Item No.

7b attach 2
Meeting Date: July 14, 2020

Workforce Development
Strategic Plan
2021-2023

Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

July 15, 2020

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Executive Summary

II. Introduction/Overview
• Workforce Development Policy Directive guided the strategic plan
• OEDI/Workforce Development Team
• Centering equity, diversity and inclusion
• Workforce development vision and mission

III. Strategic Planning Process

• Review of current strategies and programs
• Community listening sessions
• Sessions with internal and external partners
• Results of investments analysis, etc.

IV. Landscape Analysis

• Regional economic and labor market assessment
• Community input
• Workforce development system analysis
• COVID-19 impact and response/recovery

V. Workforce Development Sector Strategies

• Aviation Sector
• Construction Trades Sector
• Maritime Sector
• Green Careers/Jobs Sector

VI. Plan Administration

• Staffing
• Port Investment

Note: This plan is subject to adjustments by additional executive guidance, market conditions and impacts of Covid-19.

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 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction
At the request of the Port of Seattle Commission, the staff in the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
(OEDI) initiated the process of developing a Workforce Development Strategic Plan (WFD Plan) for three
years (2021-2023). The plan development was guided by the Century Agenda, the Workforce
Development Policy Directive adopted on June 23, 2020, data and market analysis, and stakeholder
feedback. The plan ensures that the Port’s workforce development investments and activities produce
outcomes that support a skilled workforce in Port related industries, and that workforce development
programs create equitable access for all, and the WFD Plan includes a detailed analysis of the regional
landscape, and an in-depth analysis of strategic Port investments for 2015-2019, and the proposed
investments for 2021-2023.

Covid-19 Impacts
During the plan development, the impacts of COVID 19 became clear. The team included appropriate
adjustments in the plan to ensure that the most impacted communities are provided with access to
training and education, and career opportunities in port industries and activities to assist them with the
recovery process.

Community Engagement
Significant engagement occurred with over 200 internal and external workforce development
stakeholders including; Port staff, community-based organizations, individuals who received services
from those organizations, labor and industry partners. The feedback informed many of the proposed
strategies. Staff in OEID will meet at regular intervals with those stakeholders to ensure that we are
providing transparency and accountability.

The Workforce Development Policy Directive

The purpose of the Policy Directive is to fulfill the Century Agenda strategic objectives by increasing
equitable access for workers in port-related economic activities such as maritime, aviation, construction
trades, green careers, and other economic sectors, creating opportunities for workers to acquire the
skills, experience, and education they need to secure increasingly complex and better compensated jobs
and careers; and guiding the workforce development efforts of the Port of Seattle to benefit near-port
communities, Port customers and tenants, and port-related economic activities.

Staffing and Investments

The WDF Plan includes the addition of Program Managers for Maritime and Construction, Aviation, Youth
and Green Careers, as well as, adding a senior analyst to support the database analysis and reporting.
The proposed investment for 2021-2023 is $11.7 million and includes the staffing costs and investments
by sector (maritime, aviation, construction trades, and green careers). Each strategy and activity in each
sector have been priced accordingly.

Conclusion
This strategic plan affirms the Port’s commitment to workforce development in Port related industries.
This plan is also the culmination of significant analysis guided by Port Commissioners Stephanie Bowman
and Sam Cho of the Equity and Workforce Development Committee, Executive Director Steve Metruck,
Sr Director OEDI Bookda Gheisar, support from consultant Bob Watrus, Port staff, and community and
industry partners.

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 BACKGROUND

I. Introduction/Overview

The Port of Seattle

Founded in 1911 by a vote of the people as a special purpose government, the Port of Seattle's
mission is committed to creating opportunity for all, stewarding our environment responsibly,
partnering with surrounding communities, promoting social responsibility, conducting ourselves
transparently and holding ourselves accountable.
The Port of Seattle is a leader in moving people and cargo across the country and around the world.
With facilities and property ranging in scope from a half-acre park to one of the largest airports and
container terminals on the West Coast, we maximize the public assets in our portfolio with an eye
toward best uses and environmental sustainability.
Mission
Our mission is to promote economic opportunities and quality of life in the region by
advancing trade, travel, commerce and job creation in an equitable, accountable and
environmentally responsible manner.
Vision
Our vision is to add 100,000 jobs through economic growth led by the Port, for a total of
300,000 Port-related jobs in the region, while reducing our environmental footprint. We are
committed to creating opportunity for all, stewarding our environment responsibly,
partnering with surrounding communities, promoting social responsibility, conducting
ourselves transparently and holding ourselves accountable.

Previous Commission Actions

For decades, the Port of Seattle has made significant commitments to expand our involvement in
the regional workforce development efforts. The Port was one of the first public agency to directly
support investments in pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs. The Port Commission has
continued to affirm its commitment by authorizing financial and people resources dedicated to
supporting regional workforce development. For example, the Port was a founding member of the
non-profit organization Port Jobs, which has been providing training to incumbent workers since
1992, and access to job seekers into Port related jobs, with outreach efforts in under-represented
communities.

• The Century Agenda

Adopted in December 2012, and revised in April 2018, the Port Commission affirmed its
commitment to workforce development as an integral part of achieving economic growth.
Strategy 3 of the Century Agenda states, “Use the Port’s influence as an institution to promote
women and minority business enterprise (WMBE) growth, small business growth, and workforce
development”. The strategy objectives include the increase of workforce training, job, and
business opportunities for local communities in trade, travel, and logistics.

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 • Motion on Increasing Workforce Development and Career Opportunities Activities
Adopted in July 2014, the motion articulates the Port’s major goals for workforce development
and directed the Port leadership to develop strategies to achieve them. The motion states that
Port of Seattle believes that workforce development is critical to achieving the Port’s primary
mission to serve as an economic development agency generating quality, family-wage jobs and
economic growth for the region and increasing operational efficiency and economic mobility.

• Resolution 3746 Priority Hire Directive (As Amended)

Adopted in April 2018, amending the Policy Directive adopted by Resolution 3725, with the
purpose of providing good family wage jobs to qualified construction workers from Economically
Distressed Areas of King County by increasing access to Port of Seattle Covered Projects. This
leads to economic growth and job creation in areas of King County that are experiencing
economic distress. In addition, it provides jobs to those historically underrepresented in the
construction industry, such as women and people of color. Priority Hire is implemented in
cooperation with the Regional Public Owners Group (RPO) to ensure uniform application of
Priority Hire terms and Contractor and Union compliance with Priority Hire requirements.
• Equity and Workforce Development Special Commission Committee
Established in February 2020, it expands the previous Workforce Development Committee by
providing information, advice, and recommendations about the Port’s equity, workforce
development, and career connected learning programs and policies, and diversity in contracting
goals. The committee also monitors the implementation of the Port’s Diversity in Contracting
policy, reviews and recommends to the commission policies that provide economic development
opportunities to women- and minority-owned business enterprises based on equity principles.

Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

In 2019, the Port of Seattle created the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OEDI), charged with
ensuring that equity goals are incorporated throughout Port operations and providing strategic and
policy direction on equity issues, and in October 2019, the workforce development program was
transferred to OEDI. The OEDI Strategic Plan includes the following foundational principles:
• Leadership deepening understanding about equity and anti-racism through trainings,
workshops, and speaker events.
• As an agency, joining the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), a national network
of governments working to achieve racial equity.
• Employees participating in trainings about equity and institutional racism.
• Formation of a cross-functional staff team sponsored by Port’s Executive Leadership Team
(ELT) to lead equity work across the enterprise.
• Creation of a Racial Equity Toolkit with initial implementation through pilot projects.
• Creation and implementation of the Duwamish Valley environmental justice project.
• Creation of dedicated full-time staff positions, including a Senior Director of Equity, Diversity
and Inclusion, a Director of Equity Programs and other key staff.
• Implementation of a robust equity-based workforce development strategy.

