COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.          11a 
BRIEFING ITEM                            Date of Meeting        May 11, 2021 
DATE:     April 21, 2021 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Luis Navarro, Director, Workforce Development Programs 
SUBJECT:  2020 Workforce Development Annual Report 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Workforce development is critical to achieving the Port's mission to serve as an economic
development agency. As a regional anchor institution, the Port will leverage its cross-sector
influence and leadership to promote long-term, sustainable advancements across port-related
economic activities that promote equity. 
The Port of Seattle Workforce Development Resolution 3776, approved by the Port Commission
in June 2020, requires staff in the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OEDI) to provide an
annual report to the Commission on investments, outcomes, and best practices. The 2020 annual
workforce development report also satisfies a requirement under RCW 53.08.245(2)(c) by
providing quantitative information on program outcomes including: the number of workers
trained, recruited, placed in jobs, and retained; the types of jobs and range of compensation; the
number and types of businesses that are served; and any other tangible benefits realized by the
port, the workers, businesses, and the public. 
In the Port's 2020 budget report, the Port described the economic downturn caused by COVID-
19 that resulted in severe declines in trade, travel, and tourism  the lifeblood of the Port.
Specifically, the pandemic resulted in the loss of the entire 2020 cruise season and a 61% decline
in air travel that severed business activity and connections that took decades to develop. In
March 2020, the executive director requested a review of budgets across all Port divisions to
address the immediacy of the COVID-19 crisis. The budget review resulted in substantial
reductions in planned expenses across all Port divisions, including reductions in the 2020
workforce  development  budget,  requiring  a  recalculation  of  the  proposed  workforce
development investments for 2021-2023. 
The budget reduction required the workforce development team to recalibrate the ongoing and
future work and budget plan beyond 2020, including elimination of staff additions in workforce
development, reduction and postponement of planned contracts and consulting services for
market data analysis, among other areas. 


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COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 11a                                 Page 2 of 7 
Meeting Date: May 11, 2021 
BACKGROUND 
In June 2020, the Port of Seattle (Port) Commission adopted the Workforce Development
Resolution 3776 with the purpose of fulfilling the Century Agenda strategic objectives of
increasing equitable access for workers in port-related economic activities in maritime, aviation,
construction trades, green careers, and other port related economic industries and activities.
Staff in the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OEDI) developed a three-year Workforce
Development Strategic Plan for 2021-2023 guided by the Port's Century Agenda and key
provisions from the Policy Directive adopted in June 2020 to ensure that the Port's investments
in workforce development and related activities produce outcomes that support a skilled
workforce in Port related industries, and that workforce development programs create equitable
access for all. 
The Policy Directive under Resolution 3776 provides guidance in two key provisions: 
Goal 1: Increase Equitable Access to Economic Prosperity. Increase equitable workforce
access for the trades in port-related economic activities, with an emphasis on expanding
opportunities to near-port communities, which are most disproportionately impacted. Port
staff will develop program priorities, actions, benchmarks, and metrics for success. 
Goal 2: Leverage Port Impact and Innovation. Identify and prioritize opportunities for
leadership to influence and promote a sector-based approach to workforce development
centered on equity, diversity and inclusion. 
OUTCOMES AND RESULTS OF 2020 PORT INVESTMENTS 
Analysis of Results of Investments (ROI) for 2020 was conducted by Port staff and consultant Bob
Watrus, a workforce development expert hired to support the analysis. The ROI report is
presented in the categories of impact, influence, and leverage. 
COVID-19 resulted in a reduction in the 2020 workforce development outcomes compared to the
original plan, but we also saw a different kind of outcomes that supported displaced workers and
impacted communities. 2020 also showed community resilience and innovation on the part of
the Port and community-based organizations (CBOs) that required them to quickly develop client
services delivery from in-person to virtual or a hybrid model. 2020 was also a year of commitment
by the Port to the communities we serve, as the Port didn't cancel any existing contracts, instead,
we added language to allow CBOs under contract to continue to provide the Port funded services
virtually or in a hybrid environment. 
Port Investments 
The Port's workforce development  investments in 2020 included $1.5  million in  summer
employment for opportunity youth, and $1.9 million in the port sectors of aviation, maritime,
construction trades and in strategic partnerships. Investments included contracts with services
providers such as Port Jobs, the pre-apprenticeship organization ANEW, the Urban League of

