2013 Job Skills Program
July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013
Report to the Legislature
December 2013
State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
Workforce Education Department
1300 Quince St SE; P.O. Box 42495
Olympia, WA 98504-2495
306-704-4400
www.sbctc.edu
Table of Contents
Preface ................................................................................................................................ 1
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................. 2
Program Overview ........................................................................................................... 2-3
About the Job Skills Program .................................................................................. 2
Job Skills Priorities ................................................................................................... 2
Shared Investments ................................................................................................. 2
Workforce Training Customer Advisory Committee ............................................... 3
Increasing Efficiencies through Lean....................................................................... 3
Scoring High in Customer Satisfaction………………………………………………………………….3
Project Results and Program Data ...................................................................................... 4
2012-2013 Job Skills Projects at a Glance ……………………………………………………………………….5
2012-2013 Distribution of Grants
by Educational Sector.............................................................................................. 6
by Region................................................................................................................. 6
by Employer Size ..................................................................................................... 6
by Industry............................................................................................................... 6
2012-2013 Individual Project Descriptions and Outcomes ............................................ 7-20
2013-2014 Job Skills Projects at a Glance ......................................................................... 21
i
PREFACE
Job Skills Program Legislation
The Washington State Legislature finds that it is in the public interest of the state to encourage and
facilitate the formation of cooperative relationships between business and industry and educational
institutions which provide for the development and expansion of skills training and education
consistent with employment needs.
Since 1983 the Job Skills Program (JSP) has funded customized training designed to meet the needs of
business and industry and to provide or retain gainful employment opportunities for new hires and
incumbent workers.
Purpose of This Report
This Job Skills Program report is submitted by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
(SBCTC) to the Washington State Legislature in fulfillment of 2011-13 2ESHB 1087 Sec. 605(2) which
reads in part:
The state board [SBCTC] shall make an annual report by
January 1st of each year to the governor and to the
appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the legislature
regarding implementation of this section, listing the scope
of grant awards, the distribution of funds by educational
sector and region of the state, and the results of the
partnerships supported by these funds.
Program Funding
The Job Skills Program (JSP) was funded at $2,725,000 from the state general fund for FY 2012 and FY
2013 of the biennium, for a total of $5,450,000 million.
$2,725,000 of the general fund--state appropriation for
fiscal year 2012 and $2,725,000 of the general fund--state
appropriation for fiscal year 2013 are provided solely for
administration and customized training contracts through the
job skills program.
1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Washington State’s economy continued its slow but steady growth in 2012/13. Talent is a top
economic driver in the state, and Washington’s strategic industries require an increasingly
sophisticated skill-set from both new and incumbent employees. The Job Skills Program provides
assistance to businesses by funding industry-specific training, while building capacity for the state’s
community and technical college system. Ninety-five percent of the 2012/13 JSP projects funded
training for the state’s manufacturers, including those in aerospace, medical devices, and automotive
sectors. As businesses saw an increase in production and hiring, many sought to upgrade their current
employees’ skills to prepare them for promotion into positions of leadership, and others cross-trained
workers to increase businesses’ adaptability in the changing economy. While most of the funds went
towards retraining incumbent employees, a positive trend of training new hires began to emerge in
2010/11 and continued through 2012/13.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
About the Job Skills Program
Attracting, developing, and maintaining a skilled workforce is a challenge faced by many employers in
Washington’s targeted industry clusters. Washington’s Job Skills Program (JSP) serves to develop the
skills of new or existing workers, retain and grow living wage jobs, and help companies improve their
competitiveness to strengthen Washington’s economy.
Job Skills Priorities
Industry clusters are supported by the Job Skills Program whenever possible, and awards are spread to
all corners of the state, including rural areas.
Job Skills resources are also concentrated:
 where there is a shortage of skilled labor to meet businesses’ needs;
 where upgrading employee skills is necessary to avoid layoffs;
 where training incumbent workers for advancement creates new vacancies;
 where new businesses or industry clusters need a skilled labor pool; and
 in economically disadvantaged communities with high unemployment.
Shared Investments
JSP is a dollar-for-dollar matching grant program, and at least 50% of training expenses are covered by
the business through cash and/or in-kind payments. Lasting working relationships develop between
the business and the educational institution as both parties engage in the development and
implementation of a training plan.
In FY 2013, employers provided the equivalent of $1.39 in match (cash and in-kind) for every $1.00
spent in Job Skills grant funding. At the forefront of in-kind matches are the wages paid to employees
while they are in training. In economic terms, these wages represent opportunity costs to the
employer, who must either forego the productive contributions of those employees while they train, or
hire substitutes to maintain production during training activities. Other in-kind employer contributions
2
include materials, training supplies, management and supervisor time spent planning and coordinating
the training, and specialized equipment and supplies contributed for training.
Workforce Training Customer Advisory Committee
The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) utilizes the Workforce Training
Customer Advisory Committee made up of representatives from business, labor, and public and private
educational institutions to guide program decisions. A Job Skills sub-committee meets via conference
calls to review, provide input, and recommend applications for Job Skills grants. A representative of
the Department of Commerce also participates in the review process.
Increasing Efficiencies through Lean
Lean manufacturing has been the most requested type of training in the JSP for several years, and
2012/13 continued the trend. Lean principles were originally designed for the manufacturing
environment, but have been adopted by a variety of industries, including health care, service
providers, and education.
