COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.          8l 
ACTION ITEM                            Date of Meeting      February 8, 2022 

DATE :     January 7, 2022 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Bookda Gheisar, Sr. Director, Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion 
SUBJECT:  Multi -Year Program Authorization Increase Request for the Opportunity Youth
Initiative 
Amount of this request:                     $2,100,000 
Total estimated project cost:                 $2,100,000 

ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission authorization for the Executive Director to approve a not-to-exceed funding
amount of $2,100,000 to execute contracts for a three-year program starting 2022 for the
Opportunity Youth Initiative. 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Request authorization for the Executive Director to allocate $2,100,000 to support building a
permanent youth training and workforce development program for the Port of Seattle. This
permanent program will begin with an open, competitive procurement process to select 
community organizations and programs that are the best fit for a three-year program (2022-
2024) for the Opportunity Youth Initiative. Contracts will be for three years with a not-to-exceed
a total of $2,100,000. 
In 2020 in response to the pandemic's disproportionate impact on youth of color in our region,
the Port created the Opportunity Youth Initiative. The highly successful youth training and
professional development program has now been in place for two years. Coming back to the
Commission, now, this request seeks authorization to create a permanent youth training and
workforce development program beginning with making selections and financial commitment
for three years to organizations involved in training programs. The 2022 budget for this program
was approved for $1,000,000 as part of the 2022 budget. 
Beginning in July of 2020, Staff obtained a Commission Competitive Exemption to partner with
four local non-profit organizations  Seattle Goodwill, Partner in Employment, Urban League of
Metropolitan Seattle, and Seattle Parks Foundation  providing youth of color and low-income

Template revised January 10, 2019.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 8l                                   Page 2 of 3 
Meeting Date: February 8, 2022 
youth with professional training and workforce development opportunities. The Opportunity
Youth Initiative was an unqualified success in 2020. The $1.5 million investment in the community
provided nearly 200 youth with paid learning opportunities designed to build skills to succeed in
the workplace, created learning opportunities connecting young people to a long-term career
path in a port-related industry, strengthened the community, and supported young people and
their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
In 2021, as part of continuing COVID recovery efforts, Staff requested an additional Commission
Competitive Exemption to partner with the same four organizations for up to $2.0 million to
continue training and workforce development efforts to support the youth and families most
impacted by COVID as well as to support efforts to introduce more BIPOC youth to Port related
jobs and industries. As a result, 291 youth received training on jobs in maritime, aviation,
trades/construction, and green jobs.
The Office of Equity is now seeking to create a permanent program and, as a first step, moving
forward with an open, competitive procurement process to identify and award contracts with
expertise, knowledge, curriculum, and training programs in Port-related career tracks of aviation,
maritime, trades/construction, and green jobs. This year's program would seek to partner with
organizations in a three-year contract.
The Opportunity Youth Initiative is in furtherance of the Port's economic development authority,
including statutory authorities such as  RCW 53.08.245, as well as the Port's Workforce
Development Resolution and Policy Directive, which was adopted to increase equitable access
for workers in the maritime, aviation, construction trades and green jobs industries and create
opportunities for workers to acquire the skills and education they need to secure increasingly
complex and better compensated jobs. 
The Office of Equity would capture learnings, evaluate the program, and report to the Executive
Director in on-going communications as well to the Commission in an annual meeting. 
JUSTIFICATION 
This request supports the following Port's Century Agenda and Strategic Goals: 
(1) Responsibly invest in the Economic Growth of the Region and all its communities. 
(2) Become a Model for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. 

BUDGET STATUS AND SOURCE OF FUNDS 
The budget for the program was approved for $1,000,000 in the 2022 budget; an additional
$1,100,000 is needed to fully fund the $2,100,000 multi-year program. 
The source of funds will be tax levy for the program. 

Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 8l                                   Page 3 of 3 
Meeting Date: February 8, 2022 

ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED 
Alternative 1  Decision to not allocate funds for 2022. 
Cost Implications: $2,100,000 
Pros: 
(1)   Cost savings. 
Cons: 
(1)   Opportunities for youth of color for a living wage job and training decreases. 
(2)   Community needs and disparity issues are not addressed. 
This is not the recommended alternative. 

Alternative 2  Approve allocation of funds to execute contracts in 2022. 
Cost Implications: $2,100,000 
Pros: 
(1)   Aligns with the Port's Century Agenda and Strategic Goals. 
(2)   Builds upon the 2020 and 2021 Opportunity Youth Initiative programs to provide a
permanent training program starting in 2022. 
(3)   Meets the disparity needs of our community. 
(4)   Provides training in Port-related industries to provide opportunities for living wage jobs
and career paths for youth. 
Cons: 
(1)   Funding cost. 
This is the recommended alternative. 

ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
(1)   None 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
May 11, 2021  Order No. 2021-05 for 2021 Opportunity Youth Initiative Funding 
December 8, 2020  2020 Opportunity Youth Initiative Commission Meeting Summary Briefing 
June 23, 2020  Motion 2020-18 adopted by the Port Commissioners 
May 26, 2020  Motion 2020-12 was amended and adopted by the Port Commissioners 


Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).