REVISED                        PORT OF SEATTLE 
July 1, 2014                                    MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.      6b 
ACTION ITEM 
Date of Meeting      July 1, 2014 
DATE:    June 26, 2014 
TO:      Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:   Luis Navarro, Director, Office of Social Responsibility 
SUBJECT:  Workforce Development 
ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission adoption of a motion to direct the Chief Executive Officer to implement
plans and policies as described in the statement of policy direction attached to complete a
strategic plan and implementing policies to improve upon and expand current workforce
development efforts in port-related sectors, develop new partnerships with regional stakeholders,
and establish contracts with services providers as necessary to deliver on the plan. 
OVERVIEW 
The Port of Seattle has a long history of interest and action in supporting workforce development
efforts in port-related activities. The Port 's mission to achieve economic development includes
both the generation of quality, family-wage jobs and ensuring a stable, well-trained workforce to
fill them. This memo provides  information relevant to  the Port of Seattle Commission
(Commission) approval of a Motion affirming Port commitment to increasing support for
workforce development efforts and providing Port staff with clear direction for strategic and
impactful next steps. 
BACKGROUND 
The Port has been directly engaged in workforce development efforts and initiatives for over 20 
years, including helping to create the non-profit organization Port Jobs and the Apprenticeship
Opportunities Project. 
As an employer, the Port supports workforce development through formal programs such as
Veteran Fellowships, college and high school internships, internal cross-team internships and
other initiatives. With the adoption of the Century Agenda in 2013, the Port affirmed its
commitment to workforce development as an integral part of its larger economic development
objectives and strategies as follows: "Use our influence as an institution to promote small
business growth and workforce development and increase workforce training, job and business
opportunities for local communities in maritime, trade, travel and logistics." 
The Port has contracted for workforce development services for over twenty years. Current 
contracts include Airport Jobs, Airport University, Apprenticeship Opportunities Project, fishing
industry engineer endorsement training, youth maritime career support and research on the

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
June 26, 2014  Revised July 1, 2014 
Page 2 of 6 
construction industry'sworkforce needs. The Port also creates opportunities for job training by
setting apprenticeship utilization goals  on its construction projects  (including women and
minority participation), hiring high school and college interns, and partnering with other
workforce programs. 
In January, the Commission announced its intention to develop a new quality jobs initiative. The
Commission held two public hearings in February and April, to review the current workplace
environment at Sea-Tac International Airport (Sea-Tac) and to understand the multiple elements
involved in a quality job. Features of job quality include not only wages and benefits, but also
safety, schedules, job security, opportunities for advancement, transportation to the worksite, and
more. Training and accessibility of career pathway opportunities are also important factors. 
In May, Alaska Airlines launched a multi-year $1.5 million investment to support job training at
Sea-Tac. The Port will be looking to build upon this contribution to attract similar investments
and financial support from other organizations, including Airport tenants and other communitybased
stakeholders. This will greatly expand training and education opportunities for Airport
workers. Staff will recommend the best model to grow the available funding sources to deliver
these services. 
PROPOSAL JUSTIFICATION AND DETAILS 
In 2013, the Commission approved the Century Agenda, as the roadmap to create 100,000
additional jobs over a period of 25 years through economic growth led by the Port of Seattle, to
be achieved through several parallel strategies, including using our influence as an institution to
promote workforce development. This was with the objective of increasing workforce training,
job and business opportunities for local communities in maritime, trade, travel and logistics. 
In order to achieve this, Port staff has been working, under the direction of the Port Commission
and executives, to develop a workforce development strategy, goals, implementation methods
and plans, specific actions and milestones, and impact measures to assess progress toward the
objectives. The Port will need to contract for some or all of the identified workforce development
strategies and actions. 
