The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Adult education" means all education or instruction, including academic, vocational education or training, basic skills and literacy training, and "occupational education" provided by public educational institutions, including common school districts for persons who are eighteen years of age and over or who hold a high school diploma or certificate. However, "adult education" shall not include academic education or instruction for persons under twenty-one years of age who do not hold a high school degree or diploma and who are attending a public high school for the sole purpose of obtaining a high school diploma or certificate, nor shall "adult education" include education or instruction provided by any four-year public institution of higher education.

(2) "Applied baccalaureate degree" means a baccalaureate degree awarded by a college under RCW 28B.50.810 for successful completion of a program of study that is:

(a) Specifically designed for individuals who hold an associate of applied science degree, or its equivalent, in order to maximize application of their technical course credits toward the baccalaureate degree; and

(b) Based on a curriculum that incorporates both theoretical and applied knowledge and skills in a specific technical field.

(3) "Board" means the workforce training and education coordinating board.

(4) "Board of trustees" means the local community and technical college board of trustees established for each college district within the state.

(5) "Center of excellence" means a community or technical college designated by the college board as a statewide leader in industry-specific, community and technical college workforce education and training.

(6) "College board" means the state board for community and technical colleges created by this chapter.

(7) "Common school board" means a public school district board of directors.

(8) "Community college" includes those higher education institutions that conduct education programs under RCW 28B.50.020.

(9) "Director" means the administrative director for the state system of community and technical colleges.

(10) "Dislocated forest product worker" means a forest products worker who: (a)(i) Has been terminated or received notice of termination from employment and is unlikely to return to employment in the individual's principal occupation or previous industry because of a diminishing demand for his or her skills in that occupation or industry; or (ii) is self-employed and has been displaced from his or her business because of the diminishing demand for the business' services or goods; and (b) at the time of last separation from employment, resided in or was employed in a rural natural resources impact area.

(11) "Dislocated salmon fishing worker" means a finfish products worker who: (a)(i) Has been terminated or received notice of termination from employment and is unlikely to return to employment in the individual's principal occupation or previous industry because of a diminishing demand for his or her skills in that occupation or industry; or (ii) is self-employed and has been displaced from his or her business because of the diminishing demand for the business's services or goods; and (b) at the time of last separation from employment, resided in or was employed in a rural natural resources impact area.

(12) "District" means any one of the community and technical college districts created by this chapter.

(13) "Forest products worker" means a worker in the forest products industries affected by the reduction of forest fiber enhancement, transportation, or production. The workers included within this definition shall be determined by the employment security department, but shall include workers employed in the industries assigned the major group standard industrial classification codes "24" and "26" and the industries involved in the harvesting and management of logs, transportation of logs and wood products, processing of wood products, and the manufacturing and distribution of wood processing and logging equipment. The commissioner may adopt rules further interpreting these definitions.

(14) "High employer demand program of study" means an apprenticeship, or an undergraduate or graduate certificate or degree program in which the number of students prepared for employment per year from in-state institutions is substantially less than the number of projected job openings per year in that field, statewide or in a substate region.

(15) "K-12 system" means the public school program including kindergarten through the twelfth grade.

(16) "Occupational education" means education or training that will prepare a student for employment that does not require a baccalaureate degree, and education and training that will prepare a student for transfer to bachelor's degrees in professional fields, subject to rules adopted by the college board.

(17) "Qualified institutions of higher education" means:

(a) Washington public community and technical colleges;

(b) Private career schools that are members of an accrediting association recognized by rule of the student achievement council for the purposes of chapter 28B.92 RCW; and

(c) Washington state apprenticeship and training council-approved apprenticeship programs.

(18) "Rural natural resources impact area" means:

(a) A nonmetropolitan county, as defined by the 1990 decennial census, that meets three of the five criteria set forth in subsection (19) of this section;

(b) A nonmetropolitan county with a population of less than forty thousand in the 1990 decennial census, that meets two of the five criteria as set forth in subsection (19) of this section; or

(c) A nonurbanized area, as defined by the 1990 decennial census, that is located in a metropolitan county that meets three of the five criteria set forth in subsection (19) of this section.

