eye on business
A Gameplan to Drive Our Economy
Kris Johnson, AWB President
Washington’ s population is growing fast, with two million new residents expected by 2040. We’ re already facing a housing crisis and rising demand for energy. We’ ll need a well-trained workforce and environment that helps businesses succeed.
That’ s why AWB joined with the Washington Roundtable to launch Washington in the Making 2040, a long-term vision for our state’ s economy. The plan seeks to address our state’ s biggest challenges and build a stronger economy for everyone.
It was a privilege to unveil the plan – years in the making – at our launch event in Seattle, alongside Washington Roundtable CEO Steve Mullin and AWB Institute Board Chair Paula Linnen, plus dozens of employers and community partners. Many more helped shape the vision. Two summers ago, we engaged more than 4,200 Washingtonians through 22 town hall meetings and a statewide survey. What do Washingtonians want their state to look like in 15 years? What are the most pressing issues in their communities?
We found a lot of agreement: Housing and child care costs are too high. We need more workforce training and support for small businesses, plus access to clean, affordable and reliable energy. And more.
From there, we created a plan structured around four pillars: world-class workforce, infrastructure, quality of life, and a business climate where employers can thrive.
We’ re already in a race for talent. We need to increase access to post-secondary credentials, apprenticeships, and expose young people early to career paths. One of our strategies is to create 10,000 new work-based learning experiences every year for high school students. Employers can play a role by offering internships, facility tours and mentoring students.
Another part of the workforce equation is child care. We need affordable and quality child care so parents and caregivers can go to work.
The region’ s electricity needs are expected to spike by 30 % over the next decade. We’ ll need to make it easier to permit and build new energy generation and transmission, a complex issue that will take collaboration from many stakeholders.
Washington has enjoyed low-cost electricity thanks to our mix of hydropower, natural gas and nuclear power. The key is to preserve that advantage while investing in new carbon-free energy sources.
The lack of affordable housing is a major strain on families, communities and employers. By 2040, projections say the state will need at least one million new housing units. We should encourage and incentivize more housing development, not impose additional barriers and costs.
Communities around the state are working to address housing shortages. In Spokane, where home prices nearly doubled in the past decade, the city revised its zoning laws to allow mixed-use neighborhoods and saw a housing boom.
Washington employers face one of the highest tax and regulatory burdens in the nation. We need to make it easier to start, grow and sell a business, rather than putting up new hurdles. As it prepared to open, Fiddle’ s Coffee House in the Yakima Valley discovered the confusing and competing requirements it needed from multiple entities.
“ I think Washington state can have an easier website where you can find all the resources on one page,” coffeehouse co-owner Efrain Martinez said in a video for Washington in the Making 2040.
The launch of this 15-year vision is a starting place. AWB and the Washington Roundtable will hold Solutions Summits to continue the conversation. The first summit will be held this October on energy generation and transmission.
We’ re proud to say the vision reflects the shared priorities of people in Washington. As I said at the launch event, no one group or plan or community has all the solutions. But together, we will make solutions.
12 association of washington business