Workforce Expo Highlights Pathways to High-Wage Production Line Jobs

PUGET SOUND BUSINESS JOURNAL - For many prospective workers, the manufacturing industry — and the jobs employers are looking to fill — are something of a black box.

That’s what brought educators, economic development groups and advanced aerospace manufacturers to the Accesso ShoWare Center in Kent on Oct. 30, where more than 700 high school students toured dozens of exhibits from Puget Sound-area companies and technical programs. The event sought to illuminate career pathways through the industry and the resources available to teach manufacturing skills.

“Employers are actually remarkably consistent in saying they want to see better fundamentals taught in the schools, and that they themselves will do the on-the-job training,” said City of Kent Chief Economic Development Officer William Ellis.

The event was part of a larger push by the city of Kent to fill its aerospace and manufacturing pipeline, including $640,000 it has spent to establish apprenticeship pathways and Boeing’s Core Plus Aerospace program across Kent School District schools. Core Plus is a two-year advanced manufacturing curriculum that prepares high school students for jobs at Boeing. The city also launched the Kent Valley Air and Space Manufacturing Roundtable earlier this year and spent around $120,000 on teacher education efforts, apprenticeships through AJAC and other pilot programs.

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Note:  the Future in Flight Expo was a Kent Valley Air and Space Manufacturing Roundtable initiative.

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