2025 legislative review
Education, Workforce Development and Health Care
Emily Wittman, Education, Workforce Development and Health Care
Education and workforce funding was an innocent bystander in this year’ s budget crisis. The Legislature’ s approach to funding was inconsistent and out of touch with the demand for career exposure and credentials by Washington’ s youth. Ultimately, employers and students have been left with fewer resources to train and attain family-wage jobs in their communities.
Emily Wittman is AWB’ s government affairs director for education, workforce development and health care.
Lawmakers cut funding for industry-aligned workforce development programs like Core Plus and Career Connect Washington( CCW), putting their futures in question. These programs play a critical role in expanding workbased learning opportunities for youth and connecting employers with potential employees in their communities. CCW funding was reduced by 80 %, potentially eliminating the career connected learning coordinators embedded in each of Washington’ s nine educational service districts. Core Plus provides nearly 10,000 high school students with on-the-job training in middle- and high-wage aerospace, maritime and construction careers each year. The program is not funded after next year.
The Legislature also reduced eligibility for the Washington College Grant program and slashed aid for students attending independent colleges. Lawmakers made these cuts despite increasing the tax that pays for higher education funding by more than $ 500 million a biennium. This tax has grown significantly since its introduction in 2019, increasing from $ 350 million in the first biennium to over $ 1.5 billion in the next biennium.
Higher education funding was just one of several“ fund swaps” that occurred this session as budget writers sought to free up revenue in the state’ s general fund for other purposes. Higher education funding in Washington now relies heavily on the solvency of the Workforce Education Investment Account( WEIA), funded by tax surcharges on a few businesses and activities. As Washington’ s economy has continued to grow, so too has funding for the WEIA account. But an economic downturn would similarly reduce funding available for college operations and student scholarships. Concerningly, the Legislature appropriated WEIA funding to hospitals and electric vehicle charging infrastructure in this year’ s budget, despite a state law that explicitly restricts the use of these funds to higher education purposes. This could be the first of many encroachments on funds dedicated to higher education.
A bill to ensure access to state registered apprenticeships for all employers stalled after an early committee hearing. At the same time, funding was eliminated for wraparound support services that mitigate barriers to beginning or participating in state registered apprenticeship programs. We hope the Legislature will revisit these decisions next year.
Legislators did take action on long-standing barriers to employment for highly skilled and credentialed youth. Two bills removed age restrictions that prevented students from working even after they had completed the necessary education and training. These bills, which passed with broad bipartisan support, will make it easier for students to receive their credentials and begin their careers before their 18th birthday.
12 association of washington business