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AWB urges lawmakers to restore youth workforce funding and revive apprenticeship bill
Summary
At an AWB panel in Spokane, Emily Whitman of the Association of Washington Business pressed legislators and employer partners to reinstate modest funding for on-the-job training, CareerConnect coordinators and apprenticeship wraparound services, and to restart a stalled apprenticeship bill referenced as "House Bill 17, 77."
Emily Whitman, AWB education and workforce lead, told an Association of Washington Business panel in Spokane that the organization will push legislators to reverse recent cuts that she said hurt youth workforce programs. Whitman said reinstating core-plus funding, protecting CareerConnect Washington coordinators embedded in each Educational Service District and restoring wraparound supports for apprenticeships are priorities.
Whitman said, "Those 3 programs combined, that funding is in total less than $10,000,000," framing the ask as modest relative to statewide budgets. She added that the cuts last year removed important on-the-job training and early-career exposure opportunities for high-school students and that employers often need short-term credentials rather than four-year degrees.
Why it matters: Employers said they rely on local training pipelines to fill entry-level and skilled positions. Whitman urged employer partners to document hiring patterns and credential needs and to tell those stories to legislators, arguing that concrete employer feedback can shape eligibility and funding decisions.
Supporting details: Whitman highlighted a bill she described as "House Bill 17, 77" that had a hearing but stalled; AWB members in the room were invited to join a coalition seeking to restart the effort to reduce friction in building apprenticeship programs. She encouraged attendees to speak directly with legislators and to attend breakout sessions for deeper engagement.
The panel took audience questions from representatives of vocational colleges and employers, including a request from Devin Gomboski of the Northwest Career College Federation about how private vocational schools can demonstrate value after grant rollbacks. Whitman advised employers to "look at who you're hiring and what kind of skill sets they need" and to report those needs back to legislators.
Next steps: AWB said members should meet with staff and legislators during the upcoming 2026 session to press for targeted restorations and to take part in the coalition to reform apprenticeship barriers.
