As the Air Washington consortium wrapped up the activities of their Round One TAACCCT grant, their leadership shared information with the TCI team about the implementation of the consortium’s strategies to strengthen training in the aerospace industry in the state of Washington.  With a shared commitment to using a sector approach, Spokane Community College led the 11-member colleges in building upon their history of partnerships and government support.  The consortium worked together to build and strengthen industry relationships, develop new programs and courses, and add navigators at each college to serve as a crucial link to the students, colleges, and employers. For more information, see the TCI Strategy Brief, "Collaborating on a Sectoral Approach to Strengthen Workforce Training."

Deborah Richie serves as a member of the Transformative Change Initiative team at OCCRL. She has 25 years of experience as an administrator at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, including 10+ years as a dean at the Graduate College, directing graduate fellowship grants and programs. She is an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership.