.
. THERE
. THERE IS NO DOUBT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS FOREVER CHANGED
OUR SOCIETY AND OUR ECONOMY.
SO WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK
LIKE FOR ALL OF US IN THE
WORKFORCE OVER THE NEXT HOUR
WE'RE GOING IN-DEPTH TO FIND
OUT WHAT THE POST PANDEMIC
WORKFORCE WILL LOOK LIKE AND
WHY RIGHT NOW COULD BE THE
PERFECT TIME TO GO BACK TO
SCHOOL AND JUMPSTART YOUR
FUTURE.
NOW A Q5 SPECIAL PROGRAM A NEW
YEAR INSPIRATION FOR PIVOTING
TO THE NEW ECONOMY SPONSORED BY
WTU A NEW KIND OF YOU WELCOME
TO THE SHOW AND HELLO TO OUR
VIEWERS
SEATTLE,
SEATTLE, SPOKANE AND PORTLAND. I'M AMITA IDRISSI AND DURING
THIS SPECIAL PROGRAM WE'RE
GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE
POST PANDEMIC ECONOMY BECAUSE
WE ALL KNOW THAT THINGS ARE
GOING TO BE DIFFERENT.
SO IF YOU'RE FEELING LIKE YOU
COULD BE LEFT BEHIND, THIS IS
YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN UP
AND HOPEFULLY TAKE ACTION.
WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT
COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS LEADERS,
ABOUT THE WAYS THE PANDEMIC HAS
CHANGED OUR ECONOMY AND WHAT WE
SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR ON THE
OTHER SIDE WE'RE ALSO TALKING
TO YOU ABOUT ONLINE HIGHER
EDUCATION AND HOW IT'S NOT ONLY
WITHIN REACH BUT HOW IT CAN
HELP YOU FIND THAT JOB OR
CAREER THAT YOU'VE BEEN
DREAMING ABOUT WHILE ALSO TALK
WITH YOU ALUMS TO SHOW YOU HOW
MUCH OF AN IMPACT GETTING AN
ONLINE DEGREE HAS HAD ON THEM
AND THEIR FAMILIES.
BUT FIRST WE'RE GOING TO START
BY TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT THIS
PANDEMIC HAS CHANGED IN OUR
WORLD.
WE'VE HAD UNIMAGINABLE LOSS
OF LIFE AND PEOPLE'S
LIVELIHOODS.
MANY OF US ARE SCRAMBLING TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT THE FUTURE
HOLDS.
I SPOKE WITH WTU GRAD AND MAYOR
OF KENT DANA RALPH AND THE
PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION
OF WASHINGTON BUSINESSES CHRIS
JOHNSON FOR SOME INSIGHT.
WE'VE SEEN SOME COUNTIES HAVE
AS MUCH AS A 20 PERCENT
INCREASE DURING COVID WHICH
TELLS ME THAT PEOPLE ARE
CHOOSING TO MOVE TO A NEW
REGION AND CALL THAT REGION
HOME.
IF THE PANDEMIC HAS SHOWN US
ONE THING AND THAT WE DON'T
NEED AN OFFICE TO WORK OR A
PHYSICAL CLASSROOM TO LEARN
WHETHER IT'S YOU, WASHINGTON,
YOU, WSU OR WHEREVER YOUR
HIGHER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY
OF CHOICE IS LEARNING ONLINE
HAS BECOME REALLY POSSIBLE AND
EASIER DURING COVID THAN IT HAS
EVER BEFORE.
CHRIS JOHNSON WITH THE
ASSOCIATION FOR WASHINGTON
BUSINESSES SAYS THAT BETWEEN
THE PHYSICAL AND FINANCIAL
CHANGES BROUGHT ABOUT BY
COVID-19 THE REGIONAL ECONOMY
AND THEREFORE JOB MARKET WILL
BE FOREVER CHANGED.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE A
SHIFT IN THE TYPES OF JOBS WE
SAW THAT IN THE LAST RECESSION
ABOUT WHAT TYPES OF JOBS AND
SKILL SETS WERE IMPACTED AND
WHERE THE NEW ONES ARE.
I THINK WE'LL SEE THAT ONE TOO
AS WE GET THROUGH COVID.
SO WHAT CAN BE DONE TO STAY
AHEAD OF THE CURVE?
THE MAYOR OF KENT, DANA RALPH
SAYS MANUFACTURING IS BUSIER
THAN EVER IN THE KENT VALLEY.
