business backgrounder | education & workforce
Big Victories with New Skills
SkillsUSA competition showcases future advanced manufacturing talent.
Justin McCaffree
Core Plus programs help high school students learn skills that will take them far in life – and that will support Washington employers by ensuring the next generation of workers have knowledge and experience.
At A Glance
• 3,500 + students enrolled in Core Plus Aerospace
• 50 + partner high schools and skills centers
• 1,200 + Core Plus Aerospace graduates hired by Boeing since 2015
• 125 Core Plus Aerospace graduates hired by Boeing in 2024
Bridger Sedwick participates in the hands-on portion of the 2025 SkillsUSA Manufacturing and Assembler competition at the Boeing factory in Everett.
EVERETT – The 2025 SkillsUSA Manufacturing Assembler Competition, held in April at Boeing’ s Everett factory, featured 58 students showcasing in-demand skills that will support their futures and help ensure Washington state has a resilient advanced manufacturing talent pipeline.
Bridger Sedwick from SEATech Skills Center in Walla Walla won first place, for the second year in a row, followed by Katie Olson and Rhett Warner from Sumner High School, who secured second and third place.
“ The SkillsUSA competition sets me up for success because it allows me to put my skills to the test, learn new skills, and apply them,” Sedwick said.“ I’ m excited about winning the competition and bringing the trophy back home to SEATech.”
The SkillsUSA competition included a hands-on project as well as mock interviews and resume reviews, providing students with valuable feedback and preparing them for the real world.
“ I’ m proud of my interview,” Olson said.“ I was nervous, but it got easier and I felt like I crushed it. I’ m going to Perry Technical Institute for instrumentation, automation and robotics after high school. I was excited to learn during my interview there are opportunities for what I’ ll study, at Boeing.”
Marissa Bedford, director of manufacturing excellence for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, was impressed with what she saw the students accomplish.
• 114 students participating in the Core Plus Aerospace summer Student Development Program in 2025
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