What are the Centers of Excellence?

Washington state’s 12 Centers of Excellence (opens in a new window)  (COE) serve as the statewide liaisons to business, industry, labor and the state’s educational systems, for the purpose of creating a highly skilled and readily available workforce critical to the success of the state’s economy. Each Center is funded by an annual allocation from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC (opens in a new window) ) and is housed at a community or technical college.

Learn more about the COEs at www.coewa.com (opens in a new window) .

What do Centers of Excellence do?

Centers collaborate with community and technical colleges, industry partners, and others to facilitate equitable access to in-demand jobs and build a diverse, highly skilled, and readily available workforce for the state of Washington. 

We provide resources, tools, and information to our partners to assess skill gaps, expand training capacity, and incorporate best practices into education and employment programs.

What is the Center of Excellence for Information & Computing Technology?

The Center of Excellence for Information & Computing Technology (COEICT) convenes partners, provides resources, and identifies solutions related to building a diverse, highly skilled, and readily available technical workforce for the state of Washington. 

The COEICT is hosted by Bellevue College (opens in a new window) and works on behalf of the technology programs at all 34 of Washington’s community and technical colleges (opens in a new window) .

What services does the COEICT provide?

For our education partners:

• Technology training and professional development
• Job demand information
• Industry insights into required skills and competencies
• Curriculum resources
• K-12 engagement
• Student-facing industry activities
• Career exploration and scholarship resources

For our industry partners:

• Industry-aligned and responsive curriculum
• Coordinated access to a diverse talent pool
• Access to corporate and customized training; upskilling for incumbent workers
• Internship program development
• Training opportunities

What areas of technology do we focus on?

Washington’s community and technical colleges offer associate degrees, applied bachelor degrees, and certificates in several technology disciplines: information systems and technology, software and application development, programming, IT support, network and systems administration, database management, data analytics, game development, web development, cybersecurity, and more. View the IT Program Guide here (opens in a new window) .

How can we connect?

Send us an email to get started!

The Center of Excellence for Information & Computing Technology (COEICT) relies on the expertise of a volunteer Advisory Board to provide critical insights about Washington’s technology ecosystem and be a strategic partner in realizing the Center’s strategic plan. The Advisory Board includes industry partners who want to help build a diverse technical workforce for Washington state. The Board also provides industry-related insights, guidance, and recommendations to the COEICT in the following areas:

• Economic Development
• Industry Sector Strategy
• Education, Innovation and Efficiency
• Workforce Supply/Demand
• Equity and Access

Advisory Board Members

• Suzanne Tamayo, City of Bellevue – Board Chair
• Jeff Dandy, Pariveda Solutions
• Michael Gan, Computing For All
• Rodger Harrison, Bellevue College
• Amanda Hepper, Medcurity
• Tanya Hollins, AWS
• Steven Maheshwary, Amazon
• Shawn Ramirez, Eisenrez Partners
• Sean Robinson, Falkon AI
• Laura Ruderman, Technology Alliance
• Melvin Smith, Linked Innovations
• Juan Ulloa, Qumolo
• Kevin Wang, Mentors in Tech