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COVID-19 Response and Recovery Efforts
At the direction of the Port Commission, staff from various departments proposed immediate and
ongoing mitigation efforts to help those most impacted by the loss of jobs and income in Port
related industries. The Port developed economic opportunities such as; contracting opportunities
and support for immediate internships and employment for youth and young adults through
community-based organizations. The Port Commission also passed the Opportunity Jobs Motion to
create summer internships to mitigate the significant impact to youth employment resulting from
cancelled internships across our region and the country due to COVID-19.
The workforce development plan includes specific COVID-19 response efforts targeted to benefit
individuals in the communities most impacted by COVID-19. Each Port sector has specific strategies
and activities such as targeted training and access to employment opportunities in Port industries.

Community Engagement
During the plan development process, staff had significant engagement with over two-hundred
internal and external workforce development stakeholders including; Port staff, community-based
organizations, and individuals who received services from those organizations, also labor and
industry partners. The feedback informed many of the proposed strategies. Staff in OEID continue
to will meet at regular intervals with stakeholders to ensure that we are providing transparency and
accountability. A community report provided key information that informed the strategic plan. The
main themes of the community report include requests for:
• Increased transparency and more public communications regarding workforce development
plans, outcomes, budgets, make contract opportunities less complex and more expedited,
and contract award processes.
• Better coordination across regional workforce development systems to avoid duplications.
• Include wrap-around services as part of the Port’s investments with service providers and
training organizations to better address retention and completion challenges.
• Conduct continuous community outreach, specifically to historically underrepresented
populations.
• Prepare Employers to ensure employer readiness to increase retention by conducting
equity, diversity, and inclusion trainings to ensure that they have the cultural competence to
work with a diverse workforce.
• Expand access and investments in Port related career pathways in-demand careers.

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 The following is a graphical representation of the community sessions:

178 PARTICIPANTS

Construction Participants (n=178)

52% Participants Include staff from
community-based organizations and
their clients who received services.
Aviation
28% Maritime
17%

Government
3%

The Workforce Development Plan

Guided by these principles and with clear direction provided by the Port of Seattle Commission to
ensure that the Port’s workforce development investments and activities produce outcomes that
support a skilled workforce in Port related industries, and that workforce development programs
create equitable access for all.
The next pages describe in detail the elements of the Workforce Development Strategic Plan for the
years 2021, 2022, 2023.

The Workforce Development Policy Directive

The purpose of the Workforce Development Policy Directive is to fulfil Century Agenda strategic
objectives by increasing equitable access for workers in port-related economic activities such as
maritime, aviation, construction trades, green careers, and other economic sectors, creating
opportunities for workers to acquire the skills, experience, and education they need to secure
increasingly complex and better compensated jobs and careers; and guiding the workforce
development efforts of the Port of Seattle to benefit near-port communities, Port customers and
tenants, and port-related economic activities.
Workforce development is critical to achieving the Port’s mission to serve as an economic
development agency. As a regional anchor institution, the Port will leverage its cross-sector
influence and leadership to promote long-term, sustainable advancements across port-related
economic activities that promote equity. This policy directive advances the Port of Seattle’s
commitment to workforce development and is intended to:
o Increase Equitable Access to Economic Prosperity
o Leverage Port Impact and Innovation

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 The Workforce Development Policy Directive guides the workforce development efforts of the
Port of Seattle and supports targeted efforts for near-port communities, underrepresented
communities, and port related industries in King County and in Washington State and is intended
to:
o Center diversity, equity and inclusion
o Create equitable access to economic prosperity
o Leverage partnerships
o Increase the availability of a skilled workforce for the port and port related industries
o Demonstrate measurable outcomes

The Policy Directive will enable the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (OEDI) to advance the
Port’s commitment to workforce development programs and will support targeted efforts that
directly benefit communities impacted by Port activities, underrepresented communities, and port-
related industries in King County and in Washington State. The Policy Directive includes the following
goals:

• Goal 1: Increase Equitable Access to Economic Prosperity. Increase equitable workforce access
for the trades in port-related economic activities, with an emphasis on expanding opportunities
to disproportionately impacted near-port communities which and most disproportionately
impacted. Port staff will develop program priorities, actions, benchmarks, and metrics for success:

o Focus on workforce training and education on Port and port-related economic activities
o Promote access to wrap around services and infrastructure
o Career Pathways in Port sectors
o Career Connected Learning Practices (Awareness, Experiential, Preparation, Launch)
• Goal 2: Leverage Port Impact and Innovation. Identify and prioritize opportunities for leadership
and influence to promote a sector-based approach to workforce development centered on equity,
diversity and inclusion.:

o Make strategic investments in the maritime, aviation, construction trades, green

careers, and other port-related economic activities
o Develop metrics to demonstrate the opportunities for leadership, influence and
investment.
o Create targeted emphasis to increase workforce development programs in near-port
communities.
o Leverage industry participation to increase recruitment and retention of workers in
port-related demand occupation high need careers.
o Create awareness and access to education and career pathways in port related
industries.
o Leverage port-related industry investment in programs that support training for basic
skills and career advancement.

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 o Invest Port funds in recruitment, retention, and training programs that will leverage
increased investment in port-related careers.
o Foster partnership with community-based organizations, educational institutions,
labor, industry stakeholders, and government agencies
o Support Priority Hire and ongoing government to government coordination to improve
apprenticeship outcomes for individuals living in economically distressed zip codes,
women and people of color.
o Support Career and Technical Education, CTE
o Create opportunities to support port and port-related industry apprentice and pre-
apprentice programs.
o Improve access to educational and career support resources.
o Support Youth Employment

II. Strategic Planning Process

The planning process methodology included a review of guiding principles provided by the Port
Commission, a review of Port investments, considerable internal and external stakeholder
engagement, and the development of strategies and activities to meet the established targets and
outcomes.
Plan Mission
Advance regional workforce development in port-related industries to provide equitable
access to quality careers.
Plan Vision
All people have equitable opportunities and access to living wage careers.
The OEDI team developed a sector-based three-year Workforce Development Strategic Plan for
2021, 2022, 2023, presented to the Port Commission in public session on July 14, 2020. Staff
conducted extensive analysis of past Port investments and outcomes in workforce development,
and the team has met with internal and external stakeholders to better understand the successes,
gaps and opportunities that exist for a more strategic approach to workforce development.

• Elements of the 2021-2023 Plan

The Workforce Development Strategic Plan was developed following three overarching
strategies embedded in the Workforce Development Policy Directive: one focused on near-Port
communities, another ensuring impactful Port investments in high-demand careers, and one
ensuring access to training and opportunities to historically underrepresented populations,
people of color and women.

• Staffing
The Workforce Development team will be composed of a department director, program
managers, data analyst and external subject matter experts who will manage the
implementation of the various strategies including; systems change, policy recommendations,
market research, data collection and analytics, and communications related to workforce
development.

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 • Port Sector Strategies
The plan continues the port sector strategy approach of the last few years. The following are the
core priorities of the Workforce Development Strategic Plan:
1. Increase Equitable workforce access to port-related industries, with an emphasis on
expanding access to near-port communities which are furthest from economic and social
justice.
2. Leverage Port Impact by identifying and prioritizing opportunities for leadership and
influence to promote a sector-based approach to workforce development centered on
equity, diversity and inclusion.
3. Ensure that a qualified team of Port staff and external subject matter experts is available and
supported with the appropriate resources and investments to deliver on the promise of a
more inclusive and equitable workforce pipeline in Port related industries.

