BIAW supports CTE bill- HB 1162

January 24, 2022

BIAW prioritizes workforce development across all departments. That’s why we’re supporting legislation this session to give students flexibility in their education while teaching real-world skills.  Our government affairs department is supporting a bi-partisan measure, HB 1162 sponsored by Rep. Monica Stonier (D-Vancouver), Rep. Paul Harris (R-Vancouver) and others. This bill provides a performance-based pathway for graduation that would expand students’ graduation pathway options by giving families more choices, flexibility and options. Giving students access to more performance-based options provides a connection to learning and authentic real-world skills.

As employers, we see an immediate and long-term need to connect students at a younger age to the skills required in the workforce. Creating more options for students to engage in the industry and perform skills to show competency can help them on their way to graduation, especially those who haven’t found a pathway that works for them yet. We see opportunities for CTE-related skills in schools that they may not be offering in existing CTE pathways. Education and workforce is a top priority for BIAW this year and we hope to see this bill progress.

We encourage you to send your support for this bill to your legislators!