As the city prepares itself for the new economy, it's also preparing its workforce. Initiatives include:

Job Skills Program (JSP)
Through the JSP, community and technical colleges can work with businesses to provide customized training programs. JSP grants are awarded to community or technical colleges to develop customized training materials and to deliver short-term, job-specific training to meet a specific employer's needs. The JSP funds three types of training: new employee skills training, current employee retraining, and current employee upgrade training.  

WorkSource Pierce Business Connections
WorkSource Pierce offers information about and access to additional employee training. Certain new hires qualify for training services funded by the Workforce Investment Act. WorkSource Pierce can provide training funds to:

• upgrade skills for positions paying higher wages
• train new skills to new employees so that they can be hired
• fund training skills so that incumbent workers will not lose their jobs, thereby 
  avoiding dislocations 

Creative Tacoma
The military, printing, forest products and banking – not exactly industries that spring to mind when hearing the word “creative.” However, according to several Pierce County business leaders, these industries are not only on the cutting edge of technology, but increasingly employ creative individuals from the so-called “creative class”.

Economic development expert Doctor Richard Florida contends that creativity is not limited to those in traditionally creative fields, but represents a distinct segment of the population – roughly 30 percent of our workforce – that spurns urban success and drives innovation. In September of 2006, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber began its “Creative Tacoma” campaign, a yearlong initiative to attract and retain “creative class” workers to the city.

Perhaps the best compliment to the city came from Neal Peirce, syndicated columnist for the Washington Post and author of more than a dozen books explaining modern urban life in American cities. After a visit to Tacoma, Peirce wrote that the city has a new urban feel that is attracting new people and businesses. Pleasant cities such as Tacoma, equipped with urban amenities such as art and history museums, light rail, performing art halls and urban housing attract talented people, and talented people attract corporations, he added.