III. Landscape Analysis

The OEDI team has developed a sector-based three-year Workforce Development Strategic Plan for
the period 2021, 2022, 2023, which will be presented to the Port Commission in public session in
July 2020. Staff conducted extensive analysis of past Port investments and outcomes in workforce
development, and the team has met with internal and external stakeholders to better understand
the successes, gaps and opportunities that exist for a more strategic approach to workforce
development.
The Port’s workforce development strategic plan for 2021-23 considers an assessment of the
regional economy and labor market, with a focus on port-related industries and occupations; input
from the community; an analysis of the regional workforce development system; and COVID-19
impact and response/recovery.
• Regional Economy and Labor Market Assessment
COVID-19 has had a major, disruptive impact on the regional economy and labor market. One
indicator: unemployment insurance (UI) claims. In a nine-week period, there were over 300,000
UI claims in King County.1 This included tens of thousands of workers in port-related industries
and occupations. At this point, it’s unclear how long it will take for the economy to recover.
However, there are certain fundamentals of the Seattle-King County economy and labor market
that will likely remain.
First, equity and inclusion in the regional economy will remain issues to address. As detailed in
the Brookings Institution’s Metro Monitor 2020 report, the Seattle metro economy ranks high
on growth and prosperity, but less so on equity and inclusion.2 Findings for the time period
from 2008 to 2018 include:

1 https://esd.wa.gov/labormarket/unemployment-insurance-data
2 Brookings Institution, “Metro Monitor 2020: Prosperity is increasing in America’s largest metro areas, but not for everyone,”
available at https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2020/03/04/metro-monitor-2020-prosperity-is-increasing-in-americas-
largest-metro-areas-but-not-for-everyone/

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 • Growth – Seattle ranked 10th on overall growth among the 53 metro areas with
populations over 1 million. It ranked 15th on change in jobs (+16 percent) and 4th on
change in Gross Metropolitan Product (+42 percent).
• Prosperity – Seattle ranked 3rd on overall prosperity. It ranked 2nd on change in
productivity (+22 percent), 3rd on change in average annual wage (+28 percent), and
4th on change in standard of living (+21 percent).
• Inclusion – Seattle ranked 15th on overall inclusion. It ranked 32nd on change in
employment rate (+0.1 percent), 7th on change in median earnings (+10 percent), and
25th on change in relative poverty rate (-1 percent).
• On racial inclusion, Seattle ranked 16th overall. It ranked 26th on change in
white/people of color employment rate gap (-1 percent), 15th on change in
white/people of color median earnings gap (-$515), and 14th on change in white/people
of color relative poverty rate gap (-1 percent).
• On geographic inclusion, Seattle ranked 29th overall. It ranked 6th on change in
top/bottom neighborhoods employment rate gap (-12 percent), 48th on change in
top/bottom neighborhoods median household income gap (+$6,929), and 32nd on
change in top/bottom neighborhoods relative poverty rate gap (-1 percent).
• Looking at just the 2017 to 2018 time period, Seattle ranked 2nd on growth, 4th on
prosperity, and 11th on inclusion.
Second, port-related industries and occupations will remain a good source of quality, family
wage jobs and, therefore, a target of opportunity for workforce development efforts. For
example, almost two thirds of all construction jobs in Seattle-King County paid $30 an hour or
more in 2018, as shown in the chart below. This compares to 55 percent of jobs across all
sectors. For aviation, the figure was 53 percent and maritime, 52 percent.

Seattle-King County Jobs by Industry and Wage Category, 2018

30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
<$12 $12-$18 $18-$24 $24-$30 $30-$36 $36-$42 $42-$48 $48-$54 $54+
Total Aviation Construction Maritime

Source: Washington Employment Security Department, 2020

Note: Aviation includes NAICS codes 4811 and 4881, Construction NAICS code 23, and Maritime NAICS codes 112511,
112512, 114111, 114112, 311710, 336611, 336612, 424460, 441222, 483111, 483112, 483113, 483114, 483211,
483212, 487210,488210, 488310, 488320, 488330, 488390, 488510, 493120, and 713930

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Many of the key occupations in port-related industries are quality, family wage jobs that require
some postsecondary education and training, but less than a four-year degree, as shown in the table
below
Employment, Wages, and Education & Training for
Key Occupations in Port-Related Industries in Seattle-King County
Employment in Median Hourly Education &
Industry (2019) Wage Training
Aviation
Flight Attendants 4,195 $31.22 HSD/GED; OJT
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers 2,344 $99.42 Bachelor’s; OJT
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material
Movers, Hand Transportation Attendants 1,925 $17.12 No formal; OJT
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians 1,780 $32.92 Postsecondary
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents
and Travel Clerks 1,695 $18.26 HSD/GED; OJT
Construction
Carpenters 11,809 $30.25 Apprenticeship
Construction Laborers 10,856 $23.70 No formal; OJT
Electricians 6,581 $36.97 Apprenticeship
Painters, Construction and Maintenance 4,644 $20.21 No formal; OJT
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters 3,482 $36.26 Apprenticeship
Maritime
Sailors and Marine Oilers 1,072 $24.90 No formal; OJT
Captains, Mates, and Water Vessel Pilots 863 $40.41 Postsecondary
Ship Engineers 637 $39.73 Postsecondary
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material 575 $17.12 No formal; OJT
Movers, Hand Transportation Attendants 217 $17.44 HSD/GED; OJT
Sources: City of Seattle Office of Economic Development/Emsi, 2020
Note: Aviation includes NAICS codes 4811 and 4881; Construction NAICS code 23; and Maritime NAICS codes 3366,
4831, 4832, and 4883

Third, people of color and women will remain underrepresented in port-related industries and
occupations, absent equity, diversity and inclusion efforts. For example, whites make up 78
percent of the maritime workforce in Seattle-King County and men,74 percent.
Given all the current economic uncertainty, labor market analysis is built into the strategic plan to
help inform the Port’s workforce development efforts moving forward.
Related 2021-23 strategies and activities include: Conduct labor market assessments of port-
related industries and occupations to identify gaps and opportunities. This includes analysis of
regional economic and labor market data and information, and input from internal and external
partners (e.g., employers, unions, industry groups, and community-based organizations).

(See Workforce Development Strategies section for more detailed information on 2021-2023 strategies and activities.)

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• Community Input
As part of the strategic planning process, OEDI/Workforce Development conducted a series of
listening sessions with community-based organizations and participants in their workforce
development programs funded by the Port as well as public partners; surveyed community
partners on the impact of COVID-19 and response and recovery efforts; and held input and
feedback sessions with external partners.
Key findings and recommendations from the listening sessions included:
• Community outreach. Be more visible and conduct more outreach, specifically to
historically underrepresented populations and underserved, disproportionately
impacted communities.
• Partnerships. Partner with local government, workforce development agencies and
boards, education and training providers, community-based organizations, and others.
• Career pathways. Expand career pathways in port-related industries.
• Employer engagement. Engage employers in port-related industries in workforce
development efforts (e.g., bring employers to the table as partners, and provide equity,
diversity, and inclusion training).
• Wrap-around support. Provide funding for wrap-around services and supports (e.g.,
tools, transportation, child care, mentoring and networking, etc.) to increase worker
retention and completion.
• Port transparency in procurement and contracting. Make it easier for partners to work
with the Port (e.g., greater transparency in terms of funding and program performance,
and streamlined procurement and contracting).
2021-23 strategies and activities that respond to this community input include:
• Incorporate outreach. Outreach to historically underrepresented populations and
underserved, disproportionately impacted communities as part of workforce
development strategies and programs (e.g., construction worker outreach, training, and
retention services; and maritime career awareness and access).
• Work with regional workforce development partners. Work at both the program and
systems levels (e.g., planning, developing, and implementing career pathway programs
in partnership with education and training providers, community-based organizations,
and industry partners; collaborating with other regional public owners such as the City
of Seattle and King County to build a skilled construction trades pipeline; etc.).
• Support development of equitable career pathways. Support programs in the port-
related industries of aviation, construction trades, maritime, and green jobs.
• Engage industry partners. Work and collaborate with industry in planning, developing,
and implementing career pathway programs, including upskill/backfill.
• Build wrap-around services. Ensure that wrap around services are built into the Port’s
workforce development contracts with community partners to increase retention and
completion.

