Career Pathways
Advanced Manufacturing Snohomish County is situated in the center of high tech manufacturing. From Boeing to Philips, and the extensive network of manufacturing firms in between, it is easy to see why the county is so prosperous. One such example is Boeing's decision to assemble the 787 Dreamliner in Everett. Over 50 percent of the plane will be made of composite materials. Its success is clear as the 787 is sold out until 2013. Because of the consumer demand for aircraft, and all of its components, Snohomish County employers are actively seeking skilled workers for every aspect in the aerospace industry. With the competition from all large manufacturing corporations, the employees are winning with high pay and attractive benefits packages. The large demand for a skilled workforce has also left employers looking within their company to retrain current employees. In fact, the worker of today's manufacturing plant should not anticipate having a monotonous job. It is now expected that all employees at every level in the company are creatively thinking about how they can improve to give the company a competitive advantage. For that reason, management is always looking for new training employees can take so that they are up-to-date with current techniques and processes. So you see the need for skilled employees in advanced manufacturing, and you like using computers and science can be fun. But do you know about materials science and the processes they involve? Look no further than composites. If you have not heard of them, and still want to work in this industry, you'll soon learn! Materials science takes an in-depth look at different materials to understand their properties. Once individual materials and their properties are known, they can be combined to make new materials to meet our daily needs. When scientists change the properties of a material to create something new, that is a process. One such process takes two distinct materials and combines them in a way where their unique properties are still identifiable once combined. This creates a composite. Composites might not be a household word just yet, but you need look no further than that white filling in your tooth or the body of a brand new Boeing jet to see for yourself just how prevalent and advanced this form of materials science has become. From the fiber-reinforced composites used to develop sports equipment to the electron beam-cured polymer matrix composites used in space systems, this branch of materials science offers not only a wide variety of products but a range of education and employment opportunities for those who venture into this exciting field. Are you ready to start planning your career yet? Here are the jobs in advanced manufacturing in demand in Snohomish County: - Engineer
- CNC Machinists
- CAD Drafters
- Testing Technicians
- Welders and Other Fabricators
- Electrical & Electronic Assembly
- Production Workers/Assemblers
For more information about jobs in the Advanced Manufacturing, refer to this Manufacturing Cluster Tree - Biotechnology 25% of Washington State's biotechnology companies are located in Snohomish County and the number of available jobs is expected to grow in the next ten years. The state continues to invest into research and development so that the latest technology can be produced in our backyard. However, the work cannot be done without a sufficient workforce. When we talk about biotechnology in Snohomish County, most often it means the production of therapeutic or diagnostic devices. These firms typically are under ten years old and are still in the research and development phase. By the nature of these young research companies, the biotech industry is volatile. However, demand will continue to raise over the next ten years for the products they research and manufacture. This means that there will be a constant demand for a skilled workforce ready to work in the biotechnology industry. Biotech jobs currently in demand in Snohomish County include: - Senior Researchers – require a graduate degree in life or physical sciences
- Production & Manufacturing Workers- such as Assemblers, Fabricators, Technicians, Inspectors, Testers, etc.
- Sales Agents & Representatives – require extensive industry knowledge and superb communications skills
- Research and Development positions
For more information about the Biotech industry, refer to the Biotech Cluster Tree -
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