what ’ s working
In Moses Lake , state legislators and U . S . Rep . Dan Newhouse toured the brand-new Vanguard Academy , a public high school with a project-based curriculum aimed at helping students be better prepared for — and aware of — the great jobs available in modern manufacturing .
The tour also visited several community and technical college , including Clover Park in Tacoma and Clark College in Vancouver , where their mechatronics programs are helping train workers to build and maintain the advanced technology of today ’ s shop floors .
Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake opened the doors of its new Workforce Education Center , which offers the latest facilities to teach everything from robotics and welding to production agriculture .
“ I want to move past my basic level of knowledge and design some cool stuff .
I want to innovate . I want a deep understanding of composites .”
— Michael Curran , who started at Goodwinds
Composites as a high-schooler and now , seven years later , is taking advanced composites classes at Western Washington University for a polymer materials degree , paid for by his employer .
Even outside the K-12 and higher education system , some manufacturers are finding practical new ways to bring young people directly into the manufacturing fold and onto the shop floor .
Mike and Rebecah Reutimann , the owners of Island Machine in Everett , recently hired two high school students to work on the shop floor . They started with sweeping up . After training and mentorship , they moved up to using the machines .
Their first hire is now a freshman at Western Washington University . Their second , 16-year-old high school junior Tyson Mikulecky , continues to work at the company .
“ He ’ s a rock star for us ,” Mike Reutimann said .
a brighter future
Many of the tour stops highlighted the innovative problem-solving nature of Washington entrepreneurs , whether it was the carboncapture technology of CarbonQuest in Spokane Valley or the battery-powered , all-electric passenger plane that had just finished its first test flight in Moses Lake .
Manufacturers solve problems , create good jobs and sustain our economy . AWB ’ s Manufacturing Week tour was a spotlight on those good jobs and the need to make the right choices to sustain them .
“ If we ’ re going to double manufacturing in Washington , we must invest in our young people to ensure we have a trained and educated workforce to fill the new positions ,” AWB President Kris Johnson said . “ We must protect Washington ’ s affordable , reliable and renewable energy — which has been one of the state ’ s core competitive advantages . We need sensible regulatory policies that enable manufacturers to grow . And we need tax policy that allows us to compete in a global marketplace . The future of manufacturing in Washington is bright if we make smart policy choices now .”
24 association of washington business