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COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 11a                                 Page 3 of 7 
Meeting Date: May 11, 2021 
Metropolitan Seattle, and the Maritime Youth Collaboration. See Appendix 1  for sector
breakdown. 
I.   Impact 
In 2020, the Port's workforce development investments resulted in 870 job placements, 210
training completions, and 105 youth participating in experiential learning (events and
internships), and 196 opportunity youth who benefit from the Port investment in a summer
employment initiative. Retention services and supports were provided to another over 100
participants in Port funded workforce development programs who were placed in jobs in
2019. 
Types of jobs participants were placed in 2020 included janitorial/cleaning, food service,
ramp/airfield, airport customer service, and warehouse/freight in the aviation sector; and
apprentice ironworkers, laborers, pipefitters, bricklayers, and cement masons in the
construction sector. The hourly wage at placement in aviation was $16.40, and in
construction, $24.50 plus. 
Ninety-two (92) employers hired participants or provided youth internships. Types of
businesses  included  airport  concessionaires,  ground  handling  companies,  airlines,
construction contractors, boat repair shops, recreational boating rental providers, and other
maritime employers (e.g., cargo ship operator, marine terminal operator, and marine science
and engineering firm). 
The majority of participants were people of color. Most also lived in priority communities
(e.g., South King County and Priority Hire ZIP codes). 
Results in 2020 were significantly lower than those for 2019, due in large part to the COVID-
19 pandemic, which had a major disruptive impact on port-related sectors, employers,
workers and job seekers, and near-port communities. For example, air passenger traffic at
SEA Airport was down about 60 percent in 2020 and thousands of airport workers were laid
off. In construction, new Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims totaled over 31,000 during a
32-week period, representing 35 percent of all construction jobs in King County. 
The Port's workforce development partnersincluding employment and training service
providers, community colleges, and community based organizationsresponded to COVID
by moving services online (e.g., information sessions, job search assistance, classes, and
internships); connecting people to benefits such as UI and health insurance; and helping
address basic needs through food, housing, and transportation assistance. 
Even in challenging times, some participants continued to move along career pathways in
port-related sectors. One such participant was Jerome Cadelina, who was working as a ramp
agent at SEA Airport in 2019, when he entered the aviation maintenance technician (AMT)
career pathway program, which is a partnership of the Port, Port Jobs, and South Seattle

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COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 11a                                 Page 4 of 7 
Meeting Date: May 11, 2021 
College. Today, Cadelina is working as an aircraft support mechanic while completing South
Seattle College's aviation maintenance technology program. (A profile of Cadelina is
attached.) 
Sector breakdown 
1.  Aviation Sector 
Airport Employment Center 
The Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA Airport) Employment Center job placements
totaled 857 in 2020, a drop of 62 percent from 2019. This reflects the impact of the COVID
pandemic on SEA Airport and travel more generally. The number of employers hiring through
the center was 70, a 22 percent drop from the prior year. Training enrollments and
completions were also down, but not by a much  197 training enrollments, a 20 percent drop
from the prior year; and 174 training completions, a 12 percent drop. 
It's projected that results in 2021 will increase, but they'll still be below the 2019 baseline, as
SEA Airport and travel continue to recover from COVID. For example, 2021 job placements
are projected to be 1,100, about half that in 2019.
The work conducted at SEA through the Employment Center continues to be successful in
supporting individuals upskill and enter promising career pathways, as the following quotes
affirms: 
"Your work at Port Jobs provides opportunities, gives hope, and creates better lives for future
generations. As an Airport University student, I am grateful to be the recipient of such generosity.
Thank you so very much!" Janae Fisher, Port of Seattle 
Through Airport University "I am working here. I am learning here. It's a great opportunity. I
appreciate that every day." Girmay Worku, Port of Seattle 
COVID-19 Impact and Response 
Remote and one-on-one in-person job search assistance at the Employment Center
throughout the pandemic. Use of computers and internet at Airport Jobs for job search setup
by appointment. Free health insurance enrollment fairs for laid off airport workers and
community members who've lost health insurance benefits. Information on safety net
resources such as unemployment, health care resources, food and energy assistance, etc.
Online Airport University classes. Alaska Airlines-Airport University scholarships expanded
eligibility to include laid off airport workers. 



Template revised September 22, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 11a                                 Page 5 of 7 
Meeting Date: May 11, 2021 
2.  Construction Sector 
Construction Worker Outreach, Training, and Retention 
2020  construction  enrollments,  training  completions,  and  placements  were  down
significantly from 2019, with 49 enrollments, down 76 percent; 36 training completions,
down 80 percent; and 13 placements in apprenticeships and trades related jobs, down 93
percent. The largest contributing factor: the impact of COVID on the construction sector and
the Port's partners in construction worker outreach, training, and retention  ANEW, Urban
League, and Ironworkers. 
The construction sector was initially hard hit by COVID, with new UI claims representing 35
percent of all construction jobs during a 32-week period. By late summer/early fall, however,
there were signs of recovery (e.g., decreases in continuing UI claims, increases in job postings,
increases in estimated employment since peak unemployment associated with COVID, and
rebounds in estimated employment year-to-year). 
With respect to the Port's partners, some halted their services for a time before shifting
mostly to online. By mid-year, some were back to providing at least some in-person services,
but at limited capacity. They also focused on helping the over 100 participants they'd placed
in apprenticeships and trades related jobs in 2019 keep their jobs, providing them retention
services and supports. 
It's projected that results in 2021 will increase, but they'll still be below the 2019 baseline.
For example, 2021 training completions are projected to be 113, 65 percent that in 2019; and
job placements 123, also about 65 percent that in 2019. 
COVID-19 impact and response: The service providers contracted by the Port delivered
services via online outreach, information sessions, and classes. Increased focus on retention,
reaching out to apprentices and providing wraparound services and supports, as approved by
the Port. 
3.  Maritime Sector 
Maritime Experiential Learning and Internships 
In 2020, the number of students participating in maritime experiential learning events totaled
75, a drop of 84 percent from 2019. COVID precluded in-person events  especially the kind
of hands on, close quarters events done on boats in past years. Some partners closed shop
for part of the year; others moved events online. Over 30 youth participated in virtual
internships. 
It's projected that the number of students participating in maritime experiential learning
events will increase to 200 in 2021, less than half that in 2019. Another 30 youth are projected