In October 2012, The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges applied Lean principles to
evaluating the Job Skills Program, and redesigned the application process to condense steps, remove
non-value-added elements, and decrease rework. Ultimately, the new procedures reduced time spent
on the application process by 14% for college staff, and by 23% for the State Board staff. The increase
in efficiencies has led to colleges and businesses receiving funding decisions sooner, and starting
projects on time.
Scoring High in Customer Satisfaction
The Job Skills Program served as a case study in the report produced by the Washington Economic
Development Commission (WEDC) - an independent non-partisan organization, charged by the
Legislature with the mission of creating a comprehensive statewide strategy to guide investments in
economic development - that assessed Washington’s economic development system. The WEDC
conducted interviews and surveyed the JSP participants to collect data on the program and its results.
The inquiry found that the program is very well-regarded and that over 90% of the respondents would
use it in the future1.
Another WEDC analysis, detailed in the Innovation Sources, Practices, and Economic Development
Programs Serving the Needs of Businesses Survey, showed that 90.2% of the surveyed participants
indicated that the Job Skills Program was important (very: 33.5%, frequently: 23.9%, critically: 19.6%,
or occasionally: 13.1%) to their business’ overall performance. 2 The JSP also had one of the highest
awareness rates for state-funded economic development programs among the surveyed businesses.
The above findings confirm the efficacy of the program and its contributions to the State’s economic
vitality through investment in businesses and human capital.
1
Washington Economic Development Commission. (2012). Economic Development Programs and Investment: Review of
Evaluation Practices in Washington State. Retrieved from
http://www.wedc.wa.gov/Download%20files/Evaluation_Practices.pdf
2
Washington Economic Development Commission. (2013). Innovation Sources, Practices, and Economic Development
Programs Serving the Needs of Businesses: A survey of Businesses and Recommendations. Retrieved from
http://www.wedc.wa.gov/Download%20files/WEDC_SURVEY_OF_BUSINESSES.pdf
3
Project Results and Program Data
Each Job Skills project identified desired outcomes and provided information on those outcomes after
the completion of training. Outcomes are unique to each project, quite varied, and often the complete
results of training are not fully realized until well after the reporting period. Details on individual
projects can be found on page 8.
Comparison of Final FY 2011, 2012 and 2013
2010-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013
Final
Final
Final
Total Requests Made:
$3,149,555
$1,935,152
$2,329,585
Total Awards Made:
$2,759,900*
$1,734,711
$1,982,816
Total Number of Projects:
34
33
27
Total Number of Companies:
71
42
40
Total Awards Spent:
$2,388,600
$1,675,777
$1,899,710
Total Private Investment (Match):
$3,591,048
$2,442,876
$2,637,223
Number of Trainees:
3043
2667
2009
Retrained Workers:
2225
2085
1575
New Hires:
75
135
149
Skills Upgrades:
743
447
285
State Investment per Trainee:
$784.95
$628.34
$945.60
Private Investment (Match) per Trainee:
$1,180.10
$915.96
$1,312.70
Total Investment per Trainee:
$1,965.05
$1,544.30
$2,258.30
*Awards exceed $2,725,000 when unspent funds are re-awarded to other projects.
Fiscal years 12 and 13 saw a reduction in the amount of project funding awards. Several internal and
external factors contributed to the decline:
 Colleges experienced additional budget cuts at the same time as student enrollments grew
dramatically. Many colleges decreased their business and industry outreach to concentrate
their efforts on better serving the increased number of students on their campuses.
 Affected by the recession, many Washington businesses scaled back their staff. As the
economy began to recover in 2011-12, companies were trying to maintain their market shares
and were not able to pull employees from production for training purposes. Training had to be
postponed in order to concentrate on staying competitive while cutting expenses and keeping
up with the demand.
 Of the businesses that participated in JSP training, most requested a lower funding level than in
previous years, engaged fewer employees and focused on small-scale projects.
As student enrollments have slowed and the economy rebounds, applications for JSP funding are
increasing. Five months into the 2013/14 fiscal year, the Job Skills Program has funded 33 projects,
exceeding a year’s total for 2012/13. The trend also points to a reduced focus on Lean and other
process improvement trainings, and increased interest in leadership and supervision education that
prepares supervisors and production workers for promotional opportunities. The list of projects for
2013/14 year can be found on page 22.
4
2012–2013 Job Skills Projects at a Glance
College
1
2
Big Bend CC
Clark College
3
Clark College
4
5
6
7
Clover Park TC
8
Green River CC
9
Green River CC
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
Green River CC
Green River CC
Green River CC
Green River CC
Green River CC
Lake Washington IT
Lower Columbia C
North Seattle CC
North Seattle CC
Pierce College
Pierce College
Renton
Skagit Valley
South Puget Sound
South Seattle
Tacoma CC
Wenatchee Valley
Yakima Valley CC
Grays Harbor C
Green River CC
Business
Award Spent
Match
SGL Automotive
ControlTek
Consortium #2/Green Belt: Adalis,
nLight, Sagetech, SEH, Smith-Root
Craft Brew Alliance
General Plastics
Cosmo Specialty Fiber
Carlisle Interconnect Technologies
Consortium #1: GM Nameplate,
Microscan Systems, Mold Rite,
The Box Maker, TECT Aerospace,
Sonosite
Consortium #3: BE Aerospace,
Heatcon, IDD Aerospace/Zodiac,
Microscan Systems, Mold-Rite,
Precor, Skills, Inc., Spacelabs
Healthcare, ThyssenKrupp,Tri-Tec
Manufacturing
Labinal, Inc.
Onamac Industries, Inc.
Skills, Inc.
