Governor Gregoire Announces a $3 Million Apprenticeship Program

A $3 million apprenticeship program for jobs in the aerospace industry in the State of Washington was announced today by Governor Chris Gregoire at a rally at Machinist District 751. The rally, dubbed “ America ’s Edge”, is an attempt to muster support for technical education and training for our nation’s youth to address the severe skills shortage facing America .  

While saying that the state must still be frugal with the budget, when it comes to investment in training and apprenticeships, Governor Gregoire said, “This is not the time to slow up but to gear up and go forward.” The funds are intended to be used for both curriculum and equipment. The Governor said the investment is in response to aerospace suppliers throughout the state who are in desperate need of skilled workforce to fill vacancies.

Joining with the Governor and the IAM, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack said, “This is not just about jobs and the economy; it is about what is fundamental to this country .... The challenge is to make sure there are enough of us to continue to make things and build things here in America .”

 “It is great to see Governor Gregoire make investments in aerospace workers and the industry,” said Tom Wroblewski, Machinists 751 district president. “This will pay long term dividends for our competitive place in the world as we vie for these jobs in the global market.”

 Community and technical colleges face difficulties funding technical and apprenticeship programs according to American Federation of Teachers President Sandra Schroeder .  She praised the Governor’s program and emphasized the need for state of the art equipment and small class size in order to produce qualified, skilled workers.

Both House Speaker Frank Chopp and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown have spoken in support of the Governor’s apprenticeship program.  

During her tenure the Governor has pushed hard for investment in apprenticeships. In January of 2005 there were 8,500 men and women in apprenticeship programs and now there are 14,500 apprenticeships throughout the state.