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COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 11a                                 Page 6 of 7 
Meeting Date: May 11, 2021 
to participate in maritime internships, but we will work with our partners to maximize
participation. 
II.     Influence 
The Port's workforce development efforts also aim to influence broader workforce
development policies, practices, systems, and investments as they relate to port-related
sectors. In 2020, examples included: 
o  Regional Public Owners (RPO Group)  The Port of Seattle is a partner with the City of
Seattle, King County, Sound Transit and other public contracting entities in the RPO group,
which aims to create a pipeline of skilled, diverse construction workers to meet current
and future needs driven by Port and other public infrastructure projects. RPO's goals are
to align and champion greater workforce diversification in the trades, increase entry and
diversity, and improve retention. RPO's 2020 accomplishments included: 
-    Quantitative and qualitative apprenticeship retention analysis 
-    Sharing of best practices for workforce diversity implementation 
-    State Labor and Industries pre-apprenticeship data collection and reporting 
-    Development of shared data picture around entry, retention, and diversity; and
discussion of results, best practices, and implications for partner investments 
-    Implementation of retention pilots 
-    Incorporation of similar contract language around acceptable/respectful worksite
standards among RPO partners 
o  Youth Maritime Collaborative  The Youth Maritime Collaborative is a partnership of
workforce education and training providers and employers that the Port of Seattle helped
establish and promotes maritime career awareness and career connected learning
activities, with a focus on low-income youth and youth of color. In 2020, the Youth
Maritime Collaborative provided equity training to maritime employers, as a way to
promote equitable practices in the maritime industry and create youth internship
opportunities for low-income youth and youth of color. 
o  Washington Alliance for Better Schools  With support from the Port of Seattle, the
Washington Alliance for Better Schools engaged middle and high school teachers in
professional development and curriculum development tied to port-related sectors. 
III.     Leverage 
The Port's workforce development investments also leverage other funding and resources.
For 2020, the amount leveraged was over $2.3 million. This included: 
o  $993,000 from Alaska Airlines, Boeing, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Workforce
Development Council of Seattle-King County, United Way of King County, City of Seattle,
King County, and Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (Basic Food

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COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 11a                                 Page 7 of 7 
Meeting Date: May 11, 2021 
Employment and Training) to support the Airport Employment Center and Airport
University. 
o  $1.3 million from other regional public owners (e.g., City of Seattle, King County, Sound
Transit, and Washington State Department of Transportation) for aligned investments in
construction worker outreach, training, and retention. (The $1.3 million figure reflects the
investments of two other regional public owners in construction worker outreach,
training, placement, retention, and support services. Due to timing, it was not possible to
get comparable data from the other RPO partners). 
o  $60,000 from the City of Seattle's Office of Economic Development and the Workforce
Development Council of Seattle-King County to support summer youth internships in the
maritime sector. 
IV.    Staffing and Total Investments 
The proposed strategic plan in 2020, included the addition of program managers for
maritime, construction, aviation, youth and green careers, and a senior analyst to support
the database analysis and reporting, and the proposed investment was $11.1 million for
2021-2023. The plan was revised as part of the COVID-19 budget realignment. The revised
three-year plan proposes less staff in 2021-2023, and a lower investment total of $9.3 million
for the same period 2021-2023, a reduction of $2.3 million over the same time period. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING 
(1) Presentation 
(2) Workforce Development Resolution #3776 
(3) Port Jobs Annual Report 
(4) Aviation Maintenance Technician Student Cadelina Testimonial 
(5) WDC-SKC 2021 Regional Plan Executive Summary
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
(1) April 20, 2021  Commission Equity and Workforce Development Committee briefed 
(2) June 23, 2020  Commission adopted Workforce Development Resolution #3776 
(3) February 2020  Commission approved charter for the Equity and Workforce 
Development Committee 
(4) June 2020  The Commission adopted the Workforce Development Resolution 3776 
(5) July 2020  OEDI staff presented the 2021, 2023,-2023 workforce development plan 
(6) July 2014  The Commission approved a Motion of the Port of Seattle Increasing 
Workforce Development and Career Opportunities Activities 


Template revised September 22, 2016.