TECT Aerospace
Toray Composites
Jamco
Bennu Glass
Vaupell (Phase 1)
Vaupell (Phase 2)
Red Dot
PnJ Machining
Allpak Trojan
KLW Manufacturing
Sealy Mattress, Inc.
Khan Machine Tools
Carlile Transportation
Souriau PA&E
Tree Top
$189,150
$67,853
$266,857
$76,781
$36,273
$13,773
$26,768
$24,077
$27,900
$68,541
$18,438
$26,894
$24,077
$36,896
$52,687
Totals:
# of Co’s Trainees
1
1
5
60
137
1
1
1
1
28
83
18
137
91
$156,736
6
22
$99,900
$157,553
10
38
$63,500
$29,734
$73,900
$44,300
$24,300
$58,318
$115,000
$145,711
$157,755
$69,770
$34,433
$37,231
$20,766
$359,213
$7,380
$18,879
$59,149
$41,990
$122,285
$29,734
$81,035
$57,833
$43,138
$83,548
$197,680
$184,910
$186,814
$69,895
$34,545
$42,953
$23,515
$412,908
$8,404
$31,283
$124,469
$69,501
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
61
36
107
114
12
129
54
145
158
85
19
113
20
89
11
23
146
73
$1,899,710
$2,637,223
443
2009
C = College, CC = Community College, TC = Technical College, IT = Institute of Technology
3
4 of the companies (Mold-Rite, Skills, Inc., TECT Aerospace, and Microscan) are counted twice due to participation in
multiple projects. Individual company count is 40.
5
2012-2013 Distribution of Grants
Distribution by Educational Sector
Job Skills grants may be awarded to eligible post-secondary institutions, which include community and
technical colleges; public and non-profit universities and regional colleges/universities; and licensed
private career schools and colleges located in Washington. In 2012-13, all JSP applications were made
through community and technical colleges.
Distribution by Region (2012-2013)
Region
Number of
JSP Projects
in Region
Percent of
JSP
Projects in
Region
Number of
JSP
Trainees
by Region
Percent of
JSP
Trainees in
Region
19
70%
1285
64%
$1,018,856
51%
5
3
27
19%
11%
100%
445
279
2009
22%
14%
100%
$654,810
$309,150
$1,982,816
33%
16%
100%
Puget Sound
(King, Pierce & Snohomish)
Balance of State – West
Balance of State – East
Total
JSP Funds
Awarded by
Region
Percent of
JSP Funds
Awarded by
Region
Distribution by Employer Size (2012-2013)
Employer Size by
Number of
Employees in
Washington
Number
Percent
Companies Companies
Served
Served
Small (1-50)
Medium (51-250)
Large (251+)
Total
6
18
16
40
Percent of
Washington
Employers of
Same Size
15%
45%
40%
100%
4
Percent of
Number
of JSP
Trainees
Percent of
JSP
Trainees
101
844
1064
2009
5%
42%
53%
100%
96%
3%
1%
100%
Washington
Workforce
Employed in
4
Same Size
JSP Funding
Awarded
40%
$168,402
26% $1,022,103
34%
$792,311
100% 1,982,816
Distribution of Companies by Industry (2012-2013)*
Manufacturing
38 companies - 95 % of grant funding
Aerospace
15 companies
Packaging and Branding
4 companies
Food Production and Processing
2 companies
Other Manufacturing
13 companies
Medical Equipment
3 companies
All Other Industries
2companies
5 % of grant funding
Transportation/Logistics
1 companies
Retail/Wholesale
1 company
Automotive
1 company
* 27 JSP projects included 40 separate companies, including three JSP consortia projects that trained employees from 21
companies. Some of the consortia participants also engaged in individual projects.
4
Source: Washington Employment Security Department
6
2012–2013 Individual Project Descriptions and Outcomes
Twenty seven projects were completed between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013, training 2009
employees in a wide range of topics and skills. Following are brief descriptions of each project along
with the number of trainees, state and business investments, and select outcomes taken from the
projects’ final reports. Projects are listed in alphabetical order first by college and second by business
name.
Big Bend Community College
Grant County
Grant: $189,150
Spent: $189,150
Match: $266,857
SGL Automotive Carbon Fiber LLC
January 2013 – June 2013
Trainees: 60
New Hires 25
Retraining 0
Upgrade 35
SGL Automotive is a growing manufacturer of
carbon fiber, used in production of automobiles.
The purpose of this project was to provide
equipment and process training for 25 new
production operators, as well as upgrade the
skills of the incumbent employees.
The grant allowed for cross-functional training and for
training team members who would not otherwise have
had the opportunity to increase their skills. Having the
JSP grant offered us the opportunity to be proactive
and identify the needs of our team members and
company for future growth.
Annette Herup
Manager, Human Resources
SGL Automotive
Outcomes:
 25 FTEs were hired and trained, increasing total employee count to 77.
 Achieved a low turn-over rate with only one termination since the start of the grant.
 14 promotions occurred since the start of the grant.
Clark College
ControlTek
October 2012 – April 2013
Trainees: 137
New Hires 0
Retraining 137
Upgrade 0
ControlTek designs, manufactures, and
tests products for consumer and
industrial use, semiconductor, medical,
and other industries. Training focused
on Lean Manufacturing for all
employees.
Outcomes:
 On-time deliveries increased

by 6% to 93%.
Sales increased by $1 million.
