The bill establishes changes to the Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board, increasing its membership from seventeen to eighteen members. The new composition includes additional representation from the workforce training and education coordinating board and the student achievement council. The bill also specifies that staff support for the board will now be provided by the student achievement council instead of the workforce training and education coordinating board. Furthermore, the board is tasked with providing guidance on workforce education priorities and ensuring accountability for investments made from the workforce education investment account.

Additionally, the bill mandates that each community and technical college fully implement guided pathways, which includes comprehensive mapping of educational pathways, dedicated advising, data analysis of student outcomes, and a support infrastructure aimed at improving student success, particularly for historically underserved populations. The Washington State Institute for Public Policy is required to evaluate the effectiveness of the guided pathways model, with preliminary and final reports due by December 2023 and December 2029, respectively. The bill also recodifies the existing law regarding the Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board into a new section within chapter 28B.77 RCW.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 28C.18.200, 28B.50.925
Engrossed Bill: 28C.18.200, 28B.50.925
Bill as Passed Legislature: 28C.18.200, 28B.50.925
Session Law: 28C.18.200, 28B.50.925