SHE BELIEVES COMPANIES NEED TO
BE PROACTIVE IN EDUCATING THEIR
WORKFORCE.
WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO
BRING THOSE WORKERS ALONG SO
THOSE STRAIGHT UP DISTRIBUTION
JOBS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
PLACES LIKE AMAZON AND AND
THEIR ABILITY TO USE ROBOTIC
TECHNOLOGY IN SHIPPING AND
PACKING, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TRAINING
THOSE WORKERS THAT HAVE DONE
THOSE DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS TO
BE ABLE TO TO MAINTAIN AND
OPERATE THE ROBOTS AS AN
EXAMPLE.
BUT WHAT ABOUT JOBS OUTSIDE
OF MANUFACTURING?
WHAT DOES THE WORKFORCE LOOK
LIKE IN OTHER SECTORS AND WHAT
JOBS WILL BE AVAILABLE?
CHRIS JOHNSON SAYS WE DON'T
KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW BUT HE
REMAINS OPTIMIST.
SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY I
THINK AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO SAY
WHAT IS GOING TO BE THOSE
CRITICAL SKILLS THAT ARE NEEDED
IN ALL TYPES OF JOBS, WHETHER
IT'S MANUFACTURE, HOSPITALITY,
RETAIL OR OTHERS AND NOW IS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO SKILL UP AND BE
READY FOR THOSE NEXT SECTORS
OF JOBS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
AND ALONG THE WAY WE KNEW THE
NUMBER ONE CHALLENGE GOING INTO
COVID FOR EMPLOYERS WAS FINDING
A SKILLED, TRAINED AND EDUCATED
WORKFORCE.
IT ACTUALLY STILL THE NUMBER
ONE CHALLENGE WHEN YOU ASK
EMPLOYERS HEY, WHAT'S YOUR
CHALLENGE IN REOPENING?
HEY, I CAN'T FIND ENOUGH OF THE
RIGHT SKILLED, TRAINED AND
EDUCATED WORKERS AND THAT'S THE
EXACT ADVICE MAYOR DANA RALPH
SAYS SHE WOULD GIVE TO ANYONE
LOOKING TO STAY AHEAD OF THE
CURVE.
SHE SAYS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE
THAT THE EXISTING WORKFORCE IS
SUPPORTED BY HELPING THEM PIVOT
AS TECHNOLOGY CHANGES FIND
OPPORTUNITIES TO INVEST IN
EDUCATION, FIND WHETHER IT BE
CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS OR DEGREES
WHO'S BEEN DOING THE REMOTE
LEARNING THING REALLY WELL FOR
FOR A LONG TIME NOW AND I THINK
HAS BEEN A LEADER IN THAT AND
SHOWN THERE'S A LOT OF SKILLS
YOU CAN GAIN FROM THIS FORMAT
AND AND RECOGNIZING THAT
THERE'S OPPORTUNITY.
SO JUST ENCOURAGING BOTH
EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES TO TO
SEEK OUT THOSE NEW SKILLS THAT
WE'VE WORKED WITH EMPLOYERS
VERY CLOSELY NOT JUST DURING
THIS RECESSION BUT THE LAST
RECESSION ABOUT HOW DO YOU
SKILL UP HOW DO YOU HAVE A
TRAINED EDUCATED WORKFORCE AS
MERRIWELL ELOQUENTLY SAID, HEY,
THE JOBS IN MANUFACTURING
REQUIRE SOME EXPERTIZE AROUND
ALL THINGS STEM AND SO GETTING
CERTIFICATES SOME TYPE OF POST
K-12 EXPERIENCE, A TWO YEAR
DEGREE, A FOUR YEAR DEGREE
APPRENTICESHIP ARE YOUTH
APPRENTICESHIP.
THOSE ARE ALL STRATEGIES TO
HELPING EMPLOYERS FIND THAT
RIGHT SKILLED WORKFORCE ALONG
THE WAY AND COMMUNITY LEADERS
ARE BANKING ON THAT SKILLED
WORKFORCE TO ATTRACT EMPLOYERS
AND BIG COMPANIES.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR COMMUNITIES
TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE DO TO
ATTRACT THOSE SKILLED WORKERS
SO WE KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT'S
GOING TO MAKE OUR OUR ECONOMY
ECONOMIES VIBRANT.
BUT IT'S THE CHICKEN AND THE
EGG.
