Last Thursday, Spokane Colleges Vice President of Workforce Development Julie Parks (pictured, left) joined aerospace industry leaders, other educators, and government agencies for a panel discussion at the kickoff event of “FlightPath: Building the Future Together.” The event, hosted by the Washington State Department of Commerce at Gonzaga University in Spokane, was the first in a series scheduled for locations across Washington.
The series focused on aligning workforce development with the needs of aerospace manufacturing, including around projects such as the Aerospace Manufacturing Alliance. Echoing the day’s theme, Parks made her vision for partnership clear: “The more that we can do together, the stronger we'll be in this area.”
Topics of discussion at the forum, which was led by Washington State Department of Commerce and Director Joe Nguyễn, ranged from job training to supply chains and expanding Washington’s aerospace-trained workforce.
Washington’s aerospace sector includes more than 1,500 suppliers and supports 130,000 jobs, roughly half of which are provided by Boeing alone. The suppliers that support this industry include a key subset of Spokane and Eastern Washington manufacturers that are critical to Boeing’s supply chain.
Some challenges identified at the event include workforce shortages, rising costs, regulatory complexity, and energy constraints that require proactive strategies.
Supply chain and workforce development issues were central to the two panel discussions, including one in which Parks participated. She said good work has been done in Spokane, but even more needs to be done to maximize the regional opportunity.
“We've got to be in this for the long game to get the manufacturing pathways set for people,” said Parks. “The Trades High School and new programs we're working to create with grant money require employers be involved. We need to know the skill sets you need to ensure we prepare the workforce so you can grow and expand in Washington. Money is important, but so are our collaborations we're working to build, and your encouragement of those between the four-year universities, the private training organizations, and the colleges are so important. We've got to figure out how to listen to each other better so we can move quicker.”