Clark County
Grant:
$67,853
Spent:
$67,853
Match:
$76,781
ControlTek’s entire staff has been given the unique opportunity for
training in Lean Manufacturing. Through this opportunity, the basic
level of Lean manufacturing techniques have been raised to where
employees now integrate Lean in most aspects of their jobs. This
integration of Lean techniques brings an increased level of efficiency
to our workplace. Our employees are using their newly learned skills in
many aspects of their jobs […] This attention to efficiency has a direct
impact on the company's bottom line
Stacey Smity
Vice President of Human Resources & Marketing
ControlTek
7
Clark College
Consortium # 2/Green Belt: Adalis, nLight, SEH, Smith-Root, Sagetech
January 2013 – June 2013
Trainees: 28
New Hires 0
Retraining 28
Upgrade 0
Five manufactures participated in the Six
Sigma Green Belt training. This short-term,
industry-endorsed training equipped workers
and companies with strategies to reduce
error, waste, and turnaround times, while
increasing productivity and responsiveness to
customer needs.
Clark County
Grant:
$36,273
Spent:
$36,273
Match:
$68,541
Engineers who attended the Lean Green Belt training
report using the techniques they learned to improve a
number of processes. Examples include using techniques
to design a better packaging operation that will create
fewer errors to the end customer, and using techniques to
isolate variables in high yield loss situations to target root
cause and resolve issues.
Natalie Pacholl
Training Program Specialist
SEH America
Sample Outcomes:
 Participants reported improved skills
in Quality Control and R&D, increased
efficiencies.
 On target to reduce scrap by 15%.
 New process documented and stress-tested, leading to reduced redundancies.
Clover Park Technical College
Craft Brew Alliance
October 2012 – March 2013
Trainees: 83
New Hires 0
Retraining 75
Upgrade 8
Craft Brew Alliance formed when Widmer
Brothers Brewing, Redhook Ale Brewery, and
Kona Brewing Company merged. Beer
produced by the Alliance is sold nationwide.
Employees received supervisory and
management training to support a projected
growth rate of over 300% in the next three to
five years.
Pierce County
Grant:
$13,854
Spent:
$13,773
Match:
$18,438
The Job Skills Program has allowed us to take action on
our commitment to our company values and key
initiatives in several ways […].The impact has been so
profound; we have started to roll out these programs to
our locations outside WA State
Melissa Orgrodowski
HR/Development Manager
Craft Brew Alliance/Redhook
Outcomes:
 Participants have a greater understanding of concepts relating to personal accountability, embracing
change, communication, and teamwork.
 Curriculum, customized to the specific needs of the beverage manufacturing industry, will support the
rapid growth of the Alliance.
8
Clover Park Technical College
General Plastics Manufacturing
January 2013 – June 2013
Trainees: 18
New Hires 0
Retraining 18
Upgrade 0
Pierce County
Grant:
$26,800
Spent:
$26,768
Match:
$26,894
General Plastics is an aerospace supplier, manufacturing high-density rigid polyurethane foams used in aircraft
composite applications. The training project focused on Lean techniques and problem solving.
Outcomes:
 GP employees’ supervisory and management skills have risen, allowing them to better manage their staff
and time.
Grays Harbor College
Cosmo Specialty Fibers
November 2012 – May 2013
Trainees: 137
New Hires 0
Retraining 0
Upgrade 137
Established in 2011, Cosmo Specialty Fibers
produces high-quality dissolving wood pulp.
The pulp is used by many manufacturing,
pharmaceutical, and food processing firms,
creating products such as cellophane, LED
screens, rayon fabric, and filters. The JSP
funding focused both on soft and technical
skills.
Grays Harbor County
Grant:
$75,789
Spent:
$24,077
Match:
$24,077
Training received through the JSP has supported Cosmo’s
goal of achieving higher quality product and process
controls that will allow it to introduce new, higher value
products in order to achieve long term sustainability.
Cosmo Specialty Fibers
Outcomes:
 Trainees achieved higher-level skills related to managing work within teams, leadership,



communication, and organizational effectiveness.
Productivity and product quality improvements were reported from both the leadership team
and the operators.
Employees understand how waste water treatment plants operate.
Wastewater treatment (activated sludge) and hazardous waste handling training supports the
mill’s ongoing efforts to meet environmental responsibilities.
9
Green River Community College
King County
Grant:
$27,900
Spent:
$27,900
Match:
$36,896
Carlisle Interconnect Technologies
May 2013 – June 2013
Trainees: 91
New Hires 0
Retraining 91
Upgrade 0
Carlisle is a manufacturer of wires, cables, and
interconnectors. While the Kent facility’s
primary product is seat cables for the aerospace
industry, the company is expanding into the
medical field. Training was aimed at ensuring
that current employees have the skill sets
necessary for a smooth transition into the new
market.
The ESL class built confidence in our employees to
speak up when they didn’t understand a concept (such
as more than or less than). The Quality class provided
a thorough overview of reliability, acceptance, and
quantitative methods which expanded the quality
knowledge of our employees and hence has benefitted
our customers.
Becky Wright
PHR, Recruiter
Carlisle Interconnect Technologies
Outcomes:
 Year-to-date, 82% of all vacancies have
been filled internally through
promotion, exceeding the pre-training benchmark by 40%.
 The Excel classes have increased productivity by teaching students effective software shortcuts.
 The ASQ course provided a solid baseline for ASQ Quality Standards.
 ESL classes increased verbal communication and the understanding of terms on the production floor.
Green River Community College
Consortium # 1/Six Sigma Black Belt: The Box Maker, Sonosite,
TECT Aerospace, Microscan, Mold Rite, GM Nameplate
September 2012 – October 2012
Trainees: 22
New Hires 0
Retraining 0
Upgrade 22
Six organizations formed a training
consortium in order to receive Six Sigma
process improvement training.