The Port's Office of Social Responsibility (OSR), established in 2008, is the department charged
with implementing social responsibility programs and recommending policy to help ensure equal
access to the economic opportunities created by the Port, and will lead on issues of workforce
development within the Port. 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
No immediate financial implications as a result of this motion. However , the Request(s) for
Qualifications and/or Request(s) for Proposals that will be issued for an expanded multi-year
workforce development program, as recommended by staff with support from consultants, will
have multi-million dollar financial implications for the Port. Staff anticipates seeking
Commission approval to award such contract(s) beginning in late 2014.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
June 26, 2014  Revised July 1, 2014 
Page 3 of 6 

STRATEGIES AND OBJECTIVES 
Last year, OSR facilitated a cross-division, multi-department working group of Port staff to
develop an initial workforce development strategy framework and a set of guiding principles and
associated metrics. OSR staff has met with individual Port Commissioners to evaluate potential
options and Commissioners have provided significant input on the overall strategy and next
steps. The following are the elements that resulted from these consultation sessions: 
1.  With the assistance of expert consulting services, complete the development of Port-wide
workforce development goals and strategies, and the necessarypolicies, funding sources 
and allocation methodologies to implement those strategies in pursuit of those goals. 
2.  Integrate our efforts with other organizations working on these issues, increasing the
capacity and efficiency of the regional workforce development system by developing
new partnerships and assessing current ones to leverage our efforts effectively. 
a.  Port staff will review existing collaborative models and will recommend
applicable multi-partner funding models, and joint program implementation plans,
as appropriate.  Organizations such as  the Regional Workforce Funders
Collaborative (supported by the National Fund for Workforce Solutions and their
local  affiliate,  SkillUp);  industry-specific  partnerships  which  combine
government grants and employer contributions such as the Baltimore Alliance for
Careers in Healthcare; and a number of other models and lessons collected by
GrantCraft in their research on funder collaboratives. 
b.  Staff will also encourage Airport employers and other entities concerned with
workforce development related to the Airport to contribute resources in
coordination with the Port, and in accordance with all applicable Washington state
and federal regulations that maximize available services and their impact  and
develop a fund advisory model to support such collaborative financial support.
c.  In addition, staff will develop relationships further with potential partners in this
area, including community colleges, community based organizations and funders
such as the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County (WDC),
leveraging their strengths and resources to the extent possible legally and
capacity-wise to manage additional resources in order to maximize provision and
impact of the above services. 
3.  Increase and enhance workforce development services at Sea-Tac as a part of the
Commission-led  Quality Jobs Initiative, primarily by contracting with community
nonprofits and training providers. A ctions the Port may choose to take in 2015 and into
the future at Sea-Tac Airport specifically are highlighted in the sub-bullets below: 
a.  Identify the current and future workforce demands of Port-related industries and
use that information to inform our efforts. 
Categorize, document, and share the current and projected workforce
demands and hiring needs of Airport (and related) employers with job
seekers and community agencies that provide employment services

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
June 26, 2014  Revised July 1, 2014 
Page 4 of 6 
b.  Ensure that all members of our community have access to quality jobs in Portrelated
industries. 
Expand job placement assistance services to reach more employers at the
Airport and connect job seekers to a greater range of jobs, including
helping incumbent Airport workers obtain mid-  and upper-level job
advancement opportunities 
Provide career awareness and hands-on learning opportunities, including
internships, both for youth and young adults to increase attraction to
airport-related careers 
Make on-site support services available to Airport workers to support
economic self-sufficiency,  from supports to enable participation in
education and training to assistance with financial resources such as
applying for health insurance through the Exchange, Basic Food, or
claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit 
Increase the number of apprentices on staff in Port departments comprised
of skilled trades employees, such as Aviation Maintenance 
Encourage participation in competitive solicitations for services being
procured by the Port from social enterprise nonprofits that provide job
training and employment services 
c.  Support the development of a supply of qualified candidates in alignment with
port-related industry demand and increased opportunities for job training and
career advancement. 
