Whether east of the mountains or west, Washington State has a serious skilled labor shortage.

According to a report just published by the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (Workforce Board), Postsecondary Career and Technical Education Works, over 17,000 Washington employers in 2003 had difficulty finding workers with more than one, but less than four years of postsecondary education. Between 75-80 percent of all jobs in Washington State do not require a four-year degree.

Industries most affected included health care, construction, and information technology where more than 5,000 openings existed for registered nurses, carpenters, and computer support specialists.

According to Ellen O’Brien Saunders, executive director of the Workforce Board, the situation will only worsen in the years ahead. “By 2007, Washington employers are expected to need 28,600 new workers annually with more than one, but less than four years of postsecondary education and 29,700 in 2010. Our community and technical colleges, private career schools and apprenticeship programs prepare about 23,600 such new workers per year. If we do not increase our supply, we will have a shortfall of more than 6,100 workers annually in 2010, or only be able to meet about 79 percent of the expected employer demand.”

To fill this labor shortfall, an additional state investment of $15 million in the first year of the next biennium (05-07) and $30 million in the second is urgently required for community and technical colleges, which prepare 75 percent of these new workers.

The report further notes that community and technical college training pays. Students who complete a job preparatory program at a community or technical college earn an average of $22,281 a year three quarters after exiting from the program, or $12.80 an hour. They are also likely to have an annual income that’s $6,000 more a year compared to those who do not go on to some form of training after high school.

A copy of Postsecondary Career and Technical Education Works is available at www.wtb.wa.gov.

Statistics:

If each of the state’s 34 community and technical colleges were to divide the 22,400 full-time equivalent slots needed to fill the projected gap in 2010, each would need an additional 658.8 enrollments.

Some of the most commonly filled jobs by community and technical college trained workers with average monthly salaries and openings per year are listed below. These openings are available statewide.

• Registered nurses: $3,700 to $5,100 per month: 2,000 openings per year
• Carpenters: $2,600 to $4,600 per month: 1,300 openings per year
• Automotive technicians: $2,200 to $3,600 per month: 600 openings per year
• Electricians: $2,900 to $5,000 per month: 550 openings per year
• Computer support specialists: $2,700 to $4,300 per month: 500 job openings per year

   The net increase in earnings these students can achieve over their lifetime far exceeds the taxpayer cost of the community or technical college program – in fact 16 and one half times.