Deborah Knutson
My favorite bumper sticker this past week is one that reads, "When I said love thy neighbor, I wasn’t kidding — (signed) God." Seems very appropriate today. What else can we do but join together and help each other out in times of trouble?
And I think it’s fair to say these are troubling times.
But here is the good news. We are good neighbors. We see it in the extraordinary outpouring of aid and support to a traumatized New York; we see it in U.S. humanitarian efforts abroad. And we see it right here in our own backyard.
The 19,000 Boeing layoffs, to date, are a harsh reality. A reality we need to face. When thousands of your neighbors are out of work, dealing with unpredictable futures and imminent hardships, action needs to be taken. Problems aren’t fixed overnight.
It takes commitment, cooperation and vision.
The Snohomish County Workforce Development Council was recently granted $320,000 to provide laid-off Boeing Snohomish County residents support services and job search assistance. That’s commitment.
The WDC is distributing the grant revenue to four WorkSource Snohomish County partner agencies: Washington State Employment Security Department, Edmonds Community College, Sunrise Services/Community Trades and Careers, and Operation Improvement/YWCA. That’s cooperation.
The grants, authorized by Congress, will provide workers the assistance they need to keep them qualified, competent and proficient in their fields. That’s vision.
We applaud the WDC for its efforts to aid and assist these highly skilled workers by keeping them employable and indispensable.
As the world progresses in our new economy, the demand for these types of efforts escalates. Change is inevitable. It’s the only constant we know. By choosing to embrace change and channel its direction for the better, we stand to remain competitive and viable.
Our national and global economy has rapidly evolved into a "knowledge" economy — one based upon the creation, development and application of new technologies. This new economy calls for advanced thinking and unprecedented preparation. The bar has been raised and we need to rise to the occasion.
Diversification is key to our region’s prosperity. We are the sum of many parts. We cannot rely on one or two industries to launch and sustain economic strength. Snohomish County has become a hotbed of companies at the forefront of technological innovation. Part of the Economic Development Council’s five-year strategic plan is to make sure they keep coming. If we want to regain and sustain strength in our local economy, this is a prerequisite. To ensure our competitiveness in the new economy we need to welcome new economy employers and provide them the means and workforce for mutual prosperity.
This demands that our greatest resource — our people — be ahead of the curve in terms of readiness and availability.
Life-long learning is imperative. In a knowledge-based economy, skilled people with varied experience are our most important asset. Technology, innovation and complex business models require continuous training. People need to be afforded the opportunity and ability for continuous schooling. We need to make sure that our children — the workforce of our future — are receiving the educational instruction they require to be prepared and equipped to find their place in the economy of the future. Are K-12 curriculums current? Are they frequently updated to ensure that programs keep up with technology progress? It is our duty to guarantee that they are.
Workforce training and continuing education programs need to advance with the new intelligence. We need to provide on-going training opportunities for our highly skilled workforce in the areas of high-tech and emerging innovation so they may continue to be indispensable contributors to our economy.
We urge our Snohomish partners — our elected officials, our educators, our industry leaders and our workforce training providers — to join the EDC in our mission to keep our economy and workforce vital. Planning for the next economic upturn, and we have full confidence in Snohomish County’s economic growth and recovery, is paramount. We’re on the right track, headed in a positive and diverse direction.
The challenge now is to be progressive, adaptable and optimistic as we cultivate a unified effort. Isn’t that what community and neighbors are all about?
Deborah Knutson is president of the Economic Development Council of Snohomish County. For more information call 425-743-4567 or e-mail dknutson@snoedc.org. For more information on the WDC and available resources, please call 425-921-3423.
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