In measuring the ability of the CTC system to meet the goals of the program, colleges and the system as a whole are monitored along the following criteria: (1) enrollments; (2) completions; (3) job placement and job retention; and (4) wages and wage recovery.