"We have seen great wealth generation in this city. But we have been gutting middle-class jobs and excluding people of color," says Marie Kurose, executive director of the Seattle- King County Workforce Development Council (WDC), the backbone of the many programs that train and place people in jobs. She adds, "Marginalized people have not been reaping the benefits of this economic growth."

Matthias was laid off from his job at a major hospital in 2017 as part of a restructuring. In some ways this was fortunate, as injuries to his feet and joints had left him unable to pursue a career in healthcare. Constant daily pain and the inability to walk one hundred yards without a break forced him to reconsider his career options. He had little money but a strong desire to move into the technology sector, so he applied for Training Benefits from the Employment Security Department.

The Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County (WDC) is awarding five organizations a total of $1.825 million to serve individuals impacted by the criminal legal system. This system creates disparate racial impacts on low-income communities, especially individuals of Black, Indigenous and Latinx origin, making it an important priority toward advancing the WDC’s commitment to equitable economic recovery.