MLA Professional Development Scholarship Fund

As a part of the Master Labor Agreement and Investing in You, applications are now being accepted for Professional Development Scholarship Awards for training opportunities that occur between May 17, 2019 and BEFORE December 31, 2019.

Each quarter, $37,500 of the $150,000 total 2019 budget is allocated for scholarship awards. Should there be more qualified applicants than budget available, a lottery process will be used to make awards.  The MAXIMUM amount an employee can be awarded is $2,500.

The Scholarship Fund is intended to support employees in growing their career at King County. This could include enhancing your knowledge and skills for your current job field; obtaining a professional certificate, license, or pursuing a degree that is related to paid work performed at King County; or preparing you for a career change in job fields performed at King County.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
The Professional Development Scholarship Program is available only to King County employees who are represented by a union in the Coalition of Unions and who:
 

1. Are career service, civil service or appointed employees who have completed their initial probationary period, if applicable; AND
2. Have completed at least one year of full or part time King County employment in a position eligible for comprehensive leave benefits (this includes any time spent in a Term Limited Temporary position); AND
3. Have had no documented performance or discipline issues for at least one year prior to the date of submitting an application form for the Scholarship Fund.

Department training funds must be requested first. Therefore, you must submit a written request to your supervisor asking if department funds are available for your training. The written request (letter or email) must include:

• your supervisor's name
• title of the training,
• name of the training organization,
• date/s of the training,
• what you will learn, and
• how this training will be of benefit to you
• request if department training funds are available and if so, how much

1. The employee's request meets scholarship fund policy guidelines.
2. The training that is being requested relates to the paid work performed by the County; it does not need to relate to the employee's current position or department.
3. The employee provides a thoughtful description of their SPECIFIC career goals at King County and makes a clear case of how the training will support the employee in meeting their specific career goals or enhances their work-related skills. (Examples can be found at Professional Development Scholarship Fund.)
4. The employee provides a clear description of each specific training, course, workshop, etc. that the employee intends to take that BEGINS AFTER May 17 and PRIOR to December 31, 2019.
5. The training is being provided by an organization that is acceptable to the awards committee.
6. The application is complete - there is enough information in the application for the Application Review Committee to make an award decision.

1. Applications will be reviewed by the Scholarship Program Manager to ensure they are complete.
2. Complete applications will be screened by the employees department HR to ensure the employee meets the "Eligibility Criteria" described above.
3. Those application meeting the "Eligibility Criteria" will be forwarded to the Scholarship Review Committee.  The Committee will review each application using the "Award Criteria" listed above and recommend whether the employee be considered for a scholarship award.
4. If there are more employees recommended for scholarship awards than budget available, a lottery process will be used to make awards. Previous award recipients applying for another award will be excluded from the lottery.
5. All scholarship applicants will be notified no later than May 10, 2019 of scholarship decisions.
6. Scholarship Award recipients must complete and submit the "Award Terms of Agreement," which can be found on the Professional Development Scholarships website.
7. Scholarship recipients will be emailed an "Award Letter" outlining the details and process for accessing their award.
8. Award recipients will have the choice of pre-paying approved costs and requesting reimbursement or having the County direct pay the training organization.