Education & Talent

Providence reorganizes behavioral health staffing

karinae@spokanejournal.com — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 03:00:00 -0400

As behavioral health patients at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center age and their medical needs grow more complex, the hospital is redesigning its staffing strategy for inpatient psychiatric services.

Whitworth launches new four-year nursing program

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Whitworth University will launch its new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in fall 2027 to address the growing need for trained nurses across the Pacific Northwest.

Aging adults exceed capacity for care

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Washington state is on the leading edge of a demographic shift that is placing pressure on senior housing providers, long-term care operators, healthcare systems, and developers as the state's aging population grows substantially faster than the workforce and housing inventory needed to support it.

Strategic partnership reaches into communities

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Ten years ago, when the University of Washington and Gonzaga University announced a strategic partnership to expand health sciences education in Spokane, they were met with community and legislative support.

City, SPS announce new child care partnership

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 16:00:47 -0400

The city of Spokane and Spokane Public Schools are partnering on a new pilot program aimed at increasing access to affordable, high-quality child care in schools, the city announced in a press release on June 22.

Retiring attorney transfers closing operations

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Spokane-based Vista Title & Escrow LLC has assumed the residential and commercial closing operations of Robert S. Delaney PLLC, also of Spokane, following the June 15 retirement of longtime attorney Bob Delaney.

Legal workforce shows resilience in Spokane

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Slow new job growth and high annual turnover characterize the current job market for attorneys in Spokane County, making for a resilient and stable environment, some industry experts here say.

SNAP names Amber Johnson as incoming CEO

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners and SNAP Financial Access have named Chief Operating Officer Amber Johnson as the organizations’ next CEO.

Spokane consultant offers specialized training

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0400

A Spokane entrepreneur is leveraging 62 years of experience in the industrial pump industry by offering educational seminars to maintenance workers and engineers here and across the Inland Northwest.

Barton English School leader evolves program

karinae@spokanejournal.com — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0400

When Becky Rempe arrived at the Barton English School at First Presbyterian Church of Spokane, the decades-old program consisted largely of one-on-one tutoring sessions. Today, the school is abuzz with conversations in multiple languages as immigrants, refugees, volunteers, and residents gather to learn and engage with each other and the community.

Gonzaga program drives women's leadership gains

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Hundreds of women have benefitted from a leadership program at Gonzaga University since its creation more than a decade ago.

Strength in unity: The power of peer leadership

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0400

True leaders support other leaders. Whether it is a peer, colleague, or friend in a leadership role, one of the most impactful contributions you can make as a leader is to offer your support.

$25M renovation at SCC scheduled for July start

Thu, 07 May 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Spokane Community College is preparing to start construction on a $25 million partial renovation of the campus’s oldest building, known as Old Main, that will relocate the building's primary entrance from the North Spokane Corridor-facing west side to face the east and consolidate the school’s student services under one roof.

Spokane Colleges Foundation recognizes Journal publisher

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:49:47 -0400

The Spokane Colleges Foundation has named Paul Read, publisher of the Spokane Journal of Business and Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, as the 2026 Distinguished Alumni of the Year.

LaunchNW grant supports student job exploration

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Workforce development nonprofit Slingshot is leveraging a $120,000 grant from Spokane-based Innovia Foundation’s LaunchNW initiative to help connect Spokane County students to businesses.

New transfer agreement targets workforce gap

karinae@spokanejournal.com — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Spokane Colleges has established a new transfer agreement with the University of Idaho that aims to create a pathway to help students advance their education and prepare them to work in natural resource fields across the Inland Northwest.

Cybersecurity program expands in scope at EWU

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 03:00:00 -0400

The cybersecurity industry is experiencing significant growth as one of the fastest-expanding fields on a regional, national, and international level.

Passing the torch: from operator to adviser

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Some retired executives are seeking second careers as consultants as a way to ensure that decades of leadership experience gets passed on to emerging leaders.

Spokane County seniors access free legal aid

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Gonzaga University's Elder Law Clinic supports a variety of legal needs, from planning for the future to addressing immediate challenges that could threaten the stability of everyday life.

2026 Small Business of the Year Winner: Ability Employment Services Inc.

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Ability Employment Services has been named the winner of the Small Business of the Year category in the Journal's 2026 Inland Northwest Business of the Year Awards.

EWU Science Building approaches completion

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Eastern Washington University’s $110 million Science Building renovation is nearing completion and is scheduled to open to students and faculty by this fall.

New student housing hall planned at Cheney campus

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0400

Eastern Washington University is preparing to replace a long-dormant residence hall on its Cheney campus with a new, larger student housing facility at 106 N. Ninth.

University of Washington expands access to health care

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0500

At a time when the public is questioning the value of higher education, the University of Washington’s contributions in Eastern Washington offer some of the strongest examples of the power of our partnerships — and our commitment to improving the lives of all Washingtonians.

SFCC primes students for evolving workforce

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0500

As artificial intelligence quietly becomes an everyday tool across industries, Spokane Falls Community College is moving toward educating students on how to work alongside it in their future careers.

Express Employment eyes expansion under new owner

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0500

After nearly 32 years under the leadership of Ira and Susan Amstadter, Spokane-based A.I.S. Inc., which operates as Express Employment Professionals, has been purchased by their daughter Beverly Amstadter, who took over operations in at the end of the year.

Five Takeaways: Inland Northwest Labor Market

dylanh@spokanejournal.com — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0500

For its latest episode of Elevating The Conversation, the Journal sat down with Wade Larson, the executive director of the Production & Manufacturing Institute and the owner of Optimal Talent Dynamics, to discuss the Inland Northwest labor market.

School psychology workforce gets a boost here

karinae@spokanejournal.com — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0500

Medical Lake School District has been awarded a $3.5 million federal grant with the aim of creating a pipeline of highly trained and certified school psychology professionals to meet the critical needs of rural school districts across Northeastern Washington.

Gonzaga and McKinstry Co. launch new partnership

tinas@spokanejournal.com — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0500

Gonzaga University and Seattle-based energy-efficiency system designer and contractor McKinstry Co. have established a partnership to strengthen the region’s engineering workforce while creating career-connected learning opportunities for students in the Inland Northwest.

EWU prepares to launch dental therapy program

tinas@spokanejournal.com — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0500

Eastern Washington University is moving forward with plans to launch a master’s in dental therapy program, a move that would place the university among a small handful of institutions nationwide offering the credential and expand access to oral health care in rural Washington, says Dawn Lewis-Kinnunen, dean of EWU’s College of Health Science and Public Health.

Startup scene expected to build off strong 2025

dylanh@spokanejournal.com — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0500

As the Inland Northwest startup ecosystem matures, the year ahead is expected to build off what has been a strong 2025.