Developing the next generation of King County employees
Crossposted from the DES Express blog
Attendees at the 2016 Women in Trades Fair had the opportunity to build a birdhouse, thanks to FMD
Like many of our region’s employers, King County is facing a “silver tsunami.” Members of the Baby Boom generation, born between 1946 and 1964, are set to retire in huge numbers in just a few years. Many of them have decades of institutional knowledge that could be lost when they leave.
There’s also another demographic challenge facing the County: Millennials, those born between 1981 and 2000, are more likely to pursue tech-oriented careers. Many Millennials aren’t even aware of the lucrative job opportunities available in the trade industries.
The King County Apprenticeship Program seeks to tackle these two demographic issues head-on by providing training opportunities that lead to journey-level positions in the trades.
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ESJ Fairs draw crowd, offer fun mix of activities and facts
The second of three Equity and Social Justice Fairs, held Monday, May 16 was a loud, crowded success. With more than 15 groups represented, attendees milled about, chatting and participating in various activities. Spin wheels, pop quizzes and jeopardy-like games attracted people to displays for the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention, Department of Public Defense, and Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget among others.
Each display did a wonderful job of engaging passersby in discussions, asking questions and handing out informative one-page updates around ESJ efforts. Using all kinds of colorful giveaway items, like lanyards, water bottles, stickers and the ever present candy, displays got people talking about current efforts and future plans. From highlights on the KC Information Technology ESJ committee to an explanation of the Solid Waste Division’s free environmental educational field trip program, many of King County’s finest showcased their ESJ progress.
The fairs have been a great way to engage employees in these discussions. Building on the enthusiasm of last year’s single fair, there were three scheduled for this May, with the final fair to be held May 24, from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the Rotunda at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
Please continue to join King County departments and programs in developing these creative and meaningful practices towards achieving equity and social justice. It is with the support of committed employees and the community at large that the County can continue to make great strides in furthering these efforts to impact personal, community and economic values.
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Yesler Bridge Rehabilitation Project: Reminder! Yesler Way Bridge to close for construction starting May 23
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will begin construction to rehabilitate the Yesler Way Bridge, located at the intersection of Yesler Way and Terrace St. over 4th Ave S. Construction is scheduled to begin as soon as May 23 and expected to last through fall 2017.
As a result of this project, some transit routes may be affected during construction, including KC Metro routes: 27, 111, 114, 212, 214, 216, 217, 218, 219, 252, 257, 268, 304, 308, 311, 312, 355; Sound Transit routes: 510, 511, 512, 513, 554, 590, 594, 595; Community Transit routes: 402, 405, 410, 412, 413, 415, 416, 417, 421, 422, 424, 425, 435. Some additional bus stops will be temporarily relocated.
Additional street closures will also result from the Yesler Bridge Rehabilitation Project during construction: Yesler Way will be closed in both directions between 3rd Ave and midway between 5th Ave and 6th Ave. Terrace St will be closed to through traffic, open to local access. 4th Ave will have ongoing lane closures and occasional full nighttime and weekend closures. Sidewalks on either side of 4th Ave will have alternating closures.
To learn more about the Yesler Bridge Rehabilitation project, visit SDOT’s Project Page. For more information view the SDOT Project Fact Sheet (contains re-route map).
The Yesler Way Bridge Rehabilitation Project, which will improve safety and reliability while preserving the bridge’s historical elements, will continue through fall of 2017. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the project further, please contact YeslerBridge@seattle.gov or 206-684-8684. To learn more about the project, visit the project website.
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Employee shares County business insights with other staff and students
KCIT Sr Business Analyst Barb DeLauter serves as a mentor in the Albers Mentors Program at Seattle University.
King County is a public sector leader in using technology to help customers access services and complete transactions online and on the go. It takes a dedicated team of problem solvers to identify solutions that make sense for customers – inside and outside the County.
One of those people is IT Senior Business Analyst Barb DeLauter, who uses her people skills to impact both her work at King County and her community.
Initially, she began her 11-year career in Elections, but has since moved throughout King County before moving to the Department of Information Technology (KCIT) 5 years ago. She relies on her background in teaching, degree in business administration, experience as a business owner and military experience to connect with others and consistently anticipate challenges in her work.
“I like to try and find the balance in our work,” she said. “There’s two sides to everything, so it’s really interesting to help others realize how you can be part of the solution and not the problem.”
