News
October 15, 2002
Contact: Lorna Sutton, Director of Communications, SBCTC, 360-704-4310
Job training programs tailored to regional industry clusters may accelerate economic recovery, sharpen Washington’s competitive edge, new study shows
OLYMPIA – Many industries in Washington could expand immediately if they had the
trained workers they need, according to a new study commissioned by the State Board for
Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC).
The study, conducted by Dr. Paul Sommers and Deena Heg of the Northwest Policy Center
at the University of Washington, focuses on the workforce needs of regional industry clusters
such as health care, information technology, wine production, food processing and construction.
The study, titled "Occupational Demand and Supply by Industry Cluster and Region,"
updates previous studies of both regional industry clusters and the supply of trained workers.
Regional industry clusters – that is, groupings of related businesses that cluster where there
is a local competitive advantage – have been identified by economists as key to a region’s
economic growth. Economic development specialists are focusing on these clusters as important
drivers of economic growth and prosperity.
Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges are the primary source of trained
workers for these industries. The colleges intend to use the study’s findings to target training
programs where they will have the greatest impact on economic growth and prosperity.
On Oct. 29, the SBCTC will host a statewide conference, keynoted by Governor Gary
Locke, to explore how to use the new study to promote business success, accelerate economic
recovery, increase Washington’s competitiveness, and spread the benefits of growing prosperity. This conference will be followed by a series of regional planning meetings to map out plans to meet the workforce needs of key industries.
The study is available online at http://www.sbctc.ctc.edu/workforce/
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