WorkSource Certification

The Northwest Workforce Council, with agreement of the chief local elected official and in accordance with its Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) mandate, designates and certifies one-stop Career Center operators and sites wishing to become, or remain, a part of the WorkSource-Northwest system. The Council is further authorized to suspend or terminate a certification for cause. The certification process is managed by the Quality Assurance Committee’s Certification Team. The full Council acts upon the Committee’s recommendations.

Operators and the sites they operate must represent the highest standards of quality in the delivery of employment and training services. Any entity wishing certification must demonstrate processes, practices, and performance outcomes which meet or exceed a set of quality standards based upon the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria and defined within the Council’s WorkSource Certification Application.

A commitment to excellence in the WorkSource Northwest system is modeled and shaped by strong public and private leadership. The Council provides the workforce development system with effective private-sector led oversight of the regional system, while agency leaders work collaboratively to provide active and supportive management to achieve system goals. Senior leadership is directly involved in creating and sustaining common values, organizational directions, performance expectations, and customer focus. Leaders remove barriers which deter innovation and quality improvement.

WorkSource Northwest is managed in accordance with the Council’s strategic and operations plans, WorkSource system policies and regional protocols. The Council’s plan focuses on ensuring quality and results. WorkSource Northwest one-stop operator(s) develop and use a Quality Plan that demonstrates to the Council strategies for achieving its Framework for Doing Business. The Quality Plan sets strategies and objectives for the next one to three years, while containing clear and measurable implementation steps in support of the Council’s Strategic and Operations Plan.

The WorkSource Northwest system is based upon an unwavering focus on the needs of its business and job seeker customers. Services are shaped and assessed by attention to customer needs and associated adjustments to strategies, processes, and products. Customer satisfaction calls for the use of relevant data and information as an integral piece of the organization’s performance. The Council requires the solicitation and applied use of customer feedback to inform continuous quality improvements.

In order to ensure WorkSource Northwest system is managed effectively, responds to customer needs, and produces results, consistent use of meaningful data is fundamental. Performance must be reviewed and analyzed and that knowledge then used to lead performance improvement.

WorkSource Northwest sites are well-integrated, high-performance work organizations. Collaborating agencies reduce duplication of effort, empower staff to make decisions, and invest in staff development. Leadership ensures staff have the tools and skills they need to provide excellent service. Every staff member has the ability and authority to meet customer needs, either directly or, when appropriate, by helping the customer make the right connections to the expertise he or she seeks.

WorkSource Northwest is a high quality, customer service enterprise. To ensure ongoing success, emphasis is placed on continuous improvement of key processes to reduce variability and rework and improve performance. Agility is required to respond quickly, flexibly and effectively to changing requirements. Work systems and work processes are designed, managed, and improved to deliver customer value and achieve organizational success.

In its oversight role of the workforce development system, Northwest Workforce Council reviews outcomes of the one-stop career centers and affiliated sites of WorkSource Northwest. Each partner organization and program within this system contributes to the system’s overall performance, while each is responsible to its funding source for program results and compliance. Program and organizational performance are one aspect of performance results. The Council is also interested in ensuring the collective system of one stop career centers and affiliated sites, known as WorkSource Northwest, contributes to the achievement of its strategic goals for the workforce development system.