Create maps of the more common potential career pathways that exist
within the airport environment, as well as related industries in our region 
Offer career coaching and career navigation services to incumbent Airport
workers interested in career advancement 
Expand the education and training offerings available through the Airport
University program, by adding additional on-site classes on skills needed
by Airport employers 
Provide financial assistance so Airport workers can enroll in classes or
training programs offered by colleges or other providers off-site 
TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE 
Economic Development: Port business partners and all the companies doing business in portrelated
industries need a skilled workforce to thrive and grow. Having a skilled labor force
(particularly in port-related sectors),is a crucial component of keeping existing businesses and
attracting new ones- directly supporting regional economic development. 
Community Benefits: Workforce development efforts bring together both the supply and demand 
sides of the labor market and create economic opportunity. For community members, this means
helping build awareness of career opportunities in port-related industries, and connections to
training for the skills needed to get into and advance within those career paths. When members
of our community improve their employment situation, much of that increased income is
returned back into our local economy, creating a multiplicative economic development effect.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
June 26, 2014  Revised July 1, 2014 
Page 5 of 6 
Supporting inclusive outreach, training, and advancement support programs is a way the Port can
work to address employment and income disparities in our region. 
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED 
1.  Let the current workforce development contracts expire at the end of 2014 and do not
solicit for or award additional contracts, ending Port financial support for the most
significant external workforce development efforts  at the Port.  This is not the
recommended option. 
2.  Exercise the fifth and final option year on the current Port Jobs contract for a final
extension through December 31, 2015, which funds workforce development services at
SeaTac Airport, including Airport Jobs and Airport University, as well as the
Apprenticeship Opportunity Project (currently provided via a subcontract with ANEW). 
The contract amount for this final option year, as approved at the time of original contract
award would be $710,000 (not including in-kind facilities provisions), funding services at
approximately their current level and configuration. This is not the recommended option. 
3.  Develop a guiding workforce development strategy and goals, budget, and internal
policies necessary to carry out that strategy and reach those goals. Directly hire
individuals as Port of Seattle employees to implement workforce development services
rather than contracting for those services from another provider. A partial-year extension
(likely one quarter) of the current Port Jobs contract would be necessary to ensure no
interruption of services. This is not the recommended option. 
4.  Develop Commission-approved strategy and guiding workforce development principles,
including goals and milestones. Issue the associated RFQ(s) and RFP(s), budget, and
internal policies necessary to carry out the strategy and reach the forecasted outcomes
and goals. Award contract(s) to service provider(s) following RFP and procurement
process. Service provider(s) may include Port Jobs and/or other organizations, pending
evaluation of proposals received; either way, exercising a partial-year extension (likely
one quarter) of the current Port Jobs contract would be necessary to ensure no
interruption of services during the transition period of implementing the Job Quality
strategy. This is the recommended option. 
LEGAL ASSESSMENT 
A recent analysis conducted by the Port's legal department affirms that the Port has the authority
to engage in workforce development efforts, including new and/or expanded efforts, as long as
certain conditions are met. The Port may expend funds to engage in these efforts, but some
sources of funds have significant restrictions as to their use, so careful analysis and
determination of funding sources, resource allocation and tracking will be essential. The Port
may contract with one or more nonprofits, pre-apprenticeship programs, and/or educational
providers, or self-perform some or all of the workforce development efforts it chooses to pursue.
To limit risk in engaging in future workforce development efforts, the Commission should adopt

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
June 26, 2014  Revised July 1, 2014 
Page 6 of 6 
a resolution that deliberately and intentionally lays out their findings, intent, and choices. Staff
will provide recommendations for Commission action regarding expansion of workforce
development efforts. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
Workforce Development Motion 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
April 8, 2014  Quality Jobs Hearing 
February 11, 2014  Quality Jobs Hearing 
April 1, 2014  OSR annual report to Commission 
December 4, 2012  Commission adoption of the Century Agenda 
November 2, 2010  Commission authorization of current Port Jobs contract