Outcomes:


King County
Grant:
$53,000
Spent:
$52,687
Match: $156,736
The course material was detailed, highly useful, and
understandable. The team projects helped us solidify the
concepts taught in the course.
Kyle Desautels
22 participants were cross-trained
Lean Manager
The Box Maker
in Lean Six Sigma; within individual
companies, 2-4 people from each
company learned skills that will be shared with other employees.
Trainees passed both Green Belt and Black Belt exams at 80% or higher to demonstrate
knowledge of Six Sigma principles.
10
Green River Community College
Consortium # 3/Six Sigma Black Belt: BE Aerospace,
Heatcon, IDD Aerospace/Zodiac, Microscan Systems, Mold-Rite, Precor,
Skills, Inc. Spacelabs Healthcare, ThyssenKrupp, Tri-Tec Manufacturing.
King County
Grant:
$99,900
Spent:
$99,900
Match: $157,553
February 2013 – June 2013
Trainees: 38
New Hires 0
Retraining 38
Upgrade 0
This project was built to produce Six Sigma
practitioners and help 12 businesses create an
infrastructure of Six Sigma experts.
Very well organized. Appreciated the opportunity to
apply concepts to real life examples.
Manufacturing Manager
Zodiac
Sample Outcomes:
 Participants passed both Green Belt and
Black Belt exams at 80% or higher.
Very helpful and effective – lots of information I can
 Participants produced detailed project
use.
charters in the Green Belt portion of the
Manager
class.
BE Aerospace
 All participants showed skill improvement
in the classroom through practical demonstration of concepts in small groups and individual projects.
Green River Community College
Everett Community College
Snohomish County
Labinal, Inc.
Grant:
Spent:
Match:
November 2012 – June 2013
Trainees: 61
New Hires 0
Retraining 55
Upgrade 6
Labinal, Inc. is a world leader in electrical wiring
solutions for the global aerospace and defense
market, encompassing engineering, manufacturing,
and installation services. In this Phase II project,
Labinal engaged staff in Catia V5, Excel, Finance,
Management, and other training topics.
Outcomes:
 11 new employees were hired during the
grant period.
 Turnover rate was reduced by 5%.
 24 people earned promotions.
 Wages increased 4.8% due to merit and
promotions.
$63,500
$63,500
$122,285
The JSP training grant allows Labinal to offer
development opportunities to our employees that we
otherwise would not be able to offer. Our employees
have taken leadership and project management
classes that allowed them to perform at a higher level.
Classes in Microsoft Excel and Project have also
allowed our employees to provide a better work
product.
Edi Dirkes
HR Manager
Labinal, Inc.
11


4 new contracts for new programs were secured during the grant period. 2 employees were promoted
into leadership as needed for new programs.
Sales increased by 4.2%.
Green River Community College
Everett Community College
Snohomish County
Grant: $31,500
Spent: $29,734
Match: $29,734
Onamac Industries
April 2013 – June 2013
Trainees: 36
New Hires 0
Retraining 36
Upgrade 0
Onamac Industries, Inc. produces high mix, low
volume precision aerospace, commericial, and
military components. The company sought
training in Management, Leadership, Supervision,
Project Management, IT, and CAD in order to
create wage progression and improve
communication with vendors.
The training we received through the grant and EVCC
was very beneficial to us as a company. We have
already used several of the aspects taught to our
personnel with regards to Root Cause and Corrective
Action, as well as Next Level Supervision. The instructors
used to deliver the material were very knowledgeable
and presented themselves very well.
Outcomes:
 Workforce headcount increased by 8 in
2013.
 Maintained turnover rate at less than 1%.
 Established a training matrix so that all skills are identified and tracked.
 Established standards of work for bottlenecked and troubled areas.
Green River Community College
Skills, Inc.
September 2012 – June 2013
Trainees: 107
New Hires 0
Retraining 107
Upgrade 0
Skills, Inc., an aerospace manufacturing
company supporting Boeing, Airbus, and
Gulfstream, participated in Phase II of a
project that began in FY 11/12. The
training was undertaken as the company
anticipates massive production increases.
Outcomes:
 Workforce headcount increased
by 9%.
 Turnover was reduced by 5%
 25 employees were cross-trained
Jay Andersen
Supervisor
Onamac
King County
Grant:
$73,900
Spent:
$73,900
Match:
$81,035
By receiving this grant for a second year we were able to
capitalize on our initial year of Lean training by digging deeper
into our processes. This allowed us to run even more Lean
events than we had in the past year. We tackled our
Maintenance department in the biggest, most expansive Lean
project to date. We removed three 40 cubic yard containers of
trash, four 20 cubic yard containers of scrap and reclaimed
over 7,000 square feet of outside work area.
Mike Nielsen
Training Supervisor
Skills, Inc.
12



to work in more than one department.
Reduced rework to 76 orders from a high of 267 orders.
Accidents reduced by 20% from prior year.
Participated in 6 career fairs with local colleges.
Green River Community College
Everett Community College
Snohomish County
TECT Aerospace
Grant:
Spent:
Match:
March 2013 – June 2013
Trainees: 114
New Hires 0
Retraining 114
Upgrade 0
TECT Aerospace produces structural components
and assemblies for wings, fuselages, interiors,
landing gear, and doors for commercial, business,
general aviation, and military aircraft.
