Posted
Sponsored by: County Administrative Office
Washington County's Economic Development Program Recognized
Washington County, Oregon has won a seat in Results for America's Good Jobs & Equity Project, a new effort led by Results for America and the Families and Workers Fund. The Project aims to help state, local and tribal governments use federal recovery investments from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to improve job quality and advance workforce equity.
From The City of Philadelphia to King County, Washington, 20 governments from coast to coast were competitively selected. Aligned with the County’s existing work in advancing an equity-centered, data-driven recovery strategy, the Project will expand on these efforts by providing the County’s Economic Development Program with additional frameworks, methods, and practical implementation tools to promote quality of work improvements in our community.
“Washington County is committed to supporting local businesses and workers through these economically turbulent times,” said Matt Craigie, Washington County’s Economic Development Manager. “We strive to be intentional, proactive, and collaborative as we work with our local partners to leverage our economic recovery-focused ARPA funding.” Thus far, Washington County has committed over $2.5 million of its ARPA dollars to support the local workforce and for small business development.
Washington County’s recent economic recovery investments have focused on building a more resilient workforce through enhancements to existing local partner programs and services and also select investments to bring new services to the area. This effort includes investments in multiple sectors including manufacturing, technology, healthcare, transportation, construction and trade, agriculture, the food service industry, and others.
“Results for America is thrilled to work with a few select communities to develop new data-driven models to create higher quality jobs—jobs that are fundamental to the long-term growth and prosperity of communities,” said Zachary Markovits, Results for America’s Vice President, and Local Practice Lead. “This is an historic opportunity to reimagine and rebuild a more equitable society.”
Through the project, Results for America is bringing together jurisdictions from across the country to meet with national experts and receive hands-on learning, personal coaching, and designed to equip leaders with the knowledge and tools to invest in evidenced-based job quality programs. The County anticipates gaining a deeper understanding of the historical connection between job quality, equity and discrimination, and identify opportunities to create change. The first phase of the project will begin in June and run through November 2022.
Learn more here.
Washington County is receiving two allocations of $58 million that must be obligated by the end of 2024. The first phase of the County’s ARPA framework has included investments in surviving COVID-19, community stabilization and wellness, small business support, workforce development, community engagement, and continuity in government services. Washington County is currently planning for the second ARPA phase. The Board of County Commissioners will finalize the planning process in summer 2022 and anticipates reviewing potential investment options throughout fall and winter 2022. For more information visit www.co.washington.or.us/recovery for all updates related to ARPA.
Results for America: Results for America is helping decision-makers at all levels of government harness evidence and data to make progress on our greatest challenges. Our mission is to make investing in what works the “new normal,” so that when policymakers make decisions, they start by seeking the best evidence and data available, then use what they find to get better results. For more information, visit results4america.org.
Media Contacts:
Washington County, Oregon: [email protected], 503-307-0932
Results for America: [email protected], 718-644-7424