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 • Promote creation of a regional workforce development fund. Support a fund for wrap-
around services and other essential services and support.
• Review Port policies and recommend changes Ensure that policies address issues and
concerns raised by community partners regarding procurement and contracting and
establish a feedback loop system to get their input on an ongoing basis on progress
made.
• Evaluate and share results. Share results and outcomes of workforce development
contracts, as part of transparency and continuous improvement.

• Regional Workforce Development System Analysis

The regional workforce development system has a number of gaps when it comes to port-
related industries, historically underrepresented populations, and underserved,
disproportionately impacted communities, including equitable access to career pathways and
related programs, equitable retention and completion rates, regional partnerships and
collaboration, funding for wrap around services, and industry engagement.
2021-2023 strategies and activities that address these gaps include:

• Support development of equitable career pathways and related programs in the port-
related industries of aviation, construction trades, maritime, and green jobs.
• Collaborate with other regional public owners such as the City of Seattle and King
County as well as other construction partners to increase access to apprenticeship and
pre-apprenticeship programs and improve outcomes for historically underrepresented
populations and underserved, disproportionately impacted communities.
• Work with regional postsecondary education and training partners to strengthen
training tied to port-related industries and increase equitable access, retention, and
completion (e.g., outreach; onramps; contextualized, integrated math and English;
participant services, supports, and financial assistance; training at accessible times and
locations; etc.).
• Promote creation of a regional workforce development fund for wrap-around services
and other essential services and supports to help increase retention and completion.
• Support development of and participate in port-related industry tables (e.g.,
maritime), as part of the regional workforce development system. This includes
providing the Port’s industry expertise and bringing industry partners in port-related
industries to the table.
• Support K-12 curriculum development and teacher professional development tied to
port-related industries.

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 • COVID-19 Impact and Response/Recovery
COVID-19 has had a major, disruptive impact on the Seattle-King County economy and labor
market, as already noted, with over 300,000 workers in the region filing UI claims in a nine-week
period.
An analysis of UI claims from the Seattle metro area, conducted by the Seattle Jobs Initiative,
shows that:
• “Not all industries are equally affected by the COVID-19-driven recession, and within
industries, not all occupations are equally affected.” In port-related industries, UI claims
account for 35 percent of pre-COVID-19 jobs in construction and 22 percent in
transportation and warehousing.

• “The hardest hit occupations are those that are low-paying, where workers are close to
other people, and there is no option of telecommuting.”

• “Workers of color, younger workers, and those with lower educational attainment have
both sustained more job losses in the first wave of COVID-19 layoffs and are
overrepresented in the essential workforce.”3

The Port’s community workforce development partners are seeing directly the impact of COVID-
19 on the communities they serve. In an OEDI/Workforce Development survey conducted as
part of the strategic planning process, community partners reported on the greatest equity gaps
they are seeing right now: those working in low wage jobs losing their jobs in large numbers
and suffering financial emergencies as a result; families being forced to isolate in small one or
two bedroom apartments day in and day out; many individuals trying to find work, leaving their
houses to feed their families, putting them more at risk of COVID-19; and people having
difficulty accessing services and supports (e.g., language barriers, lack of funding, etc.). And, as
noted by one community partner, due to structural disproportionalities, these communities will
struggle much longer to recover.
A Port survey results show the impact COVID-19 is having on the Port’s community workforce
development partners – their ability to carry out workforce development programs, the
demand for services and supports, and how these services and supports are provided.
Survey highlights include:
• Most respondents reported that COVID-19 has had either a significant or severe impact
on their ability to carry out their workforce development programs.
• Most respondents reported having experienced a significant increase in requests for
financial support and unemployment support.
• Respondents reported seeing as the greatest needs right now: emergency assistance
(financial assistance, food assistance, and rental assistance), help accessing services and
support, and jobs.
• Most respondents reported providing services and supports online/virtually (e.g., online
classes, online help with unemployment services, virtual help and telephone one-on-one

3Seattle Jobs Initiative, COVID-Recession & Recovery, May 2020, available at www.seattlejobsinitiative.com/wp-
content/uploads/COVID-19-Recession-and-Recovery-Brief.pdf

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 assistance with job search and Basic Food Employment and Training, etc.). Here, issues
include digital literacy, internet access, and language barriers.

Community partners also shared their ideas on how the Port can be a partner in helping plan
for recovery. Among their responses:
• Coordinate with partners to develop a strategy for recovery.
• Support near port communities, particularly in south King County.
• Support and fund recovery efforts, including strategies to put people to work.
• Support culturally responsive outreach, engagement and information sharing, targeting
underserved, disproportionately impacted communities.
• Stand as an advocate for equity by allowing spaces for communities of color impacted
by COVID-19 to tell their stories.
2021-2023 Strategies and activities related to COVID-19 response and recovery include:
• Establish COVID-19 roundtable(s) with workforce development stakeholders (including
Port aviation, construction, and maritime divisions) to assess the effects of COVID-19 on
communities of color and near port communities. This includes gathering quantitative
and qualitative data on community impacts from partners (e.g., quarterly surveys),
discussing findings, and using findings to guide the Port’s COVID-19 response and
recovery efforts.
• Review labor market data for COVID-19 impacts on aviation, construction trades,
maritime, and green jobs, discuss findings with partners and stakeholders and learn
about direct impacts on communities through the roundtable, and identify gaps to
determine where direct investment would be most impactful.
• Support COVID-19 response and recovery legislation at the federal, state, and local
levels with information on the impact of COVID-19 on the Port and port-related
industries and a special emphasis on relief for disproportionately impacted
communities.
• Make adjustments to the Port’s workforce development programs, based on research
on the impact of COVID-19 on aviation, construction trades, maritime, and green jobs as
well as survey data and roundtable discussions (e.g., targeting of career pathways;
partners and service providers; services and supports, including wrap-around supports;
communities; and investments).

15 | P a g e
IV. Sector Strategies
The Workforce Development Strategic Plan continues the Port sector strategies, which allows for specific
strategies and activities that are most effective in Port industries and activities in aviation, maritime,
construction trades and green careers. Each sector is described in detail in the following sections.

1 Aviation Sector Strategy

The aviation strategy creates access to SeaTac International Airport (SEA) employment opportunities
for job seekers and develops career pathways for entry workers at the airport, with a focus on
historically underrepresented populations and underserved communities. It provides direct support
to SEA (passenger air, air cargo, and connected subsectors such as logistics, maintenance,
restaurant/hospitality, and retail). This includes recruitment, retention support, education and
training, and aviation career pathway programs.

The aviation strategy considers the Port Commission’s Motion on Increasing Workforce Development
and Career Opportunities Activates (July 2014, as amended), which identified that workforce
development is critical to achieving the Port’s primary mission to serve as an economic development
agency generating quality, family-wage jobs”. The Commission also affirmed that “the Port’s over-
arching workforce development objective is to ensure that the maritime, aviation, airport, and
related sectors have access to workers who have the necessary skills to provide safe and efficient
maritime and aviation services, and that the workers have opportunities to acquire the skills and
education they need to secure increasingly complex and better compensated jobs”.

