washington business
“Through the leadership at Boeing, local and state governments
and different labor forces, we banded together with a common
objective to build the most advanced carbon fiber wing in
Washington, and, frankly, I am really proud of that.”
— Eric Lindblad, vice president and deputy program manager
of the 777X program and 777X wing general manager
an elite wheelchair manufacturer in need of lightweight, innovative
design elements.
attracting students to stem fields, closing skills gap
One challenge facing the state as a result of the carbon fiber boom is
finding skilled workers to fill open positions.
“The community college consortium, Composites Washington,
is addressing the skills gap very effectively,” Wood explained. “The
work now needed is deepening the pipeline for first job opportunities
for students out of these schools, and developing upgraded skills
programs and degrees in cooperation with four-year universities so
that we have apprentice paths as well as multiple degree paths.”
OceanGate Foundation, the non-profit arm of OceanGate, takes a
hands-on approach to attracting and training future workers.
32 association of washington business
The foundation is working with the
Everett School District’s Ocean Research
College Academy (ORCA) program, an
early college academy for high school
students. ORCA participants can earn
up to two years of college credit while
completing their high school education.
“The OceanGate Foundation is all
about using manned subs to inspire youth
to go into STEM areas. The foundation runs contests for seniors
with the winner having their project included in a submersible
expedition. It’s a great opportunity to get students in their last year
of high school aware of marine science fields, including robotics and
manned subs,” Rush said. “We want to open kids’ eyes to the ocean
and let them see that the future of exploration is not all about going
into space, but that there are exciting opportunities and careers
under water.”
environmental strides repurpose carbon fiber parts,
products
One thing the carbon fiber manufacturing sector shares with other
industries in Washington is the desire to do business in a way that
protects and preserves the environment.