Order 2022-05 – Youth Career Launch Program Funding Page 1 of 3
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ORDER NO. 2022-05 5
AN ORDER OF THE PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION 6
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To increase the three-year investment in the Youth Career 8
Launch Program from $2.1 million to $4.1 million. 9
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PROPOSED 11
APRIL 12, 2022 12
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INTRODUCTION 14
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In 2021, the Port of Seattle Commission engaged community stakeholders in a series of 13 16
listening sessions related to the Port’s role in economic recovery from the effects of the COVID-17
19 pandemic. During these listening sessions, Commissioners repeatedly heard about the need for 18
additional workforce development efforts, increased visibility of Port industry-related jobs in 19
communities of color, and expanded access to quality, living-wage jobs for Black, Indigenous, and 20
people of color (BIPOC) communities across King County. 21
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One of the ways the Port has responded to this community call to action is to double down on 23
increasing access to maritime career programs and opportunities. The Commission approved three 24
critical programs for 2022: 25
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• Youth Career Launch Program 27
• Maritime High School 28
• Maritime Industry Leadership Table 29
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This programming was matched with $2.4 million in funding and will support the framework for 31
a comprehensive and connected regional strategy for the future of maritime employment in King 32
County and beyond. This additional investment was identified from cruise revenue that is 33
anticipated to exceed 2022 budget projections. 34
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TEXT OF THE ORDER 36
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The Port Commission directs the Executive Director to increase the three-year investment in the 38
Youth Career Launch Program from $2.1 million to $4.1 million. The $2 million increase in 39
funding will support maritime-focused career launch opportunities and programming. 40
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The Executive Director shall report to the Commission by no later than June 14, 2022, with a draft 42
strategy that identifies collaborations with partner institutions and the resources necessary to 43
connect youth in the Youth Career Launch Program to maritime-focused apprenticeships, post-44
secondary institutions with paid work-based learning, or secondary career or technical education 45
requirements and other options. 46
Agenda Item: 10a_Order
Meeting Date: April 12, 2022
Order 2022-05 – Youth Career Launch Program Funding Page 2 of 3
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STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE ORDER 48
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Youth Career Launch Program 50
The centerpiece of the Port’s youth workforce efforts will be the Youth Career Launch Program. 51
The Commission’s investment currently totals $2.1 million over three years. The $2 million 52
funding increase proposed in this Order will bolster a program that will provide career launch 53
opportunities in the maritime industry for Puget Sound youth and adults aged 16-24 years. This 54
program will focus on youth from historically underrepresented backgrounds (and 55
disproportionally BIPOC) communities and vulnerable populations. This program will: 56
1. Build partnerships between maritime industry employers with career-connected learning 57
programs; 58
2. Work collaboratively with regional partners, including government agencies, industry 59
partners and community-based organizations to co-create career connected curriculum 60
based on Port core competencies; 61
3. In collaboration with industry and workforce partners, identify core competencies and 62
related skills necessary to place interns in entry-level maritime jobs; 63
4. Leverage the Port funding by partnering, where feasible, with regional stakeholders; 64
5. Provide training programs for youth to learn those core competencies and skills; and 65
6. Upon completion of the program, place qualified candidates in a three-month Career 66
Launch internship in an entry-level, living wage position that can lead to consideration for 67
full-time employment by a maritime employer. 68
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From shipbuilding to commercial fishing, to cruise, to logistics and shipping, nearly 70,000 70
Washingtonians work in the maritime industry. While women and nonbinary workers have been 71
part of the maritime industry for generations, their demographic representation is disproportionally 72
small when compared to men. This lack of representation is particularly concerning in the context 73
of the national maritime labor crisis, where the average age in the maritime workforce is 55. The 74
Port will continue to leverage its position as an anchor institution to expand access to maritime 75
and aviation careers for underrepresented populations. 76
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This impending wave of retirements in the maritime workforce presents a unique opportunity to 78
ensure the next generation of workers in the maritime industry is truly representative of the 79
diversity of King County. The time is ripe to double down on the Port’s investment in young 80
women and youth of color. 81
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This order will allocate $2 million additional focused on maritime programs and opportunities to 83
increase the Port’s investment in the Youth Career Launch Program from $2.1 million to $4.1 84
million over three years. 85
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These additional resources will allow the Port to double the number of young people engaged in 87
this program and allow the program to more rapidly achieve its goals while strengthening the 88
region’s maritime career pipeline. 89
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This Youth Career Launch Program will also be conducted as part of the evolving strategic plan 91
for OEDI that will include research to better understand the current and future workforce needs 92
Order 2022-05 – Youth Career Launch Program Funding Page 3 of 3
across the maritime industry in our region. Program development will include means to measure 93
and monitor outcomes in ways that help provide transparency while also respecting that breaking 94
barriers can mean transformative approaches to how data is collected and analyzed as well. 95