The company is in a growth phase, and pursued
Phase II training to follow up on the successes of a
2011-12 JSP project. Employees participated in
Green Belt, CATIA V5, Blueprint Reading,
Supervision, and Excel training.
$44,300
$44,300
$57,833
The funding that TECT Aerospace has received from
the Job Skills Program, coupled with the support and
assistance provided by Everett Community College,
has had a significant positive impact on our business.
This training has provided new tools to our team
members to apply to the challenges of today’s
marketplace. This investment in our team members
will be invaluable in retaining and recruiting the
talent that we need to grow.
Tom Winkelmann
Vice President and General Manager
TECT Aerospace
Outcomes:
 Great response from trainees translates
into 90% and above retention rate.
 Company reached the goal of retaining employees and avoiding dislocation of incumbent workers by
keeping the current employee count, and expects to grow by 2% within two years.
 All participants improved skills and knowledge in Blueprint Reading, CATIA V5, Six Sigma, Management,
and Excel.
Green River Community College
Toray Composites
April 2012 – June 2012
Trainees: 12
New Hires 0
Retraining 12
Upgrade 0
Toray Composites is a leading producer of high
quality advanced composite prepreg materials
serving the needs of recreational, aircraft, and
industrial markets. Twelve trainees participated in
Green Belt Six Sigma training.
King County
Grant:
$24,300
Spent:
$24,300
Match:
$43,138
The Six Sigma instructor provided in-depth
explanations of how, when, and why, and enabled
the students to go beyond the use of the tools and
move forward with a working knowledge of the Six
Sigma material. The material presented is invaluable
in learning new methods and techniques to solve
problems, establish and track performance
excellence, and make decisions that are beneficial to
the organization.
Mark Haller
13
Capacity and Lean Manufacturing Manager
Toray Composites
Outcomes:
 Trainees acquired skills to perform basic statistical analysis using MS Excel.
 Employees translated Lean Six Sigma analyses into recommendations for improving their workplace
processes.
 Apply statistical and non-statistical control tools to sustain the gains from improvement projects.
Lake Washington Institute of Technology
Jamco America
November 2012 – May 2013
Trainees: 129
New Hires 0
Retraining 129
Upgrade 0
King County
Grant:
$66,977
Spent:
$58,318
Match:
$83,548
Jamco America, located in Everett, is the American headquarters of Jamco Japan. The company produces
airplane interiors, including seats, closets, and dividers. The project was intended to provide upgrade
training to 129 Jamco employees, working with them on gaining skills through cross-training and on
incorporating Lean enterprise practices.
Outcomes:
 124 employees cross-trained. Cross- training allowed employees involved with product lines that saw a
slow-down to retain their jobs at Jamco by transferring to new product lines.
 Streamlined process for root cause analysis.
Lower Columbia College
Bennu Glass LLC
July 2012 – March 2013
Trainees: 54
New Hires 33
Retraining 21
Upgrade 0
Glass bottle produciton is a new
manufacturing sector for the CowlitzWahkiakum area. Most Bennu employees
were hired without the specific skills needed
to work in the industry, and required training
in all areas of glass production.
Cowlitz County
Grant: $115,000
Spent: $115,000
Match: $197,680
As a new facility with limited startup funds, the educational
grant that was offered to us gave our employees a great
jump start to learning our equipment and process to ensure
a successful beginning and a solid future. We were very
grateful for this opportunity
Jeff Green
Maintenance Manager
Bennu Glass
Outcomes:
 Bennu Glass went from 43 to 96 total
employees, with 53 new hires during
FY 12/13
 Having no previous glass container manufacturing experience, employees acquired high-level skills
necessary to perform successfully in their jobs.
 Production of wine and beer bottles started on August 1, 2012.
14
North Seattle Community College
Vaupell Northwest Molding and Tooling (Phase I)
July 2012 – June 2013
Trainees: 145
New Hires 0
Retraining 145
Upgrade 0
Vaupell is a full service manufacturing company
that produces plastic injection molded parts for
commercial, aerospace, defense, and medical
industries. This Job Skills project focused on
Lean principles to aid in re-design of the shop
floor and facility relocation.
King County
Grant: $145,800
Spent: $145,711
Match: $184,910
I was able to reset my lines to better fit the process
that had evolved over time […]. Allowing the operators
to have a great deal of input in the orientation and
flow of cells allowed them to have a better sense of
ownership of their parts, faster pace, and more
comfortable working environment.
William Hardwick
Vaupell
Outcomes:
 97 new jobs added.
 Revenue increased by $10 million.
 On-time delivery to customers also increased to 94%, a 5% increase.
 Productivity measurement of Sales per FTE employee was $144,599, up 12% over the previous period.
North Seattle Community College
Vaupell Northwest Molding and Tooling (Phase II)
February 2012 – June 2013
Trainees: 158
New Hires 0
Retraining 158
Upgrade 0
Phase II of the JSP project focused on
line balancing of all production lines
within the Ballard and Everett facilities
to optimize production
throughput/revenue and improve
product deliveries to customers.
King County
Grant: $157,828
Spent: $157,755
Match: $186,814
The line balance project helped reduce task time by evaluating
each step of the process.
Oanh Bahena
Vaupell
Outcomes:
 Revenues increased by 7% over the previous six-month period.
 Productivity measurement was up 8% over the previous grant period.
 On-time delivery was 96%, up 2% from the previous grant period.
