Spokane Area Workforce Development Council Moves to Nonprofit, Teams up with Community Colleges of Spokane
The Spokane Area Workforce Development Council will become a stand-alone nonprofit organization, separating from its 38-year relationship with the City of Spokane, and it will establish a new partnership with Community Colleges of Spokane to streamline management and increase efficiency.
"This transition will allow us to become more flexible, efficient and entrepreneurial," said SAWDC Executive Director Mark Mattke. "We look forward to finding new ways to bring resources to our region to strengthen our workforce and ultimately our business community."
As a shared executive director for the SAWDC and CCS' Workforce and Continuing Education division, Mattke will coordinate and leverage the strengths of each organization to focus on targeted industry sectors and delivery of customized training.
"The economic times demand all sectors of government work closely together to reduce costs, improve service and expand reach. This re-alignment preserves SAWDC's distinctive role in meeting employer needs, while at the same time connecting CCS, a regional training and education provider, to employers who are seeking the skills CCS students are learning in a wide variety of career and technical programs. Spokane and the entire region win," said Christine Johnson, CCS Chancellor.
The SAWDC offices will be re-located to the Spokane Community College campus this summer.
Read the entire announcement here.
omeless and had no high school diploma. "I'd pretty much hit rock bottom," he said. But he began working with Lisa Bridges, who helped him enroll in GED classes and prepare him for his job search. Soon, he earned his GED and found work as a laborer. He also found a place to live at Volunteer of America's Flaherty House. 
