Gov. Gregoire helps kick off school year at Tacoma's Bates Technical College

September 2, 2008

AS WRITTEN

Good Morning, and thank you David Borofsky for the kind introduction.

I�m pleased to be here this morning for the opening day of the school year � and I hope each of you had a great summer.

I know I did. For one thing, Mike and I successfully negotiated the wedding-industrial complex and saw our daughter, Courtney, to the altar last month.

It was a great day � and we love Scott, our new son-in-law. But talk about drama!

The wedding � with 250 guests -- was held on the lawn at the Governor�s Residence, and it was perfect except for one little thing � the rainy weather.

So the entire day leading up to the ceremony was devoted to keeping Courtney calm and bride-like.

So that was the highlight of my summer.

Anybody else here see their son or daughter or other relative to the altar this summer? Raise your hands.

You and I are soul mates now! We have completed one of life�s important passages.

Speaking of major passages -- I want to begin today by telling you that in my nearly four years as Governor, I have become a huge proponent of the kind of important work Bates Technical College has been doing for almost 70 years.

We have fundamentally changed the conversation in Olympia about education.

And I want you to know that among the big changes is a new commitment to making sure we provide Washington�s economy with a new generation of men and women able to step up and�

�Build our buildings

�Make our airplane parts

�Repair our diesel engines

�Weld our pipelines

�Fabricate our sheet metal

�Style our hair

�Staff our doctors� offices and hospitals as practical nurses and medical technicians.

�Safely drive our 18-wheelers

�And perform other vital jobs that require real, specialized skills.

The leading edge of my generation � the baby boom generation � is already leaving the job site for the golf course (or maybe just the living room couch) in growing numbers.

And we very much need a new generation of workers who can keep Washington�s economy moving forward while, at the same time, making the kind of wages that will support families.

You, the faculty and staff at Bates play a critical role, now and in the future.

In fact, I hope you take pride in the fact that wherever you look out there at the busy, bustling world of work -- you can see the results of your work. You are the people who gave those work skills to so many Washingtonians � and gave them a new, productive life.

When I think of all the Washingtonians you have put on the road to a happier, richer life, I like to think of Ashleigh Freitas (FREED-us), who graduated two years ago with a degree in Diesel & Heavy Equipment Mechanics

Ashleigh was a single mother after suffering the devastating loss of her son�s father. For a time, she was homeless and receiving help from the Tacoma Rescue Mission.

But Ashleigh was a determined woman, and she enrolled at Bates in what most would agree is a non-traditional occupational path for women --, diesel and heavy equipment mechanics.

She thrived in the program and also became involved in student life, ultimately as the president of Bates� Associated Student Government.

Ashleigh now works for Northwest Forklift, a respected company with a 70-year track record of providing equipment service and repair throughout the Western states. She has a family wage job and she is a productive Washingtonian.

Then, of course, you all know the story of Tony Lewis, who graduated from your apprenticeship program 30 years ago with a degree in Electrical Construction.

Tony went on not only to carve out a very successful life in his profession � but to come back to Bates to share his gifts with students.

Tony says he considers Bates to be the foundation on which all his successes were built, from his skills to his leadership in his union.
Tony started work as an apprentice -- and that brings up something very important.

And it�s that apprenticeships for motivated high school kids attracted to the trades are a critical piece of the world-class, learner focused education system we are building right now.

Working with Bates and other technical colleges, we launched the �Running Start for the Trades Program� and thanks to you, it�s working even better than I had hoped.

Together, we�re connecting high-school kids to the trades. We are increasing graduation rates, preparing kids for a good career, and meeting the need for these high-demand, good-paying jobs.

And we have almost doubled the number of these apprenticeships to nearly 15,000 so far.

These apprentices will build real careers for Washingtonians � careers they can count on � and I�m very grateful to Bates for providing the classrooms and field sites to educate these kids.

I mentioned our work to build a world-class, focused education system, and we are definitely getting there. And if for no other reason -- it�s because we have to get there.

You know as well as anyone that the world economy in which we live just won�t wait. If we don�t have the knowledge and skills to produce the goods and provide the innovation � then they�ll do it in China or India or Europe.

That�s why education is the bedrock of our state business plan -- and it starts in early childhood.

We have created a Department of Early Learning to make sure our kids are prepared from the moment they enter first grade. Just one big step we�re taking is to expand all-day kindergarten, beginning with school districts where the kids need it most.

We have invested in our K-12 system in significant ways. When I took office, two voter-approved initiatives to improve our schools had been put on the shelf.

We took them office the shelf � and as a result, our classrooms are less crowded and our teachers are better paid.

We invested in our colleges and universities to open the door to thousands more students, and provided the resources for more students to pursue a career in the trades here at Bates and elsewhere.

We also have made the right investments to keep our economy strong and diversified so our young people can get good jobs when they leave school � from the from the wheat fields of the Palouse to solar panel component manufacturing in Moses Lake to start-up high tech companies in Tacoma.

Right now, Washingtonians are suffering the same high gas and food prices and struggling housing market as the rest of the nation. But compared to other states, we are still in relatively better shape.

We have created more than 200,000 jobs in the past three years, and the export of Washington products has doubled. In fact, our exports increased 30 percent from last June to this June.

Forbes Magazine � probably the most respected business magazine in the country � just moved us from 5th to 3rd place as the best state to do business.

Don�t tell me Washington isn�t noted as a business-friendly state � a state with a culture of innovation and optimism.

And I see that culture of innovative this morning at Bates Technical College.

I am grateful for the work you do to help our young people � and some not so young � build better lives and keep our economy strong.

And I congratulate all of you as you begin another year sharing your gifts to create a better Washington.

Thank you.