HOW HOW DO WE GET THEM HERE IF
THE JOBS ARE COMING, HOW DO WE
KEEP THE JOBS HERE IF THE
WORKERS ARE COMING AND THEN HOW
DO WE MAKE THIS A PLACE IN THIS
GLOBAL ECONOMY WHERE NOW PEOPLE
CAN LIVE IN TWIST AND STILL
WORK IN SEATTLE?
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE'RE
KEEPING THEM IN OUR REGION AND
IT LOOKS LIKE THE BUSINESS IS
COMING ACCORDING TO CHRIS AND
THE ASSOCIATION FOR WASHINGTON
BUSINESSES LEGISLATION IS
ALREADY IN OLYMPIA THAT WOULD
CREATE MORE JOBS FOR SKILLED
WORKERS.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A
COMPETITION FOR TALENT AND YOU
KNOW, I HAD A REALLY HIGH LEVEL
THE OLD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
MODEL WAS HEY, WE'RE GOING TO
BRING A COMPANY TO A REGION AND
THE JOBS WILL COME TO IT.
WELL, WE'VE SEEN THAT SHIFT
OVERNIGHT TO AND SEATTLE IS A
GREAT EXAMPLE OF THIS IN THE
TECH SECTOR WHERE THE TECH
SECTOR HAS TO GO TO WHERE THE
EMPLOYEES ARE.
AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT HOW
STRONG AND VIBRANT THE PUGET
SOUND ECONOMY IS BECAUSE ALMOST
EVERY COMPANY WHO'S GOT A TECH
SECTOR HAS MOVED TO THIS REGION
TO PUT A FOOTPRINT DOWN HERE
WHETHER IT'S AN ENGINEERING
FOOTPRINT, AN OPERATIONS
FOOTPRINT OR NOT, IT'S BECAUSE
THE SKILLED TRAINED WORKFORCE
IS HERE AND THAT'S ACTUALLY A
BIG BYPRODUCT OF THE EDUCATION
SYSTEM AND ALL OF ITS
PARTNERSHIPS COMING TOGETHER TO
WORK.
AND SO I'M NOT SURE WE KNOW
WHAT'S NOT GOING TO BE HERE BUT
I KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED
AND IF I THINK ABOUT
MANUFACTURING IN GENERAL,
THERE'S ACTUALLY A BILL AT THE
STATE CAPITOL RIGHT NOW TO
DOUBLE THE NUMBER
OF MANUFACTURING FIRMS MINORITY
OWNED AND WOMEN OWNED FIRMS
OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
IF WE HAVE NEARLY 300000 PEOPLE
THERE TODAY, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE
A PLAN TO FIND 300000 MORE
WORKERS TO COME INTO
MANUFACTURING OVER THE NEXT 10
YEARS.
FOR EXAMPLE, AND DANA AND CHRIS
TALKED A LOT ABOUT HOW THE
PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED OUR LOCAL
WORKFORCE.
SO IF YOU'D LIKE MORE
INFORMATION ON THINGS LIKE
CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE, LAYOFF
GUIDANCE AND MENTAL HEALTH
SUPPORT, GO TO THE WEBSITE ON
YOUR SCREEN.
AWB HAS COMPILED A LIST
OF RESOURCES FOR EMPLOYERS AND
EMPLOYEES ALIKE.
TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN
SOMETHING NEW.
I THINK THAT WHEN WE ESPECIALLY
WHEN WE START OUT RIGHT OUT
OF HIGH SCHOOL OR HEADED INTO
COLLEGE, THERE'S A PATH WE'RE
GOING TO BE ON AND THIS IS THE
ONLY THING I NEED TO FOCUS ON.
I'M GOING TO BE AN ACCOUNTANT
OR A LAWYER OR A DOCTOR OR
WHATEVER IT IS AND AND THEN YOU
WAKE UP AND YOU GO THAT'S NOT
AT ALL WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS
HEADED.
SO TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO
LEARN IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT
PLACES ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL
BUILD TO MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL IN
WHATEVER PATH YOU FIND YOUR
LIFE ON.
OUR SPECIAL IS JUST GETTING
STARTED.
WE ARE ALL ABOUT LOOKING AT
WHAT'S NEXT AND COMING UP WE'LL
TALK TO A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL
ABOUT WHAT INDUSTRY AND
BUSINESS SECTORS COULD SEE THE
MOST FUTURE GROWTH.
AND LATER, HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE
OUR WORKFORCE IS UP TO SPEED
WITH THE RIGHT KNOWLEDGE AND
SKILLS TO SUCCEED IN THE
RAPIDLY CHANGING JOB MARKET?
WE'LL EXPLORE HOW