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Gov. Christine Gregoire announces industry skill panel grant awards to keep Washington workers globally competitive

For Immediate Release: October 11, 2005

OLYMPIA � October 11, 2005 � Governor Christine Gregoire today announced a grant to ensure that Washington�s workforce remains competitive in ten major industry sectors across the state.

Public/private partnerships in manufacturing, aerospace, life sciences, medical devices, maritime, food processing, wood products, energy, health care, and electronic gaming will share $670,000 in grant money from the state�s Workforce Training and Education Board to establish skill panels designed to fill specific needs within these industry sectors.

�Our state�s industry skill panels act as a catalyst to bring business, labor and education together in an alliance to provide Washington workers the skills they need and Washington businesses the employees they need in this, high tech, exceptionally competitive world economy,� Gov. Gregoire said. �We all win as a result of these critical efforts.�

Details of the ten skill panels are:

Rural Manufacturing will assist manufacturers across Eastern Washington to train new and existing employees in soft skills, basic manufacturing, and technical job requirements. Partners include the Workforce Development Council (WDC) and the two Economic Development Councils working in Stevens, Ferry, Pend Oreille, Asotin, Whitman, and Garfield Counties.

A State-Wide Skill Panel for Food Processing will work with Washington� s food processors to fill their employment needs in critical maintenance and operator positions. It also will focus to developing training for women, Hispanics and other minorities interested in becoming supervisors and managers. Partners include the Tri-County WDC working in cooperation with the Northwest Food Processors Association.

Wood Products Manufacturing will work with Northwest Washington employers to develop a more effective training program for this key industry. This industry skill panel is a collaboration of WorkSource partners, including Employment Security, the WDC, and Bellingham Technical College.

The Maritime Industry has found itself facing low worker availability, retention problems, and the ability of mariners to advance. In response to this need, the Pacific Maritime Institute is partnering with Seattle Central Community College�s Maritime Academy to form a skill panel addressing these issues.

The Aerospace Industry with the leadership of the Snohomish Counties Workforce Development and Economic Development Councils will establish the essential partnerships necessary to support the thousands of small and medium sized businesses that supply this key industry cluster in the Puget Sound Region and throughout the state.

The Life Sciences Industry will develop a comprehensive bioscience action plan for the Puget Sound region that will connect existing and new businesses with the developing educational programs at community and technical colleges, the University of Washington, and the variety of science programs offered through the K-12 school system. Partners include the Seattle-King County WDC, Shoreline and Bellevue Community Colleges, the Puget Sound Regional Council, Prosperity Partnership, and the Seattle-King County AFL-CIO.

Energy Production Technology will produce training standards for the energy industry, in particular those for instrumentation and control technician, the boiler/turbine operator, and hydro operator jobs. Based at Centralia College, the effort will establish a strategic relationship between energy, management, labor, and the Center of Excellence at the college.

The Medical Devices Industry is a distinct part of the biotechnology industry due to the very different workforce needs of the employers. Edmonds Community College will define both the employment and skills gap and criteria for this industry.

Electronic Gaming expands Lake Washington Technical College�s support of the independent game companies in King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap counties that collectively employ thousands. This effort will address the workforce needs necessary to continue the growth of the industry.

Health Care will continue its efforts at both the WDC and hospital level around the state to reduce hiring and training costs, and improve job matches. It will then incorporate career and wage progression options as part of the recruitment process.

Started in 2000, industry skill panels are private/public partnerships that work to ensure employees in key industries have the skills needed to keep Washington competitive. Industry-led, the panels are alliances that include business leaders, labor representatives and educators serving a specific industry. Each panel is initially funded by the state�s Workforce Board and develops strategies to provide:
� Workers with better skills, jobs and career opportunities
� Employers with more efficiency, less turnover and higher profits
� Educators with the type of skills students need in order to succeed in that specific industry
� Public agencies with data on employers� skill needs.

�All of our most recent surveys tell us that employers still find it difficult to find skilled workers,� said Ellen O�Brien Saunders, executive director of the Workforce Board. �Industry skill panels ensure that business, education and labor are actively engaged in developing strategies and programs that will help our education and training programs meet the current and future needs of our workforce.�

Washington state currently has more than forty industry skill panels across the state in such fields as health care, manufacturing, construction, aerospace, life sciences, food processing, electronics, energy, gaming software and information technology.

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