The Agriculture Center of Excellence is designed to respond to workforce training needs and related interests of educational institutions, agriculture businesses and industries in Southwest Washington and beyond. This includes the expansion/strengthening of existing programs and creation of new program options to meet the education and training needs of an industry that now includes rural, urban and related agriculture dimensions. The Center's "one stop" contact for instruction and professional services provides reactive and flexible response based upon the "what, when, and where" of industry needs.

What is a Center of Excellence?
Centers are flagship institutions that build and sustain Washington's competitive advantage through statewide leadership. Each Center focuses on a targeted industry that drives the state's economy and is built upon a reputation for fast, flexible, quality education and training programs. A targeted industry is identified as one that is strategic to the economic growth of a region or state.

Centers are guided by industry representatives to lead collaborative and coordinated statewide education and training efforts to build a competitive workforce in a global economy. Centers will:

 ﾷ         Maintain an institutional reputation for innovation and responsive education and training delivery to their targeted industry.

 ﾷ         Act as a broker of information and resources related to their targeted industry for industry representatives, community-based organizations, economic development organizations, community and technical colleges, secondary education institutions, and four-year colleges and universities.

 ﾷ         Translate industry research into best practices.

 ﾷ         Provide system coordination, coaching, and mentoring to assist in building seamless educational and work-related systems.

 ﾷ         Build a competitive workforce for driver industries in Washington State.

 What the Agriculture Center of Excellence Can Do --    

 For Educators, we offer...

• Website resources to disseminate industry news and training program information
• Support for curriculum enhancement and expansion
  • Reviews of current curriculum with respect to new and emerging workforce changes
• Facilitation of articulation arrangements between secondary and postsecondary academic institutions
• Contract professional development workshops
• Increased awareness of agricultural careers to aid in recruiting students into ag-related education programs
• Yearly conferences for agriculture program faculty

For Industry, we offer....

• Skilled interns and trained employees from our partner educators
• Access to distance learning options for current employees in selected ag related subjects, such as: Soils, Plant Science, Turf Maintenance, Water Management, Pesticide Licensing
• Promotion of agriculture training opportunities through participation in regional conferences, seminars and trade shows

For Workers & Students, we offer.... 

• Worker retraining programs
• A one stop source for information about agriculture-related professional technical degree and certificate programs.
• Access to programs that upgrade skills in reading, writing, communicating, and mathematics