(19) For the purposes of designating rural natural resources impact areas, the following criteria shall be considered:

(a) A lumber and wood products employment location quotient at or above the state average;

(b) A commercial salmon fishing employment location quotient at or above the state average;

(c) Projected or actual direct lumber and wood products job losses of one hundred positions or more;

(d) Projected or actual direct commercial salmon fishing job losses of one hundred positions or more; and

(e) An unemployment rate twenty percent or more above the state average. The counties that meet these criteria shall be determined by the employment security department for the most recent year for which data is available. For the purposes of administration of programs under this chapter, the United States post office five-digit zip code delivery areas will be used to determine residence status for eligibility purposes. For the purpose of this definition, a zip code delivery area of which any part is ten miles or more from an urbanized area is considered nonurbanized. A zip code totally surrounded by zip codes qualifying as nonurbanized under this definition is also considered nonurbanized. The office of financial management shall make available a zip code listing of the areas to all agencies and organizations providing services under this chapter.

(20) "Salmon fishing worker" means a worker in the finfish industry affected by 1994 or future salmon disasters. The workers included within this definition shall be determined by the employment security department, but shall include workers employed in the industries involved in the commercial and recreational harvesting of finfish including buying and processing finfish. The commissioner may adopt rules further interpreting these definitions.

(21) "System" means the state system of community and technical colleges, which shall be a system of higher education.

(22) "Technical college" includes those higher education institutions with the mission of conducting occupational education, basic skills, literacy programs, and offering on short notice, when appropriate, programs that meet specific industry needs. For purposes of this chapter, technical colleges shall include the following college districts as created in RCW 28B.50.040: The twenty-fifth college district, the twenty-sixth college district, the twenty-seventh college district, the twenty-eighth college district, and the twenty-ninth college district.

Intent—Conflict with federal requirements—Effective date—2021 c 2: See notes following RCW 50.04.323.

Effective date—2012 c 229 ss 101, 117, 401, 402, 501 through 594, 601 through 609, 701 through 708, 801 through 821, 902, and 904: See note following RCW 28B.77.005.

Intent—2009 c 64: See note following RCW 28B.50.020.

Findings—Part headings not law—2007 c 277: See notes following RCW 28B.50.271.

Findings—Intent—2005 c 258: See note following RCW 28B.45.014.

Conflict with federal requirements—Severability—Effective date—2003 2nd sp.s. c 4: See notes following RCW 50.01.010.

Severability—Conflict with federal requirements—Effective date—1997 c 367: See notes following RCW 43.160.020.

Severability—Conflict with federal requirements—Effective date—1995 c 226: See notes following RCW 43.160.020.

Intent—1991 c 315: "The legislature finds that:

(1) The economic health and well-being of timber-dependent communities is of substantial public concern. The significant reduction in annual timber harvest levels likely will result in reduced economic activity and persistent unemployment and underemployment over time, which would be a serious threat to the safety, health, and welfare of residents of the timber impact areas, decreasing the value of private investments and jeopardizing the sources of public revenue.

(2) Timber impact areas are most often located in areas that are experiencing little or no economic growth, creating an even greater risk to the health, safety, and welfare of these communities. The ability to remedy problems caused by the substantial reduction in harvest activity is beyond the power and control of the regulatory process and influence of the state, and the ordinary operations of private enterprise without additional governmental assistance are insufficient to adequately remedy the resulting problems of poverty and unemployment.

(3) To address these concerns, it is the intent of the legislature to increase training and retraining services accessible to timber impact areas, and provide for coordination of noneconomic development services in timber impact areas as economic development efforts will not succeed unless social, housing, health, and other needs are addressed." [ 1991 c 315 s 1.]

Conflict with federal requirements—1991 c 315: See RCW 50.70.901.

Severability—1985 c 461: See note following RCW 41.06.020.

Severability—1982 1st ex.s. c 53: See note following RCW 41.06.020.

Savings—Severability—1973 c 62: See notes following RCW 28B.10.510.

Severability—1969 ex.s. c 261: See note following RCW 28B.50.020.