15
Pierce College
Pierce County
Grant:
$69,770
Spent:
$69,770
Match:
$69,895
RedDOT Corporation
October 2012 – March 2013
Trainees: 85
New Hires 0
Retraining 81
Upgrade 4
RedDot Corporation designs and produces heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning systems and
replacement parts for vehicles. The company serves
heavy duty, commercial, and international markets.
This project improved the skills of four employee
groups – production leads, production supervisors,
on-the-job trainers, and resistance spot welders.
During the Fall/Winter of 2012 and Spring of 2013
RedDOT Corporation offered a menu of leadership
learning opportunities to our manufacturing
supervisors and leads. […]In looking at the total
package one can now see a smoothing of
communication which resulted in improved
productivity and quality of work throughout the
production and assembly process
Bryan Price
HR Lead
RedDOT Corporation
Outcomes:
 The classes succeeded in giving each leader a
more complex toolbox for use in interactions
with peers and subordinates.
 Pre and post skills assessments show that
leadership skill level of employees at RedDOT has risen.
 Supervisors are able to better manage their staff and time.
Pierce College
PnJ Machining
October 2012 – June 2013
Trainees: 19
New Hires 0
Retraining 19
Upgrade 0
PnJ Machining produces components and
assemblies for the aerospace
manufacturing industry. The company is
AS9100 certified with Boeing as their
primary customer. The purpose of this
project was to provide training for
managers, supervisors, and leads to
support a managed twenty percent-ayear growth model.
Pierce County
Grant:
$34,480
Spent:
$34,433
Match:
$34,545
I have definitely observed improved interdepartmental
teamwork. I have seen them laughing and talking with each
other and they look at each other as ‘wow, we are really one
company and share one common goal’. It is a huge difference.
Loretta Cherry
HR Manager
PnJ Machining
Outcomes:
 The pre and post skills assessment results indicate that employees have improved their understanding
of supervisory and management skills.
 HR staff has seen a marked improvement on 360 evaluations of managers participating in the training.
One manager went from a score of 3.2 to 4.5.
16
Renton Technical College
Spokane Community College
Allpak Trojan
March 2012 – June 2013
Trainees: 113
New Hires 0
Retraining 113
Upgrade 0
This partnership between Renton Technical
College and Spokane Community College
served both Renton and Cheney locations of
Allpak Trojan, a manufacturer of print,
packaging, and displays.
Trainees participated in Electrical Training,
Preventative Maintenance, Communication,
Lean, and computer classes.
King County
Spokane County
Grant:
$37,231
Spent:
$37,231
Match:
$42,953
Thank you again for helping us with this grant […] I’m
really thrilled we are able to bring this terrific training to
our Maintenance Technicians. I think it will really
upgrade their skills, benefit our operations by lowering
costs and is a retention tool for me, too.
Mary Merten
Training Manager
Allpak Trojan
Outcomes:
 Pre and post training assessments showed skills increase in all areas.
 21 machine operators increased their preventative maintenance scores from 28.9 to 98.6, and 13
technicians improved their electrical skills from 82.6 to 100.
 Operators and leads improved their communication and team building skills, leading to higher
productivity.
 Internal and external customer service skills improved for Verbal Communication training participants.
Skagit Valley College
KLW Manufacturing
April 2013 – June 2013
Trainees: 20
New Hires 2
Retraining 18
Upgrade 0
KLW provides fabricated components for
various industry markets, such as audio,
telecommunications, power conversion, and
aerospace. The project provided employees
with a sound understanding of Lean
manufacturing.
Outcomes:
 Production Supervisor promoted from
within and his position was backfilled
with a new hire.
 Incumbent employee was promoted
Skagit County
Grant:
$21,431
Spent:
$20,766
Match:
$23,515
[…]The benefits from the training and follow-on
implementation far outweighed the time investment. In a
relatively short period of time, the employees accepted
ownership for their areas and began to make
improvements in those areas. Soon they were making
suggestions and helping out in other areas. When we
moved to the new facility, the principles learned in the
training were put into action, resulting in a highly efficient
work place. Because they now understand the concepts
and have been empowered, they seem more highly
motivated.
Larry Webber
CEO
KLW Manufacturing
17
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

to Machine Shop Manager.
Incumbent employee was promoted to General Manager.
Achieved a 40% reduction in lead time.
Labor and materials costs were reduced by 6%.
South Puget Sound Community College
Sealy Mattress, Inc.
January 2012 – May 2013
Trainees: 89
New Hires 89
Retraining 0
Upgrade 0
Sealy Mattress Company opened a new
manufacturing and assembly plant in Lacey, WA
in December of 2012. Newly hired employees
received training in skills specific to mattress
manufacturing.
Outcomes:
 89 out of 101 total new employees were
trained with the JSP grant.
 16 of the new hires were promoted and
trained into higher positions during the
grant period.
 The new plant began operating in April,
as scheduled.
South Seattle Community College
Khan Machine Tools Co, Ltd.
January 2013 – February 2013
Trainees: 11
New Hires 0
Retraining 11
Upgrade 0
Khan Machine Tools is a small precision
machining and sheet metal manufacturer for
the aerospace industry, with the majority of
their work supplying Boeing. Training in Lean
and Business helped the company transition to
new clients and product markets.
Thurston County
Grant: $359,895
Spent: $359,213
Match: $412,908
The JSP grant provided Sealy Mattress Co. the
necessary assistance to properly train and develop
employees from the Lacey and Olympia area. The
designed tracking tools provided a documented
approach to measure progress of the employees and
the new operation. These metrics provide a baseline
for productivity improvements, safety, and quality
Roy Finke
West Region Vice President - Finance
Tempur Sealy International, Inc.
