Skills Panel - Aerospace
In February 2006, building on the efforts of the Prosperity Partnership's Aerospace Cluster Working Group, Snohomish County Economic Development Council (SCEDC), and Workforce Development Council Snohomish County (WDCSC) joined forces to launch the Puget Sound Regional Aerospace Industry Panel. It brought together aerospace businesses, labor, education, and trade associations to identify current and future workforce needs and develops solutions. The panel took advantage of two aerospace focused conferences scheduled in June 2006. The first hosted by the PNAA, and the second hosted by the newly formed association the Aerospace Futures Alliance. In both cases the panel requested the opportunity to present a session on workforce issues (employment needs, skill gaps, training and educational options and needs, business expansion and relocation efforts, and the general responsibilities and resources of the skill panel). The skill panel focused on how to effectively coordinate various efforts to maximize efficiency and gain maximum involvement from businesses. There are many different aerospace initiatives, including the Prosperity Partnership's Aerospace Cluster Working Group, Aerospace Futures Alliance (AFA) and the SCEDC's Aerospace Vision.
The conferences also offered an excellent opportunity to either survey or acquire anecdotal information from the attending employers. The panel utilized an existing document that was prepared by the SCEDC and in partnership with the WDCSC and Linda Lanham of the AFA the business directory was updated to include any change of information on existing businesses and include any new ones established since the initial printing. The directory includes new information that will identify contacts in the local communities that could offer information or resources for: workforce development, training, education, economic development support, permit details and location and/or expansion guidance. This new information will expand the basic directory to support both expansion and relocation of businesses enabling it to be used as a tool by regional and state economic development efforts. An Aerospace Educational Directory was compiled, distributed and has had its second printing with updates. It has been very beneficial to students, counselors and industry leaders in providing a clear understanding of the high-wage, high-growth careers in a variety of fields including precision manufacturing, material science and industrial design.
In this process Centers of Excellence were identified for best practices utilizing new technology.
In addition to this directory the Workforce Development Council Snohomish County, provides "Career Trees" directed at High School students. These trees are visual representations of vital education, training, and apprenticeship pathways and lattices available in the Aerospace industry. The trees are designed to be used in conjunction with the 2006-08 "Where are you going? A guide to careers and education in Washington State," published by the Washington State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board. On June 7, 2007 over 70 attendees from across the Puget Sound region attended the Aerospace Industry Summit, hosted by the WDCSC, EDC and the Puget Sound Regional Aerospace Skills Panel.
Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon kicked off the half-day event, issuing the challenge to "create partnerships to insure that there is a skilled workforce to meet the demand of a growing aerospace industry to allow us to remain globally competitive." Andrew Ballard of Marketing Solutions Inc, who had been assisting the PSRSP since December 2007 with their strategies, conflict resolution and partnership building was the facilitator of the event. He was an incredible asset in providing an understanding that government, business, labor, industry and education are essential in developing a strategy and must take a critically important action toward the shared goal of long-term economic prosperity.
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