Always excited to see and share a sampling of news and updates from our members! Here are some recent stories from this past month. Follow us on LinkedIn for more.

Work-embedded learning: Roundtable companies continue to provide Washingtonians with real-world work experience. A few recent highlights: Fred Hutch’s LabLaunch program is helping address the growing demand for lab technicians by offering students lab experience paired with academic training. The program is a collaboration between Fred Hutch and Shoreline Community College, through Career Connect Washington. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)’s Dr. Steven Ashby highlighted the contributions of three of PNNL’s 1,700+ summer interns and research associates.

Supporting students and advancing equity: Congrats to Amazon’s Future Engineer program, which bridges the gap between student interest in STEM and access to computer science education. So far in 2024, 310,000 students have participated in computer science career tours. Check out how Premera Blue Cross’ work is helping make healthcare more accessible and equitable across the state. Also, congrats to McKinstry on being awarded the 2024 DEI Corporate Leadership Award by the National Association of Women in Construction for their work to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Industry developments: Congrats to Seattle Children’s for receiving the Starlight Children’s Foundation’s Excellence in Innovation Award for their Therapeutic Gaming Program. Marking their 50th anniversary, Microsoft is awarding $50,000 grants to 50 local changemakers, who are helping the region thrive.

As we look to the future, Washington is poised for substantial economic growth. However, the state also faces a critical challenge: a growing gap between projected workforce needs and the talent supply the state is currently on track to produce. To help address this challenge, the Washington Roundtable and Partnership for Learning, in partnership with Kinetic West, are sharing a new report, Skill Up for Our Future, that outlines Washington’s workforce needs through 2032 and suggests actionable strategies to bridge the gap.

Key Findings

• Job Growth: State job growth is projected to be 12.8%, far above the projected national average of 2.8%. Emerging economic trends could push this figure to nearly 16%.
• Job Openings: Washington will see an estimated 1.5 million+ job openings over the decade, including approximately 640,000 openings for new jobs and 910,000 from retirements.
• Unparalleled Opportunity for Skilled Workers: 75% of projected job openings will require postsecondary credentials. Bachelor’s and advanced degrees will be in highest demand — necessary for 45% of job openings.
• High-Demand Sectors: The analysis identifies six industry clusters—advanced computing and technology, construction and skilled trades, healthcare, education, business and management, and clean technology—that will see concentrated growth in jobs that provide living wages, economic mobility, and fill critical workforce gaps.
• Credential Shortfall: Washington faces a projected shortfall of nearly 600,000 credentialed workers over the decade, including 301,000 with bachelor’s and advanced degrees, 67,000 with associate degrees, and 228,000 with certifications, apprenticeships, and other training credentials.
• Surplus of Unskilled Workers: More than a quarter million adults with a high school diploma or less are at risk of being left out of the job market.

Washington is at an inflection point. While the projected job openings are vast, there aren’t enough credentialed workers to meet demand. A full-scale, collective effort to build both supply and demand for postsecondary credentials—including degrees, apprenticeships, and high-value industry certifications—will be critical to sustaining the state’s economic growth and ensuring Washingtonians have access to jobs that support their own economic mobility.

Five Recommendations

1. Launch an “all of the above” effort to increase bachelor’s degree production. 
2. Promote high-value credentials at Washington’s community and technical colleges. 
3. Focus training and credential production on occupations of highest need. 
4. Support employer-led training.
5.  Leverage K-12 education.

The full report is available here.