Press

Helping Hands for Hard Times | February 10th, 11th, & 12th
Plan now to attend one of three resource fairs aimed at helping Snohomish County residents to beat the recession.  More than 25 nonprofit and public agencies offering a variety of services will be present at each fair in Everett, Marysville/Tulalip, and Lynnwood.  Download a flyer with a list of participating agencies.  

Register now for Pathways to Apprenticeship | February 23, 2010
Register now for this day-long conference, held at the Western Washington Sheet Metal JATC Training facility in Everett, to learn valuable career guidance tools and academic resources, gain in-depth knowledge of the apprenticeship system, and connect with local apprenticeship programs.  OSPI clock hours are available for those attending.  To register, visit www.rtc.edu/CCE/Events (scroll by date to find event). Download a flyer.

Pacific Northwest Apprenticeship Education Conference | May 19-20, 2010
Don’t miss this premiere event for industry answers, solution-based products, and cross-sector connections. Hosted by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries and the US Department of Labor, this event is targeted at employers and associations, educators, non-profit leaders, apprenticeship program leaders, workforce development officials, and advocacy groups.  Visit www.apprenticeshipconference.com to register and learn more.  Download a flyer.

Snohomish County to receive green jobs training funds
The U.S. Department of Labor awarded an almost $6 million Recovery Act grant to the Washington Energy Sector Partnership, a broad-based public-private team headed by the Workforce Board. The grant will fund three Workforce Development Councils, including Workforce Development Council Snohomish County, to provide training for targeted populations in high demand, professional-technical occupations needed for energy efficiency in commercial and public buildings.

Helping Hands for Hard Times | February 10th, 11th, & 12th
Non-profit organizations, public agencies and training providers who are interested in hosting a table or facilitating a workshop at the "Helping Hands for Hard Times" events on February 10th, 11th and 12th can click here for the registration form. To submit the form, save a copy then attach to an email and send to Tammette Chitwood.

Energy Efficiency Training Grant to help Snohomish County workforce
Almost 500 individuals in Puget Sound will be trained for careers in energy efficiency, thanks to a $3.9 million Recovery Act grant awarded to the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council. $629,589 will go to train Snohomish County workers through a partnership with Edmonds Community College and Workforce Development Snohomish County (WDCSC).  Read the full press release here.

Relaunch of BizInfo 24x7
The popular website, BizInfo24x7, has had a makeover, and it's better than ever. The new BizInfo is bursting with small business information and best practices vetted for quality and relevancy. BizInfo is brought to Snohomish County by the following partners: South Snohomish County Chamber of Commerce, City of Lynnwood Economic Development, Edmonds Community College and its Small Business Development Center, the Snohomish County Economic Development Council, and WDCSC.

Update on Help for Hard Times
The Help for Hard Times taskforce was assembled in summer of 2008. Since then, HFHT has printed and distributed more than 40,000 brochures providing critical information for people facing unemployment.  The HFHT website, www.helpforhardtimes.org, a Survival Guide to Unemployment, was launched in mid-November 2008 and has since received over 10,000 page views. Read press announcing the launch of the website here.