2015-2019 Elements of the Aviation Sector Strategy

During the analysis period of 2015 through 2019, the aviation strategy has included the following
elements:

• Airport Employment Center – Connects jobs seekers to employment opportunities at the

airport. Specific services and supports include job matching/placement, job readiness and
core training, career navigation and counseling, referrals to community resources, and
employer services (e.g., job fairs and targeted recruitment).
• Airport University – Provides airport workers postsecondary education and training
opportunities, with credit bearing courses offered onsite at the airport. Courses include
workplace safety and security, customer service, business technology, and leadership and
supervision.
• Aviation Career Pathways – Aim to meet the workforce and skill needs of airport employers
and, at the same time, create career advancement opportunities for airport workers in
entry jobs and employment opportunities for job seekers, as airport workers move into
pathway jobs. As a first step in developing aviation career pathways, five key career
pathways were identified and mapped out:
1. Aircraft and facilities maintenance
2. Ground operations
3. Safety and security
4. Customer service/passenger services

16 | P a g e
 5. Dining and retail

Next steps included identifying targeted, in-demand pathway and entry jobs; convening
airport employers to share research findings and get their input; gathering information on
training programs aligned with targeted aviation career pathway jobs; identifying aircraft
and facilities maintenance as the first career pathway and aircraft mechanics and service
technicians as the first pathway job to target; and convening partners to design an aviation
maintenance technician (AMT) career pathway program.

• AMT Career Pathway Program – Started in January 2020, with over 20 airport workers in
entry jobs such as ramp agents beginning a one quarter AMT onramp course offered onsite
at the airport, prior to their enrolling in South Seattle College’s FAA certified AMT program.
• Airport Employment Continuity Pool – Connected workers at airport dining and retail
operations who are displaced from their jobs as a result of discontinuation of leases to new
and existing operators. This includes working with outgoing and incoming operators to
facilitate employment opportunities for incumbent workers and providing incumbent
workers job readiness/ preparation assistance and referrals to new jobs.
• Airport Career Support Center – The Airport Career Support Center provides outreach,
education and training, and assistance to airport employers and workers on local, state, and
federal employment standards, including the City of SeaTac ordinance creating specific
employment benefits and rights. The center aims to help prevent as well as mitigate some
of the complaints concerning wage and other employment compliance matters. More
broadly, it aims to establish a more stable workplace environment.
Aviation strategy partners include Port Jobs, airport employers, education and training providers
(e.g., Highline College and South Seattle College), and community-based organizations.
The following are the strategy results for 2015-2019:

Aviation strategy Results (2015-2019)

Impact

Airport Employment 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Center and Airport
University

# registered for 5,180 6,889 6,119 5,085 4,885

employment and/or
training
(unduplicated)

# job placements 1,732 1,661 1,953 2,049 2,239

# hiring employers 75 77 82 89 90

Hourly wage @ $11.08 $14.20 $15.02 $15.44 $16.04

placement

17 | P a g e
 # training 297 346 282 319 247
enrollments*

# training 247 300 247 275 198

completions*

Influence

AMT career pathway

developed and
implemented

Leverage

Aviation employers, $4.6 million

foundations, (2015-19)
regional workforce
development
partners, and state
and local agencies
(Airport Employment
Center and Airport
University)

* Training funded by Alaska Airlines grant to Port Jobs

• Demographics
In terms of demographics, data for 2019 show that 45 percent of Port Jobs participants were
African/African American, 23 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, 8 percent Latinx, 8 percent white,
and 7 percent Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. Data also show that most participants came from
communities in South Seattle and South King County (e.g., SeaTac, Tukwila, Des Moines, Burien,
Federal Way, and Kent). Results for the Airport Employment Continuity Pool include 190 airport
workers enrolled since its start in 2016, with 66 having had known job offers.

At a listening session held as part of the strategic planning process, participants shared a number
of positives associated with the Airport Employment Center and Airport University: friendly,
supportive staff who go above and beyond; help finding jobs at the airport and job
readiness/preparation assistance; and classes that have provided them a sense of what’s possible
– a college education – and a sense of direction.

At the listening session with Airport Employment Center and Airport University participants and
another one held with Port Jobs staff, some issues and concerns were identified, including:
• Greater outreach, both in the community and at the airport.
• Additional language capacity at the Airport Employment Center.
• Expansion of Airport University (e.g., more classroom space, additional course offerings,
upgraded technology, etc.).

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 • Additional Airport University scholarships currently funded through a grant from Alaska
Airlines.
• Work supports (e.g., child care, transportation assistance, etc.).
• Greater employer (and union) engagement.

2021-2023 Elements of the Aviation Sector Strategy

The following are the proposed elements of the aviation strategy for 2021-2023:
• Airport Employment Center. Continue to invest in services and supports that connect
job seekers to employment opportunities at the airport.

- Manage contracts associated with Airport Employment Center to connect job seekers
to employment opportunities
- Continue to provide indirect support to Airport University

• Aviation career pathways. Expand the aviation career pathways work to other targeted,
in-demand pathway jobs within the aviation and facilities maintenance career pathway
as well as other career pathways (e.g., ground operations, safety and security, etc.),
including Port of Seattle jobs – as a way to achieve greater scale.

- Further develop and implement the aviation maintenance technician career pathway
program; this includes evaluating the first two cohorts and building on lessons
learned
- Facilitate planning, development, and implementation of another two aviation career
pathway programs, based on labor market analysis and partner engagement (e.g.,
industry, training and other service providers)
- Work with POS Aviation Division and aviation career pathway program partners to
increase industry engagement beyond the existing internships and scholarships; this
includes upskill/backfill

Baselines and Targets for 2021-2023

Aviation strategy baselines and targets, 2021-2023

Impact

Airport Employment Center Baseline 2021 2022 2023

and Airport University

# job placements 1,000* 1,350* 1,650 2,000

(*Covid-19 impacts) (Covid-19
impacts)
Hourly wage @ placement $16.04
(2019)

# hiring employers 83

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 (2015-19 average)

# training enrollments 298 300 300 300

(2015-19 average)

# training completions 253 250 250 250

(2015-19 average)

Aviation Career Pathways (3) Baseline 2021 2022 2023

# training enrollments 19 40 60 60
(2019)

# training completions 10 28 42 42
(projected)

# job placements 8 22 34 34
(projected)

Hourly wage @ placement $23.54

(projected)

Influence

Aviation career pathways

developed and implemented
(AMT, plus two additional)

Leverage

Aviation employers, $4.6 million (2015-19) TBD TBD TBD

foundations, regional
workforce development
partners, state, local agencies

Aviation Sector Proposed 2021 2022 2023

Investments

$1.9 Million $1.6 Million $1.8 Million

Note: Data on impact results will be broken down by race/ethnicity, gender, and zip code.

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2 Construction Trades Strategy
The construction trades strategy supports the creation of a regional pipeline of skilled construction
workers. The Port, as a major developer, relies on the availability of such workers. It also addresses
the low participation and completion rates for people of color and women in the construction trades.
In addition, it addresses gaps in the existing pipeline (e.g., lack of alignment with demand; a siloed
approach to planning and implementation, funding, and evaluation; lack of coordination and limited
capacity in terms of pre-apprenticeship training programs; etc.).

2015-2019 Elements of the Construction Trades Sector Strategy

The construction trades strategy, addresses both the supply of and demand for skilled construction
workers, have included:

• Regional Trades Partnership – The Regional Trades Partnership—made up of the Port of

Seattle, City of Seattle, King County, Sound Transit, Washington Department of
Transportation, and City of Tacoma—works to address the shortage of local construction
workers and broaden access to training and jobs for underrepresented populations within
the industry. It aims to develop a pipeline of skilled construction workers to meet current
and future needs driven by Port and other public infrastructure projects.

