According to a March 20, 2019 article in the Seattle Time, Microsoft and UW leaders wanted to establish a dedicated workforce education investment fund that will create the learning opportunities that our state’s families need and deserve. The new fund would do this in three ways.
- Expand access for all deserving students with more funding for financial aid like the state need grant, guaranteeing this grant is available to all who are eligible. And let’s make it usable for the broader range of 21st century learning opportunities that have become important.
- Expand the state’s learning opportunities in all areas of postsecondary education. Many of today’s students and tomorrow’s workforce will benefit by pursuing career pathways that take them through community and technical colleges or apprenticeships, with counseling support to provide students from all backgrounds the help they need to complete their education and seek a new job.
- Expand capacity at our public community and technical colleges and our four-year colleges and universities so deserving students can obtain the credentials our employers are requiring.
The legislative took this proposal and ran with it. A brief Summary of the Engrossed 2nd Substitute Bill which passed both the House and the Senate on Sunday April 28th:
- Establishes a Legislative Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board.
- Establishes the Washington College Grant Program, the Washington Student Loan Program, and a career connected learning cross-agency work group and grant program.
- Makes changes to the Working Connections Child Care Program and the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship. Imposes a 20 percent business and occupation (B&O) surcharge on the income from service and other activities of select businesses.
- Imposes a 33.33 percent B&O surcharge on the income from service and other activities of advanced computing businesses with revenue of more than $25 billion but less than $100 billion.
- Imposes a 66.66 percent B&O surcharge on the income from service and other activities of advanced computing businesses with revenue of more than $100 billion. Establishes a Workforce Education Investment Account.
- Makes biennial operating budget appropriations for the 2019-21 biennial.
See the summary here for more information on each of these aspects of the new legislation heading to the Governor Monday.