King County
Grant:
$7,380
Spent:
$7,380
Match:
$8,404
Khan Machine would have never even attempted this
training without the direct financial support of the grant.
This gave us an opportunity to train with one of the best
Lean trainers in the country […] He had the ability to help
us lay out a road map which will guide the company to
move forward far into the future.
Richard C. Bailey
Quality Assurance Manager
Khan Machine Tools
Outcomes:
 During the grant period, the company
was introduced to local groups and associations that are helping them with exposure to new markets.
18

Growth and quality goals have been set enabling the company to achieve Boeing Silver status through
on-time deliveries and to increase sales to $3 million/year.
Tacoma Community College
Pierce County
Grant: $18,915
Spent: $18,879
Match: $31,283
Carlile Transportation
October 2012 – November 2012
Trainees: 23
New Hires 0
Retraining 23
Upgrade 0
Carlile is a private transportation services
business providing a wide variety of
transportation and logistics services. The
purpose of this project was to align job
descriptions with key performance
indicators, improve business process flows,
and increase project management and
business writing skills.
We had amazing results. Carlile is a growing company
with lots of growing pains. Having this training for all
staff up to and including ownership, was great. I cannot
begin to stress how great the process and results were.
Ted Klein
Operations Manger
Carlile Transportation Systems
Outcomes:
 Employee’s agility in performing their job duties increased.
 Trainees developed potential for promotion.
 Training resulted in a more efficiently run operation in Washington State.
Wenatchee Valley College
Souriau PA&E
December 2012 – June 2013
Trainees: 146
New Hires 0
Retraining 146
Upgrade 0
Souriau PA&E , Inc. is an integrated manufacturing
company, specializing in technically demanding
ceramic and metal components and assemblies for
global leaders in defense, space, medical, and
commercial industries. The company sought
training in shop math, welding, print reading,
among other topics.
Outcomes:
 Retention rates increased by 5% to 90%.
 On-time delivery increased by 13% to 83%.
Chelan County
Grant:
$59,400
Spent:
$59,149
Match: $124,469
Through the Job Skills training program, PA&E has
established a baseline training program for shop math
and print reading. In addition, future progress was
made in reducing cycle time to meet our customer
demands […] This training has improved their skills,
therefore increasing their value to the company and
their marketability if they were to leave the company.
Shaun McGuire
Director of Engineering
PA&E
19
Yakima Valley Community College
Tree Top
September 2012 – June 2013
Trainees: 73
New Hires 0
Retraining 0
Upgrade 73
Tree Top, a cooperative juice processor,
employs over 700 people in Washington. The
company participated in Lean process
improvement training.
Outcomes:
 Achieved a 35% of reduction in
turnover.
 Exceeded the goal of cross-training
25% of plant employees by 5%.
 Trainees saw a 3% wage increase.
Yakima County
Grant:
$60,600
Spent:
$41,990
Match:
$69,501
We’ve been very pleased with the further personnel
developments that Lean brought to the table. Our people
are much more knowledgeable and empowered and, with
that, are driving constant improvements to our process
and overall plant results.
Jason Simpson,
Plant Manager
Tree Top
20
2013–2014 Job Skills Projects at a Glance
Next Year’s Report
As one of the state’s few tools to address new and incumbent worker training, the Job Skills Program remains in
strong demand. By December 2013, the thirty three projects listed below have been awarded funding for FY 2014
(compared to 15 at this time in FY 2013).
JSP
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
College
Grays Harbor College
Green River Community College
Green River Community College
Green River Community College
Green River Community College
Tacoma Community College
Skagit Valley College
North Seattle Community College
Tacoma Community College
Tacoma Community College
Green River Community College
Green River/Bellevue
North Seattle Community College
Big Bend Community College
Skagit Valley College
Big Bend Community College
Tacoma Community College
Clover Park Technical College
Green River Community College
Green River Community College
Cascadia/Everett
Green River Community College
Green River Community College
Green River Community College
Green River Community College
Green River Community College
Cascadia/Everett
Green River/Everett
South Puget Sound Community College
Centralia College
Lower Columbia College
South Puget Sound Community College
Bates Technical College
Business
Little Green LLC
Black Belt Consortium # 1
Carlson Paving
Sound Sleep
Norfil
Re-marks
Skagit Regional Health
Quiring Monuments
Niagara Bottling
Simpson Lumber
Carlisle Interconnect
Booking.com
Bodypoint
REC Silicon
KLW
SGL Automotive
McFarland Cascade
Kuker-Ranken, Inc.
Jamco
Out of the Box Manufacturing
Zetron
ISO Consortium
Canyon Creek
Fluke
Lean Consortium
Award Metals
Vertafore
Charlie’s Produce
H2O Jet
Hampton Lumber
Portco Packaging
Diamond Technologies
Interstate Distributors
Grant
Amount
$41,665
$103,900
$99,300
$70,900
53,700
31,003
30,917
$76,613
$120,000
$33,173
$41,550
$158,800
$66,214
$102,199
$27,766
$243,660
$14,856
$56,315
$57,600
$31,500
$57,960
$66,800
$53,800
$37,600
$90,900
$46,900
$34,560
$73,100
$5,131
$37,540
$72,500
$31,973
$92,804
$2,163,199
# of Co’s
1
7
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
5
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
43
Trainees
36
36
72
58
28
12
82
38
40
105
111
258
34
200
18
100
18
21
30
19
111
39
115
115
43
16
25
188
7
48
47
14
40
2124
21