Item Number:  8a Motion 
Meeting Date:   February 25, 2020 

1                                                   MOTION 2020-05: 
2                                 A MOTION OF THE PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION 
3 
4                           To  support   the  recommendations  of  the   Maritime
5                           Secondary  Education  Advisory  Group  that  call  for  the
6                           development  of  a  maritime  and  ocean  sciences  high
7                           school. 
8 
9                                                         PROPOSED 
10                                               FEBRUARY 25, 2020 
11 
12                                                 INTRODUCTION 
13 
14    Booming maritime industries in Washington state lack the qualified workers to meet the
15    region's needs andthe inclusive work environments to support the industry long-term. The
16    average age of the state's maritime workforce is 54, the majority of whom are white males,
17    owing to structural inequities that have kept women and people of color on the sidelines. 
18 
19    A high percentage of maritime workers in the Puget Sound region will retire in the next ten
20    years. Recruiting young workers to replace them is essential to maintaining a vibrant maritime
21    economy in our region. With competitive pay and benefits and good prospects for long term
22    employment, maritime jobs should be highly coveted. However, many current and future
23    workers are unaware of or lack equitable access to the opportunities in the industry. 
24 
25    In July of 2019, the Port of Seattle entered into a contract for consulting services with Architects
26    of Achievement to create a strategic action plan, to generate stakeholder engagement, and to
27    produce a final case statement encapsulating the findings of that work. The ca se statement 
28    outlines the consensus of the advisory group formed from key participants. It calls for a public
29    secondary maritime education institution and programs in the Seattle area.  This effort was
30    funded by a $150,000 appropriation approved by the Port Commission in 2019. 
31 
32    On February 11, 2020, the final case statement "A Changing Tide," was presented to the Port
33    Commission. 
34 
35 
36                                              TEXT OF THE MOTION 
37 
38    The Commission hereby supports the recommendations of the Maritime Secondary Education
39    Advisory Group that calls for the development of a maritime and ocean sciences high school. 

Motion 2020-15: Maritime High School                                                              Page 1 of 2

40    The outcomes were presented to the Commission on February 11, 2020, and outlined in the
41    final case statement titled "A Changing Tide."
42 
43    "A Changing Tide" was created bya diverse group of tribal, community, labor, education, and
44    industry leaders from the Seattle area and calls for the development of this school to equip
45    students who are furthest from economic opportunity and climate-adaptive, new-economy
46    jobs in the Puget Sound region. 
47 
48    The Port of Seattle shall facilitate efforts to convene regional stakeholders, with an emphasis on 
49    South  King  County  communities  and  school  districts,  maritime  education  non-profit
50    organizations, labor and industry, and aligned government agencies, in pursuit of the mission
51    and vision, and supported by the guiding principles identified in "A Changing Tide." 
52 
53 
54                                     STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION 
55 
56    The case statement recommends the development of a maritime and ocean sciences high
57    school and reflects the interest from the Duwamish Valley youth residents to locate the high
58    school in their community. This recommendation aligns with the Port's Duwamish Valley
59    Community Benefits Commitment Policy Directive. A goal of this policy is to support economic
60    prosperity in place with anti-displacement solutions in the Duwamish Valley Community that 
61    create  equitable  access  to  training,  jobs,  career  pathways,  and  port-related  economic
62    opportunities and requires the Port to: 
63 
64         Invest in youth workforce development programs that prepare youth in the community
65            for opportunities in port-related career pathways. 
66         Provide outreach and career building trainings to youth 
67         Identify opportunities for youth to participate in port- related trades and experiential
68            learning activities. 
69         Partner with educational programs that link youth to career connected learning
70            opportunities across all port-related industries. 
71 
72    The Seattle region has created more new wealth than most other metropolitan areas in the
73    country, while area schools offer few educational career pathways into maritime careers and
74    marginalized communities. Students of color make up more than 70% of students in the
75    residential areas, like the Duwamish Valley, closest to many of the region's maritime industries.
76    Ideally, these populations  should enjoy commensurate representation in the Port-related
77    workforce. Support for the development of a maritime and ocean sciences high school along
78    the Duwamish Waterway supports the Ports commitment to the Duwamish Valley Community. 



Motion 2020-15: Maritime High School                                                              Page 2 of 2