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Making the King County website accessible for all
This article is featured courtesy of the King County Department of Information Technology
Understanding user realities is important for KCIT staff working to improve the County’s digital presence.
To make the King County website more accessible and useful for residents with visual and hearing challenges, King County Information Technology (KCIT) staff met with deaf and blind residents and advocates on April 26 to learn how to make existing and planned websites and mobile apps more user-friendly.
KCIT Director and Chief Information Officer Bill Kehoe took part in the conversation, along with the KCIT Business Solutions teams, and King County’s ADA Compliance Officer Melony Joyce. Their discussion was open, candid, and very specific.
“Useful means two basic things,” said Debra Cook from the UW’s Older Blind Independent Living Program. “Is it accessible and is it usable?” She explained that for this diverse community, whose members have varying levels of sight and hearing, accessibility depends on several factors. Do they have the right software? Is it accessible on multiple browsers? What level of technology is needed to use the website? Is it compatible with the tools they currently have, such as screen readers that read on-screen text out loud to the user? The architecture of some websites can hinder the effectiveness of accessibility software.
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Kathmandu to King County: Risk-taking Army veteran finds his niche
Current veteran fellow Yub Giri
Throughout his travels in Nepal, Utah and Washington, Yub Giri has stayed focused on his priorities. First it was pursuing a degree in civil engineering at Brigham Young University. Then he joined the U.S. Army, working as a dental assistant, map reading instructor and Barrack Maintenance Supervisor in addition to other duties. Now he’s intent on making the most out of his Vets 4 HIRE Fellowship, and credits the people he’s met along the way for getting him started on a successful transition to civilian life.
“Here at King County people want you to succeed, and they want the best for you,” he said. “In my view, King County is doing good things for vets in helping us get back to a civilian career.”
Originally from a small city in western Nepal, Yub attended high school in Kathmandu, the capitol of the country. Known for a temperate climate and worldwide travel appeal, the city is where Yub became interested in studying abroad. His high school principal encouraged him to travel and with the added support of his family, he became the first person in the small city he was born in to come to the United States.
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Cutting red tape speeds up hiring process for King County
Streamlining the hiring process has taken out frustrating additional steps to onboarding the right candidate.
For human resources professionals, there is nothing more frustrating than overseeing an extensive recruitment process, only to lose your top candidate thanks to unnecessary delays in the hiring approval process.
That’s what was happening to King County recruiters when they sought to hire successful candidates above step one of a position’s pay scale. The process often took weeks, with the County code requiring an approval process that often involved 15 to 19 handoffs before it could be completed.
It was time-consuming and by the end of it, hiring personnel found that they were losing candidates.
“Many people told us it was going to be impossible to change HR policy,” HR Service Delivery Manager Steve Namkung said. “They thought it would never happen, that it would take too long to change anything.”
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Kudos! Metro driver starts the morning off right for her passengers
This bus rider appreciates her driver for always having a cheerful morning message for her riders, and welcoming them at the start of their commute.
Kudos to this Metro driver for her upbeat, positive early morning attitude!
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Social Media Spotlight: King County Wastewater Treatment Facebook
We protect public health and enhance the environment by treating and reclaiming water, recycling solids and generating energy.
Follow King County WTD on Facebook today!
Click here to view all King County social media pages.
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Featured Job: Data and Evaluation Manager- Health Care for the Homeless Network
Closing Date/Time: Tue. 05/17/16 11:59 PM
Salary: $37.81 – $47.92 Hourly
Job Type: Career Service
Location: Chinook Building, Downtown Seattle, Washington
Department: Department of Public Health–Community Health Services
Description: Public Health- Seattle & King County’s Healthcare for the Homeless Network (HCHN) is searching for a Data and Evaluation Manager (Project/Program Manager III) to manage the HCHN data integration and analysis functions. It plays a lead role, with collaboration from other HCHN team members, in federal and local reporting, as well as program evaluation. This position is critical to HCHN’s capacity to perform complex data analysis to 1) demonstrate the health needs of homeless patients to program funders and key decision makers and 2) optimize electronic health record data collection and use in order to improve program strategies, the quality of care provided, and client outcomes. Additionally, incumbent will participate in multi-disciplinary community planning efforts for data system improvements.
Learn more about this position or view all available jobs.
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