washington business
Inside
AWB Institute
Workforce Summit Addresses Talent Shortage
AWB ’ s second-annual Workforce Summit attracted more than 130 employers , educators and nonprofit leaders to share ideas and work toward solutions for a better workforce .
The March event at the Hilton Bellevue highlighted innovative ways Washington employers can create their own solutions to the labor and talent shortage that ’ s impacting many businesses across the country .
One of the main lessons from this event was that there ’ s no cavalry coming , but employers can reach out to nonprofits and schools to help come up with their own solutions .
State and national experts discussed apprenticeships , mentorships , school-based training programs and more solutions that have proven successful for many companies .
Speakers also shared the latest employment law advice and their experiences keeping talented workers by maintaining a great place to work with strong benefits .
2018 Leadership Washington Class Graduates at Spring Meeting
Thirteen men and women from across Washington and different industry sectors have completed an intensive ninemonth leadership development program .
The 2018 Leadership Washington class was honored at AWB ’ s Spring Meeting in May as the latest group of young leaders who will nurture Washington ’ s business climate now and in the future .
The 2018 class includes professionals from the science , government , energy and other sectors . They began learning about the state ’ s economy and political environment last September , and toured many regions and businesses throughout Washington .
Katherine Morgan of Bank of America spoke on behalf of the class during the graduation ceremony . She said the group noticed similar challenges faced by Washington employers , especially around employee recruitment and retention .
“ We heard the opportunities and the challenges that each of you faces and we recognized that they were not unlike the others ,” Morgan said .
Early Childhood Learning Event Makes Business Case for Investment
In April , the AWB Institute partnered with the U . S . Chamber of Commerce Foundation for Education and Workforce on another solution to a building a strong workforce pipeline : early childhood learning .
Investing in a better system for both kids and families will pay off now and down the road , supporters say .
Ross Hunter , secretary of the state Department of Children , Youth and Families , spoke to a standing-room only crowd at the Seattle Airport Marriott . He shared some serious numbers : About 47 percent of children come to kindergarten ready to learn , and four out of five employers believe today ’ s labor pool lacks the skills and abilities essential to business success . Workforce participation is down , and as boomers retire , companies will have problems filling jobs , he said .
“ We ’ ve got to fix this ,” he said . “ We ’ ve got to make it so people can work … There ’ s a business need for this .”
Michele Beehler , senior human resources manager at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories , described how SEL is helping employees with childcare benefits .
“ It ’ s almost a necessity for us as a recruiting tool ,” Beehler said .
Hunter also described incredibly difficult challenges for many working parents . High-quality child care is simply cost prohibitive for many parents , which means they can ’ t afford to work , and can ’ t afford not to work .
But just like other solutions , employers can take action to address the problem on their own as the government wrangles with new policy direction .
Some companies donate supplies , negotiate childcare discounts and give their workers time to volunteer at their kid ’ s school . Others offer childcare facilities at their business .
Contact AWB ’ s Amy Anderson at 360.943.1600 to learn more or get involved .
10 association of washington business