Spokane Workforce Council

Please join us in welcoming Max Baca to the Spokane Workforce Council Board of Directors!

Max serves as Vice President for Business and Strategy at Eastern Washington University and brings more than 30 years of experience in higher education leadership, financial stewardship, and government relations.

He has built a career on bringing education, employers, and government together around shared goals, and he has created real pathways for future leaders along the way. We're excited to have his perspective as we work to strengthen the Spokane County workforce.

Read more about Max: https://spokaneworkforce.org/announcements/spokane-workforce-council-welcomes-max-baca-to-its-board-of-directors/

Please join us in congratulating two milestones at Spokane Workforce Council!

We are celebrating Kim on 3 years with SWC. As our Grants Manager, Kim plays a key role in securing and stewarding the resources that make our work in the community possible. Her attention to detail and commitment to our mission strengthen everything we do.

We are also celebrating Maliek on 2 years with SWC. Maliek brings dedication and energy to our team every day, and we are grateful for the impact he has made on the people and partners we serve.

Thank you both for your hard work and for helping build a stronger workforce in Spokane County. Here's to many more years together!

Yesterday, the Community Access & Support Network (CASN) came together for our quarterly meeting.

CASN brings community partners, service providers, and people with lived experience together to strengthen access to employment and support services across Spokane County. This session focused on building the foundation for how our network works together:

We introduced our Local Advisory Team (LAT) and talked through the role they will play in guiding this committee.

We reviewed up-to-date performance data from the WorkSource Spokane Campus, including progress on the Community Reinvestment Plan, participant incentives, and EcSA.

Members revisited our purpose statement and rolled up their sleeves for a group activity to begin redesigning the CASN charter.

We closed with Policy Pulse and partner updates, sharing news on state and federal policy changes, new grant initiatives, and upcoming community events and services.

Thank you to those that continue to show up for this work.

Today we reconvened the HR1 Regional Alignment Meeting, bringing together partners from across our region to continue preparing our community for the upcoming changes to Medicaid.

At our last meeting, we identified where our collective efforts are most urgently needed. The group agreed that our first priority is to unify our messaging to the community at large. When community members hear clear, consistent information from every partner they turn to, they are better equipped to understand what is changing and what steps they may need to take.

Today's work built on that priority. Through a group activity, we began shaping a shared community communication plan by exploring three key questions: Who needs to know? What do they need to know? How do we reach them?

We are deeply grateful to the partners who continue to show up, share their expertise, and work alongside us to figure this out together. This kind of alignment takes time and commitment, and we could not do it without you.

New month, new Workforce Pulse. This issue covers what's shaping Spokane's workforce right now: fresh labor market data, a recap of our 2026 System Conference, and a new grant supporting local youth at the Next Generation Zone.

Read the full newsletter here: https://spokaneworkforce.org/newsletters/workforce-pulse-newsletter-september-2026/

Thank you to every workforce professional across WorkSource Spokane, the Next Generation Zone, and our connection sites who make this work possible.

In late August, in partnership with AHANA - Multi-Ethnic Business Association and Solutions by WorkSource Spokane we wrapped up the first of two AHANA Business Cohorts, with the second scheduled for spring 2027.

Eleven Spokane County small business owners spent the day learning directly from industry experts on business planning, marketing, tax, employment law, HR, and banking. From auto repair to construction to hospitality, businesses across Spokane County walked away with tools they can put to use right away.

Read more: https://spokaneworkforce.org/featured/eleven-spokane-businesses-walk-away-with-a-toolkit-for-growth/

Last week, in partnership with Spokane Colleges, we convened local manufacturing companies, industry consultants, and educational providers as part of our Advanced Manufacturing Workforce & Training Action Forum, continuing the work of building the training pipelines our region's manufacturers need.

The conversation brought together perspectives from across the industry, employers, consultants, and educators, to align on entry-level skills, emerging technology like AI and automation, and how we can connect training more directly to employer demand.

We also toured Spokane Colleges' welding, robotics/automation, and electrical programs, seeing firsthand the hands-on training already underway, and learned more about new programs in development to meet the specific needs local manufacturers identified.

We're grateful to everyone who joined us for this important conversation and helped shape the path forward.

Eleven years with the Spokane Workforce Council! Last week Tim Robison marked more than a decade of service to our organization. His attention to detail and commitment to doing things right have made our work stronger every step of the way, and his willingness to lend a hand to partners across the state has made him a trusted resource well beyond Spokane. Join us in congratulating and thanking Tim!

Thank you, Terry, Rob and their team at for a fantastic discussion & tour of their two facilities, spanning 170,000+ square feet in Spokane Valley.

HOTSTART has spent decades engineering thermal management solutions for engines and fluid systems, serving marine, mining, oil and gas, power generation, and rail industries worldwide, right here from Spokane Valley.

Learn more about HOTSTART: https://www.hotstart.com/about/who-we-are/

Today we honor every worker who keeps our community strong, in every industry and every role. At the Spokane Workforce Council, we're proud to support the people and businesses who make this region thrive.

Happy Labor Day, Spokane!