Employers should be able to easily find qualified local hires, and workers should be able to easily find good jobs. Ensuring that both become a reality requires attention to education, management and cross-sector cooperation. Nearly half of Washington employers say local job applicants, even those with college degrees, often lack basic skills.
Improving local education and job training not only strengthens the workforce, but also allows workers to adapt more quickly in the rapidly changing economy. Good education and training programs ensure that job opportunities are available to all sorts of qualified people in this increasingly diverse region – immigrants and natives, men and women, young and old, disabled and not. Businesses, community groups and government leaders must also work together to ensure that workers receive adequate wages and benefits, access to child care and other support, and enough leisure time to rest and contribute to civic life.
- Expand successful job-training and apprenticeship programs that consistently place graduates in good jobs.
- Support community and technical colleges, a critical source of job training and re-training.
- Improve education and training in communication, problem-solving and critical thinking, the skills employers say are often lacking in local job applicants.
- Focus training on populations that often have trouble getting work (seniors, the disabled, non-native English speakers) or support training that draws non-traditional populations to certain jobs (women in car repair).
- Foster partnerships among business, government and the community to improve services that support work, such as good affordable child care and public transportation.
- The Port of Seattle's Airport Jobs Employment Information Center allows local aviation-related employers to post vacancies, and helps jobseekers – half of whom are immigrants and refugees –find postings, prepare resumes and improve interview skills.
- Seattle Jobs Initiative provides low-income individuals industry-specific training in growing sectors, along with training in job search, interview and financial literacy skills.
- Passport to Success, a partnership among local high schools, government and the University of Washington, helps students with disabilities explore careers, gain work experience and make a successful transition to life after high school.
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