washington business
communities launching their own projects , using the data from the Vitals dashboard to guide their efforts .
Access to information that clearly defines the strengths and weaknesses of a community can help prioritize activities and identify resources . And because the numbers are continually updated , the Vitals will help them know when they ’ re making progress .
To get the effort underway , the AWB Institute has launched three projects :
• Washington Workforce Portal
• Broadband Connection
• Washington Rural Initiative The Washington Workforce Portal , modeled after a successful effort in Indiana , uses technology to connect young people to realworld work-based learning opportunities including internships , apprenticeships , job shadowing and more .
Pilot efforts are underway in Spokane , in partnership with Greater Spokane , Inc ., and in the Tri-Cities , in partnership with the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce . As the project expands , the AWB Institute will work alongside local chambers of commerce throughout the state to link higher education , industry and K-12 partners .
Following the 2008-2009 recession , Washington experienced an unequal economic recovery . Washington in the Making aims to ensure that Washington emerges from the pandemic recession in a different way , with resilient , resurgent communities across the state in both urban and rural areas . broadband connection
Access to broadband is another priority for Washington in the Making . Working in collaboration with existing state partners , the AWB Institute envisions working with private-sector and public- sector partners to take the state from its current condition — 86.6 % of households with broadband access and 8.6 % without any kind of internet — to the desired outcome : high speed , high quality bandwidth everywhere in the state . These numbers can be debated as tracking broadband access has been notoriously problematic . Yet , the question remains – how is it that some Washingtonians continue to struggle with consistent access despite deep private-sector investments to the tune of $ 2.5 billion annually . And that ’ s on top of a strong commitment from the private-sector through this pandemic that has included the creation of thousands of hot spots ?
Achieving the goal will revitalize communities in every corner of Washington , including rural areas where students lack the same opportunities as their peers in urban areas and where employers may be reluctant to locate because of a lack of connectivity .
rural initiative
Following the 2008-2009 recession , Washington experienced an unequal economic recovery . The Puget Sound region recovered faster and stronger than other parts of Washington , particularly rural communities .
Washington in the Making aims to ensure that Washington emerges from the pandemic recession in a different way , with resilient , resurgent communities across the state in both urban and rural areas .
The Washington Rural Initiative will work with a broad range of leaders , everyone from local chambers of commerce , economic development corporations and higher education institutions to state and federal agencies with a goal of blending talent , technology and community to reinvigorate rural Washington .
The initiative has already begun a pilot project focused on changing the game regarding rural economic development by growing the rural workforce rather than competing for company headquarters . The pilot models a successful program from Utah and is being conducted in in collaboration with Greater Wenatchee Area Technology Alliance , Washington State University Extension , Worksource Okanogan / WorkSource Wenatchee and Microsoft .
a healthy washington
Seven months into the Covid-19 recession , there were signs of life in Washington ’ s battered economy . The statewide unemployment rate , which shot up to 15 % in the spring , had dropped to 8.4 % — still unacceptably high , but significantly improved over April .
Still , the statewide number fails to tell the full story of Washington ’ s economy . Many counties recorded higher unemployment rates , including several that remained above 10 %. And the unemployment rate is far from the only measure of the health of a community .
That ’ s why Washington in the Making measures 34 different indicators . The data points , taken as a whole , will reveal the relative health of communities throughout Washington as the state attempts to recover from this recession .
It isn ’ t enough for one or two regions to prosper . For Washington to truly succeed , access to broadband must increase in Ferry County and other rural counties . The number of renters in Whitman County spending half or more of their income on housing must fall . And in Lincoln County and other counties where more businesses are closing than opening , business creation must stop moving in reverse .
Washington in the Making recognizes this is a moment of opportunity to remake Washington into a state where all people and all communities can prosper . It ’ s a chance to use data and determination to create a lasting economic vision .
22 association of washington business