The partnership has developed a shared roadmap and workforce investment plan that focuses
on four priority goals:
- Expand pathways to apprenticeships
- Align and champion greater workforce diversity
- Strengthen apprentice retention and completion rates
- Share accountability for common outcomes

Partnership efforts have included:

- Research to identify labor market demand and equity issues.
- Engagement of labor, contractors, and the community to share labor market and
apprentice data, best practices, and barriers and opportunities.
- Joint pilot of and funding for construction worker outreach, training, and retention
services to increase the number of women, people of color, and those from
economically distressed neighborhoods in the construction industry (described
below). Also included: common data collection and reporting.

• “Race Matters” equity and anti-racism training.

• Construction Worker Outreach, Training, and Retention – Construction worker outreach,

training, and retention services aim to increase the representation of underrepresented
groups in the construction trades – women, people of color, and those from economically
distressed neighborhoods. Services includes:

- Outreach, assessment, and referral – Recruit, screen, and refer people to enroll in
construction pre-apprenticeship or apprenticeship training programs to increase the
number of underrepresented groups. This includes assessing skills, readiness, ability

21 | P a g e
 to meet minimum qualifications for entrance, and any barriers to entering and
succeeding in construction training and/or employment.

- Pre-apprenticeship training – Provide classroom and hands-on training to prepare

people to enter apprenticeships. Curricula includes construction math, safety and
orientation, and exposure to different trades occupations and industry culture.
Programs focus on building job readiness skills, challenges of working in the industry,
and addressing barriers to employment and retention (e.g., transportation, child care,
and financial management). Programs also develop and maintain relationships with
construction contractors, apprenticeship training programs, trade associations, and
unions.

- Retention services – Support apprentices in navigating the construction environment,

including mentoring and networking opportunities for apprentices, training for
employers and journey workers on coaching and inclusive work environments, case
management, and referrals and work related and other support services such as work
boots, transportation, and child care.

• Regional Pre-Apprenticeship Collaboration – The Regional Pre-Apprenticeship Collaboration

has as its mission to build a regional pre-apprenticeship system and is committed to funding
and supporting a region wide approach to outreach, recruitment, education, and training
resulting in the systematic entry of local, highly qualified African Americans, women, people
of color, and underserved residents into construction apprenticeships and to ensure these
apprentices succeed and journey out. Members include unions; contractors; pre-
apprenticeship and apprenticeship training programs; public construction project owners,
including the Port; community-based organizations; school districts; and state agencies.

• Efforts to date have focused on:

- Driver license relicensing policy and practice across King County

- Growth in contractor membership to introduce contractors to the value in
diversifying their workforce
- Establishment of shared training standards among the region’s pre-apprenticeship
programs recognized by the Washington State Apprenticeship Training Council
- Coordinated outreach, placement, and retention services

• Port Apprentice Utilization Requirements – Since the early 1990’s, the Port—along with
other public construction project owners such as the City of Seattle and King County—has
had an apprentice utilization requirement (AUR) that requires at least 15 percent of total
labor hours worked on Port construction projects valued at $1 million or more be performed
by apprentices, with inclusion goals of at least 15 percent of apprentice hours performed by
people of color and at least 10 percent by women.

• Project Labor Agreements – On project labor agreement (PLA) projects, there is also a pre-
apprenticeship direct entry goal that at least one in five apprentices used on projects come
from a pre-apprenticeship program.

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 • Port Priority Hire Policy and Program – In 2018, the Port Commission passed the Priority
Hire Policy Directive (Resolution No. 3736). It ensures that workers from economically
distressed zip codes4 are called first on Port capital projects. The City of Seattle and King
County also have priority hire policies and programs and through the Regional Trades
Partnership, there is an effort to align these policies and programs and share resources and
data.

• Port Acceptable Worksite Standards – The Port, along with other regional public owners,
has adopted acceptable or respectful worksite definitions and requirements. The Port’s
definition of acceptable work site is “a work site that encourages inclusive, productive, and
safe behaviors and procedures, focuses on positive relationships between employers and
employees, and among employees, and is free from bullying, hazing, harassment, and
discrimination”. As part of this policy, the “contractor shall ensure an acceptable worksite.
Any behavior that demonstrates hostility related to race, gender or sexuality, inappropriate
conduct or comments intended to harm another individual, and/or hostility or
discriminatory actions against another individual are strictly prohibited”.

2015-2019 Construction trades sector strategy results

Construction trades strategy results, 2015-2019

Impact

Construction Worker Outreach, 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Training and Retention

# enrolled - - - 206

# training completions - - - 175

# placements - - - 190

Apprenticeship - - - 19

Trades related job - - - 63

Hourly wage @ placement - - - $26.21

Retention (3 mos) - - - 142 (75%)

POS Apprentice Utilization 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

#/% labor hours worked by 61,309 32,877 85,417 306,117 295,011

apprentices on Port projects hours/ hours/ hours/ hours/ hours/
16% 17% 17% 22% 20%

4Economically distressed zip codes are defined in the policy directive as those having high population concentrations: 1) living at or below 200
percent of the federal poverty level, 2) unemployed, and 3) those over 25 years of age without a college degree, compared to other zip codes.

23 | P a g e
 #/% apprentice hours worked by 15,499 8,752 17,409 84,193 98,592
people of color hours/ hours/ hours/ hours/ hours/
25% 27% 20% 28% 33%

#/% apprentice hours worked by 11,116 5,782 8,817 24,114 28,941

women hours/ hours/ hours/ hours/ 8% hours/
18% 18% 10% 10%

POS Priority Hire 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

#/% Port capital projects with - - - - -

priority hire requirements

Influence

Regional Trades Partnership

established, collaborative efforts
undertaken

Leverage

Aligned city, county investments $5.2

(Regional Trades Partnership) million
(2018-19)

Construction trades strategy partners include public construction project owners (e.g., the City of Seattle,
King County, and Sound Transit), community-based organizations such as the Urban League of
Metropolitan Seattle, and pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship training programs such as
Apprenticeship and Non-Traditional Employment for Women (ANEW) and the Pacific Northwest
Ironworkers and Employers Local #86 Apprenticeship.

In terms of demographics, data for construction outreach, training, and retention services show that 20
percent of participants were women; and 27 percent were white, 26 percent Black/African American, 22
percent Latinx, 11 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, 7 percent Native American/Alaskan Native, and 3 percent
multiracial.

At listening sessions held as part of the strategic planning process, construction trades stakeholders
identified the partnership with the Port as a positive, along with apprentice utilization requirements. They
also identified issues and concerns, including:

- More community outreach

- Workforce projections associated with Port priority hire/apprentice utilization, so that
programs can align their efforts with projected demand
- Pre-apprenticeship training program reforms (e.g., increased accessibility of classes in
terms of times and location, integration/contextualization of language skills, community
college partnerships, etc.)
- Funding for pre-apprenticeship training programs

24 | P a g e
 - More supportive services, including during apprenticeships (e.g., tools and work clothes,
relicensing, transportation, childcare, etc.), to help with retention and completion
- Other retention support (e.g., navigation and mentoring)
- Tracking of results

2021-2023 Elements of the Construction Trades Sector Strategy

The following are the proposed elements of the construction trades strategy for 2021-2023:

• Regional Trades Partnership. Continue to partner with other regional public owners to
increase access to construction training and jobs and improve outcomes for individuals living
in economically distressed zip codes, women, and people of color. This includes:

- Developing and sharing common workforce data and targets

- Developing a regional system to track apprentice through journey level
- Identifying and promoting best practices (e.g., priority hire and acceptable worksites)
- Identifying retention and completion barriers, setting targets, and funding strategies

• Priority Hire – Fully implement the Port’s priority hire policy and program, and evaluate its
impact, working with internal partners. Also, create stretch goals for priority hire workers
and apprentices. In addition, support priority hire, in partnership with other regional public
owners (e.g., compare policies and practices to gauge their relative effectiveness, advance
best practices, etc.)

