washington business
facility tours.( Read about Washington employers offering work-based learning opportunities in“ From Classroom to Career” on page 26.)
In surveys and town halls, 93 % of respondents wanted teens exposed to more career paths through real-world work experience before graduation, and 89 % supported expanding access to education and training for high-skill, highdemand jobs.
Employers in Washington are facing a shortage of workers with the right training and credentials. Businesses have a crucial role to play in nurturing and training tomorrow’ s talent, said Paula Linnen, board chair of the AWB Institute and principal at The Foster Institute. But they need more flexible regulations to provide on-the-job learning opportunities:
“ People learn in very different ways,” Linnen said.“ Those experience-based learning opportunities are everything.”
Meanwhile, a shortage of affordable, accessible child care holds parents and other caregivers back from education and jobs. The plan calls to streamline regulations and foster collaboration among agencies to help more child care providers open their doors.
Some organizations are already leading the way. The Machinists Institute, for example, is creating two child care centers with nonstandard hours to serve shift workers’ families.
“ A huge portion of the workforce wants employers to be part of the solution,” said Shana Peschek, executive director of the Machinists Institute.“ There are lots of ways to do that.”
“ People learn in very different ways. Those experience-based learning opportunities are everything.”
— Paula Linnen, board chair of the AWB Institute and principal at The Foster Institute
pillar three: infrastructure and connectivity
Electricity demand in the Northwest is expected to rise more than 30 % over the next decade, driven by population growth, electrification, high-tech manufacturing, and emerging industries such as AI. At the same time, Washington is transitioning from fossil fuels to cleaner, renewable sources.
34 association of washington business