Governor Jay Inslee Visits Harbor Island
Inside the Harbor Island Training Center on Friday afternoon, conversations were limited as the warehouse was filled with the noises you might expect to hear in a busy shipyard.
Outside the Training Center, a caravan of cars pulled into the gravel parking lot about 20-feet from the entrance. A black SUV with heavily tinted windows from the caravan pulled into a reserved parking spot. The car door opened for a passenger with a recognizable voice and a towering six-foot plus frame that belonged to Washington State Governor Jay Inslee.
A tour of the Harbor Island Training Center was part of Inslee’s afternoon that was dedicated to Seattle’s maritime industry. The Governor was welcomed by Seattle Community College Chancellor Jill Wakefield, South Seattle Community College President Gary Oertli, Seattle Community College Trustee Albert Chen and Instructor Ken Johnson, who conducted the tour.
The Harbor Island Training Center is a prime example of how public-private partnerships can be effective, even during tough economic times. The six-month program is a partnership formed with South Seattle Community College’s Welding Program and Vigor Industrial. South’s welding department provides instruction, while Vigor provides the classroom on its shipyard property.
“This is a perfect fusion with academics and industry,” Inslee explained. “When you have industry involved, they know exactly what is needed in the workplace.” While the maritime industry continues to grow, and remains a critical element of Seattle’s economy, it needs retrained workers who have the skills that are needed for today’s industry.
“The average age of many of crafts people is about 52-53. We realized that we needed to do something to bring along the next generation of maritime industrial workers,” Fred Kiga the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for Vigor Industrial explained. The goal of this welding intensive program is to fill industry’s current needs with marketable employees whose skills will help them earn family-living wage jobs.
“We have a program, here, that is really hands-on,” Inslee explained. “It helps that the program is right here to make sure that the program makes sense for the business with a pipeline right into a job. That’s really encouraging.”
The funds for this program were allocated by the legislature that includes the operating costs to run the program. The legislative dollars were complemented by funds from the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County, the Port of Seattle, the City of Seattle, King County, and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Vigor has provided the infrastructure and some additional operating support. The equipment used for the program was provided by local metal trade unions. Additionally, the Federal Government offered scholarship money for some of the current students.
The inaugural class of the Harbor Island Training Center will graduate in December and a fresh crop of students will begin the program in January. For more information on how you can enroll in the program click here. To speak with an advisor contact Mary Lockman at (206) 934-5814 or email Mary.Lockman@seattlecolleges.edu.