The Port’s current plans call for implementing priority hire this year, with the following
requirements/goals:
- Apprentice utilization: at least 15 percent of total labor hours performed by apprentices
- Priority workers apprentices’ level: 15 percent
- Apprentice preferred entry: 1:5
- At least 21 percent of apprentice hours by people of color
- At least 12 percent of apprentice hours by women
The Port Commission’s priority hire policy directive also calls for program evaluation, including
establishing benchmarks and metrics such as utilization rates and graduation rates for priority
workers, women, and people of color from pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship training
programs. In addition, it calls for annual reports that include the following:

- Number and kinds of construction projects on which apprenticeship and priority hire
requirements were established
- Total number and percentage of labor hours actually worked by apprentices and priority
workers
- Number of apprentices and priority workers broken down by trade and craft
- Number and percent of women and people of color utilized as apprentices and priority
workers
- Barriers encountered by participating apprentices and priority workers and steps taken
to resolve those problems and ensure their continued participation

25 | P a g e
 • POS apprenticeships. Work with internal stakeholders to identify and pursue POS
apprenticeship opportunities in the skilled trades.

• Construction worker outreach, training, and retention. Continue to invest in construction

worker outreach, training, and retention services, with a focus on underrepresented
populations and underserved communities. Also, provide funding for wrap-around services
and supports to increase retention and completion; and evaluate results and build on
lessons learned.

• Acceptable worksite standards. Fully implement and enforce the Port’s acceptable worksite
standards, and evaluate its impact, working with internal stakeholders. Also, support best
practices regarding acceptable worksite standards, working with other regional public
owners.

2021-2023 Construction trades sector strategy baselines and targets

Construction trades strategy baselines and targets, 2021-2023

Impact

Construction Worker Outreach, Training, Baseline 2021 2022 2023

and Retention

# training completions 175 150 175 175

(2018-19)

# placements in apprent1iceships, trades 190 160 190 190

related jobs (2018-19)

Hourly wage @ placement $26.21

(2018-19)

Retention @ 3 mos 142 (75%) 120 (75%) 142 (75%) 142 (75%)

POS Apprenticeships Baseline 2021 2022 2023

# placements in POS apprenticeships N/A - 5 10

POS Apprentice Utilization

#/% of labor hours worked by apprentices on 20% 20% 20% 20%

POS projects (2015-19
average)

#/% of apprentice hours worked by people of 29% 29% 29% 29%

color (2015-19
average)

26 | P a g e
 #/% of apprentice hours worked by women 10% 12% 12% 12%
(2015-19
average)

POS Priority Hire Baseline 2021 2022 2023

#/% of labor hours worked by priority N/A TBD* TBD* TBD*

workers

#/% of labor hours worked by apprentices N/A TBD* TBD* TBD*

#/% of people of color utilized as apprentices N/A TBD* TBD* TBD*

and priority workers

#/% of women utilized as apprentices and N/A TBD* TBD* TBD*

priority workers

Influence

Regional Trades Partnership collaborative

efforts undertaken (data, best practices,
retention/completion strategies, etc.)

Leverage

Aligned city, county investments $5.2 TBD TBD TBD

million
(2018-
2019)

Construction Trades Proposed Investment 2021 2022 2023

$664K $780K $795K

* Plans call for evaluating the Port’s priority hire policy and program and creating stretch goals for priority hire
workers and apprentices, as called for in the Port Commission’s workforce development policy directive. Targets
will be developed based on this work.

Note: Data on impact results will be broken down by race/ethnicity, gender, and zip code.

27 | P a g e
3 Maritime Sector Strategy
The maritime strategy focuses on increasing recruitment and retention, especially among youth who
are not entering the industry; and developing maritime career pathways.
2015-2019 Elements of the Maritime Sector Strategy
• Maritime career pathways roadmap – The Port worked with the maritime industry and
workforce and economic development partners to conduct labor market research to identify
in-demand jobs and their skill and training requirements as well as wages; engage
employers; identify the education, training, employment and support service needs of jobs
seekers and workers; and inventory existing initiatives and programs. Among the key
findings:

- Diverse maritime subsectors require different workforce development strategies.

- Maritime employers are fragmented; as a result, coordinating workforce
development initiatives is challenging.
- The maritime workforce lacks diversity.
- There is minimal exposure in K-12 to maritime career opportunities.
- Maritime training programs exist (especially for jobs at sea); enrollment in existing
programs is a bigger challenge.

Maritime industry representatives recommended a focus on youth, career connected

learning, and collaboration among education, training, and other service providers.

• Youth Maritime Collaborative – In 2017, the Port established partnerships with a wide
range of workforce and job training organizations under the umbrella of the Youth Maritime
Collaborative to promote maritime career awareness and career connected learning
activities. The collaborative’s vision: “to be a partnership between service providers,
educational institutions, and employers to make maritime an appealing career option for
low-income youth and youth of color. To achieve this, we propose a system that is grounded
in career connected and equity.” Its goals are to:

- Expose youth to occupations and career pathways in the maritime industry to

generate interest in maritime career pathways and build a talent pipeline to port-
related careers.
- Offer a range of career connected learning opportunities for students, including
experiential events/ classes, industry field trips and guest speakers, and career and
education preparation events/classes.
- Target and provide internship opportunities to local youth, including those living in
disadvantaged communities, through partnerships with regional youth serving
organizations. This includes providing interns meaningful work assignments that align
with their education, skills, and career interests.

With support from the Port, Seattle Goodwill was brought on as a key partner to
strengthen connections to youth of color. This helped lead to the development of
Goodwill’s youth maritime program, which prepares high school seniors for maritime

28 | P a g e
 careers. Key features include career and college readiness, maritime classes at area
colleges, service learning and internships, financial stipends, and support services.

• Youth Maritime Collaborative – Efforts have included:

- Securing maritime internship commitments, primarily for historically

underrepresented populations such as youth of color and young women and
establishing partnerships with other organizations to support internships (e.g., wrap-
around services such as transportation, mentoring, subsidies, etc.).
- Organizing and offering a series of experiential and career connected learning events
to K-12 students that introduce them to maritime careers and career pathways.
- Delivering equity trainings and follow up support to maritime employers committed
to working with interns and collaborative stakeholders.
- Developing a resource database of key partners for career connected learning, service
learning, field trips, guest speakers, workshops, support/wrap-around services,
academic support, career and college navigation, etc.
- Organizing or attending industry events for maritime employer outreach and
recruitment.

Collaborative partners, in addition to the Port, include: Argosy Cruises, the City of Seattle,
Goodwill, Manufacturing Industrial Council, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration, Northwest Marine Trade Association, Northwest School of Wooden Boat
Building, NW Seaport Maritime Heritage Center, Partnership for Advanced Technology
Apprenticeship in Manufacturing and Marine Engineering, Puget Sound Maritime, Puget
Sound Skills Center, Seattle Maritime Academy, Salish Sea Expeditions, Seattle Maritime
Academy, Seattle Skills Center, Sound Experience, Virginia V Foundation, and Youth
Maritime Training Association.

• Core Plus maritime curriculum – With support from the Port, the Manufacturing Industrial
Council developed a Core Plus curriculum specific to maritime.
Core Plus is an established, industry validated, career-related STEM-based high school
learning model. The “core” refers to skills that apply across industrial sectors such as use and
safety of shop equipment, precision measuring, material science, and print reading. The
“plus” refers to skills specific to an industrial sector such as aerospace, construction, and now
maritime. The Core Plus maritime curriculum developed by the Manufacturing Industrial
Council covers areas such as vessel manufacturing, maintenance, and repair; and shore-side
marine services, including recreational, professional, logistics, and technical occupations.

