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Economic Vitality

While higher education institutions are not typically engaged directly in economic development, many programs and activities contribute to the state’s economic vitality. 

These activities include: 

  • Adult Basic Education and Workforce Education programs at community and technical colleges.

  • Customized training for businesses or industry groups.

  • Extension programs and continuing education.

  • Enrollment and degree production in high-demand fields of study.

  • Efforts to increase the pipeline of students prepared to study in high-demand fields such as Tech-Prep, teacher preparation and professional development, and College in the High School.

  • Business education and entrepreneurial training.

  • Basic and applied research and activities supporting the commercialization of research products.

  • Industry sector or cluster projects that include career pathway development and research commercialization activities.

In the past, the Higher Education Coordinating Board has been responsible for granting funds to higher education institutions to support high-demand enrollments.  See Enrollments. 

The HECB also issues a State and Regional Needs Assessment

report that looks at the employer demand for workers with specific education attainment levels, and the available supply.

The Higher Education Coordinating Board also is responsible for implementing two new economic vitality programs that were enacted by the state Legislature in 2007:

Innovation Partnership Zones
and Research Teams

House Bill 1091 directed the Washington Economic Development Commission (WEDC) to designate “Innovation Partnership Zones” across the state, and establish Innovation Research Teams.  

These local zones are comprised of research institutions - globally competitive firms in a research-based industry or industries, with accessible training capacity for upgrading the skills of the firms’ workers. 

The Higher Education Coordinating Board is responsible for assisting the WEDC in developing a plan to recruit 10 lead entrepreneurial researchers over the next 10 years to support the designated zones and to provide “Innovation Research Teams” with a comprehensive entrepreneurial assistance program. The HECB also is responsible for implementing the plan.

 

Health Sciences and Services Authority

House Bill 1705 created “health sciences and services authorities” (HSSAs).  The HECB is charged with designating and overseeing a local health sciences and services authority in Washington state.  (A local authority is a special-purpose district authorized by an ordinance or resolution passed by a city, town, or county government.) 

The HSSA has the authority to make and execute agreements and contracts, establish special funds, hire staff, leverage its public funds with moneys received from other public and private sources, hold funds in trust, and make grants.  Its purpose is to promote bioscience-based economic development and advance new therapies and procedures to combat disease and promote public health.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Questions and Answers for HSSA RFP
(important supplemental information)

More information

 

For more information contact:

John Lederer, Associate Director
Phone: 360-753-7822
Email: johnle@hecb.wa.gov

 

  

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