EVERETT – Snohomish County joined an aerospace group and community colleges in Spokane and Edmonds Thursday to create the state’s first aerospace institute at Paine Field.
The new aerospace center, to be coordinated by the Aerospace Futures Alliance, will open this fall in a 30,000-square-foot building leased to the group by Snohomish County.
“This creates new and needed opportunities for our aerospace workers to keep their skill sets well ahead of our competition,” said Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon. “This also helps our leading businesses such as Boeing stay competitive by maintaining a strong core of skilled workers well into the future.”
The building needs to be renovated and a curriculum needs to be developed for the new center, but officials said it will offer different training than students can already received at places like Edmonds and Spokane community college.
The idea of an aerospace institute was pushed during the recent legislative session by state Rep. Mike Sells, D-Everett, the leader of the Snohomish County Labor Council. His bill passed the House, by failed in the Senate.
“We needed to get moving,” Sells said, “I have a sense of urgency about it.”
He said the programs need to start now and he will continue to press for funding from the legislature later. In the meantime, he said, the community colleges can transfer some of their funding to get the program started.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