Core Plus’s goal is to provide youth with the skills and knowledge needed to transition from
high school to postsecondary education, employment, apprenticeship, and/or career training
in industrial occupations.

As of 2018, Core Plus was offered at 30 locations around the state with enrollment options
available to students from more than 150 high schools.

In addition to Core Plus maritime curriculum development, the Manufacturing Industrial

Council partnered with the Port and Youth Maritime Collaborative to connect Core Plus

29 | P a g e
 students to internships and worked to increase work-based learning, career exploration, and
internship opportunities for high school students to increase exposure to jobs and careers in
the maritime sector.

Maritime strategy partners include the Youth Maritime Collaborative and its members, the
Washington Maritime Federation, Seattle Maritime Academy, and Goodwill.

2015-2019 Maritime strategy sector results

Maritime strategy results, 2015-2019

Impact

Maritime Experiential Learning 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

# students participating in - 6 98 498 474

experiential events

Influence

Youth Maritime Collaborative

initiated, collaborative efforts
undertaken

Goodwill youth maritime program

developed and implemented

K-12 reforms launched (curriculum

development, teacher professional
development)

Leverage

Foundations $300,000

At a listening session held as part of the strategic planning process and an input/feedback session
with internal partners, the following issues and concerns were identified:

• Community outreach, specifically reaching historically underrepresented populations

and underserved communities.
• Increasing the number of maritime internships and providing interns stipends and wrap-
around supports.
• Active Port engagement and commitment (e.g., using its influence with maritime
employers to engage them in the strategy, increase the number of internships, etc.).
• Inclusive maritime work environment (e.g., engaging maritime employers committed to
an inclusive work environment and providing them equity, diversity, and inclusion
training; and providing participants an overview of the maritime industry and work
environment, along with mentoring).

30 | P a g e
 • Maritime career connected learning opportunities that span the continuum (e.g.,
awareness, exploration, preparation, work experience, and skills training and
education), and help youth move along the continuum, not just one-time events.

2021-2023 Elements of the Maritime Sector Strategy

The following are the proposed elements of the maritime strategy for 2021-2023:

• Maritime career awareness and access. Create awareness of and access to maritime
careers.
- Create outreach and experiential events, targeting historically underrepresented
populations such as youth of color and young women
- Collaborate with internal partners to develop an outreach program and
communications campaign around maritime, targeting youth and near-port
communities
- Collaborate with youth serving organizations to secure maritime internship
commitments for historically underrepresented populations; this includes employer
engagement
- Collaborate with partners and stakeholders to identify barriers to accessing maritime
careers for youth and other underrepresented populations, and develop an action
plan
- Partner with education stakeholders to develop K-12 port related industries
curriculum
- Support development of a maritime high school

• Maritime career pathways. Develop maritime career pathway programs for youth and
adults.
- Collaborate with partners and stakeholders to develop and implement two youth
focused maritime career pathway programs
- Facilitate planning, development, and implementation of one adult focused maritime
career pathway program, based on labor market analysis and partner engagement
(e.g., industry, training and other service providers)

• Regional maritime workforce development efforts. Advocate for regional maritime

workforce development efforts.

- Support establishment of a maritime industry table as part of the regional workforce

development system
- Review labor market data to determine gaps in maritime and invest in workforce
development efforts in near port communities
- Advocate for local, state, and federal policies (and funding) that support regional
workforce development efforts in maritime and address identified gaps
- Work with regional partners to advance equitable workforce development policies
and practices

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2021-2023 Maritime sector strategy baselines and targets

Maritime strategy baselines and targets, 2021-2023

Impact

Maritime Experiential Learning Baseline 2021 2022 2023

# youth participating in maritime experiential 474 300 500 750

learning events (2019)

# youth participating in maritime internships N/A 10 20 30

Maritime Career Pathways – Youth (2) Baseline 2021 2022 2023

# training enrollments N/A - 20 40

# training completions N/A - 16 32

# Placements in further education N/A - 13 26

opportunities and training enrollment

Hourly wage @ placement N/A

Maritime Career Pathways – Adults (1) Baseline 2021 2022 2023

# training enrollments N/A - - 20

# training completions N/A - - 14

# job placements N/A - - 11

Hourly wage @ placement N/A

Influence

Youth Maritime Collaborative efforts

undertaken (communications plan, action
plan to increase youth access to maritime
careers, etc.)

Maritime career pathways developed and

implemented

Maritime industry table established, as part of

regional workforce development system

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 K-12 port-related industries curriculum
developed, and teacher professional
development opportunities created

Local, state, and federal policies (and funding)

for maritime workforce development adopted

Equitable workforce development

policies/practices advanced

Leverage

Maritime employers, foundations, regional $300,000 TBD TBD TBD

workforce development partners, and state (2018)
and local agencies

Maritime Sector Proposed investment 2021 2022 2023

$437K $497K $605K

Note: Data on impact results will be broken down by race/ethnicity, gender, and zip code.

4 Green Career/Green Jobs Sector Strategy

The green careers strategy supports the environmental and workforce developments priorities of
the Century Agenda.
2021-2023 Elements of the Green Careers Strategy
• Duwamish Valley community equity program. Support POS Duwamish Valley community
equity program (e.g., retention strategies).
• Green jobs career pathways. Develop green jobs career pathway program.
Green jobs sector strategy targets for 2021-2023 are:

Green jobs strategy targets, 2021-2023

Impact

Duwamish River Green Jobs Baseline 2021 2022 2023

# training enrollments N/A - - 20

# training completions N/A - - 16

# job placements N/A - - 13

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Hourly wage @ placement N/A

Influence

Green jobs career pathways developed and

implemented

Leverage

Employers, foundations, regional workforce N/A TBD TBD TBD

development partners, and state and local
agencies

Green Careers/Green Jobs Sector Budget 2021 2022 2023

$100,000

Note: Data on impact results will be broken down by race/ethnicity, gender, and zip code.

5 Youth Employment and Career Connected Learning

The CCL and Youth strategies objectives include strong partnerships with internal stakeholders like
HR and the Port maintenance departments to develop opportunities for youth at the Port. Strategies
include:

• Work with HR to align Port internships with regional workforce data and POS and regional
workforce needs
• Partner with HR as a thought partner in the development of CTE related curricula
• Create more opportunities for Launch programming that can be aligned with POS CCL
pipeline programs
• Work with regional partners to strengthen apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship pipelines
in port-related industries
• Work with regional post-secondary partners to strengthen training tied to port-related
industries
• Review internal Port policies to identify barriers to entry into the Port intern program for
students of color and women
• Coordinate with partner organizations to place Port youth interns into their organizations

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V. Plan Administration
The strategies and activities included in this comprehensive plan rely on the availability of human
resources and a budget to achieve these important priorities. The following are the elements:

1 Staffing
The Strategic Plan also includes the addition of FTE’s to ensure that the strategies and activities are
conducted as planned. The expanded Workforce Development team will be composed of a
department director, program managers, data analyst and external subject matter experts who will
manage the implementation of the various strategies including; systems change, policy
recommendations, market research, data collection and analytics, and communications related to
workforce development.

2 Proposed Port Investments

The proposed investment for 2021-2023 is $11.7 million and it includes the staffing and
administration costs and the proposed investments by sector (maritime, aviation, construction
trades, and green careers). Each strategy and activity in each sector have been priced accordingly.
The allocation by sector is shown below:

Sector Total
Maritime Sector $ 1,538,250
Aviation Sector $ 5,178,244
Construction Trades $ 2,237,800
Green Careers/Jobs $ 200,000
Career Connected Learning $ 375,000
Technical Ed/Youth Emp. $ 140,000
Staffing and Administration $ 2,029,476
Total $11,698,770

Note:
This strategic plan is subject to adjustments by additional executive guidance, market conditions and impacts
of Covid-19.

- END -

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