Gov. Gary Locke announced that he has reconvened the Washington Competitiveness Council to continue its previous work as well as address higher education issues to further improve Washington’s competitiveness.

The council plans to meet two more times this winter and issue specific recommendations to the governor and the Legislature before the 2004 legislative session. The Council will also meet during the legislative session to review progress on the agenda.

“We’ve made great progress in making our state more competitive, but we can’t rest on our laurels,” Locke said. “We must continue to push for implementation of the Competitiveness Council’s agenda. And we also must harness higher education to help drive economic growth.”

The Competitiveness Council comprises business, labor, education and government leaders from across the state. The governor originally convened the group in 2001 to examine Washington’s ability to compete in the global economy of the 21st century. Council members identified competitiveness issues of greatest concern and developed recommendations to address them.

A full progress report can be obtained at www.governor.wa.gov/wcc/wcc.htm.