Template revised April 12, 2018.
COMMISSION
AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Item No.
11b
BRIEFING ITEM
Date of Meeting
May 24, 2022
DATE: May 17, 2022
TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director
FROM: Janice Zahn, Assistant Director of Engineering, Construction Services
Sheri Cook, Manager, Construction Labor Group
Samuel Pierce, Apprenticeship and Priority Hire Manager
SUBJECT: 2021 Apprenticeship and Priority Hire Annual Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Port’s Priority Hire and Construction Apprenticeship programs have been established to
improve access to quality, family-wage careers in construction. Targeting access to opportunities
will lead to sustainable economic growth and job creation in economically distressed areas and
underserved communities that are experiencing economic distress and disparities.
The Port of Seattle is committed to equity and removing disparities in the construction workforce,
so underrepresented workers have opportunities to be hired and establish a career in the
construction trades.
The Apprenticeship and Priority Hire Annual Report to the Commission will provide the Port’s
2021 results for both programs administered on our major works projects. The overall goals
established for apprenticeship and priority hire utilization for 2021 have been met, although
several individual projects did not meet all of their project-specific goals.
BACKGROUND AND GOALS
In October 2016, Port Commission Resolution No. 3725 recognized that effective and economical
execution of the Port’s capital program depended on a healthy and diverse market of general
contractor, sub- contractors, and suppliers, and on the availability of a skilled, experienced, and
capable construction labor workforce. To meet labor supply needs and to ensure equality of
opportunity, the Port recognized the construction labor workforce must include participation by
women, workers of color and those living in economically distressed neighborhoods. To help
create economic prosperity across the region, the Port recognized jobs generated by Port activity
are quality jobs on which workers can build their careers and support their families.
Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, as well as Priority Hire programs, play a key
role both in providing fair access for individuals aspiring to have family wage construction jobs
and in supplying enough trained and capable workers to meet construction needs of the Port and
other public and private owners.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11b Page 2 of 4
Meeting Date: May 24, 2022
Template revised September 22, 2016.
Resolution No. 3725 requires the establishment of apprenticeship goals, and aspirational women
and workers of color apprentice hiring goals. There are apprenticeship requirements on Port of
Seattle major construction and tenant-reimbursement contracts of $1 million in value or greater,
and goals for prioritizing local workers living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Resolution No. 3736 establishes a Priority Hire policy that ensures better access to training
programs and family wage construction jobs for local workers from economically distressed
areas, with a focus on increasing the diversity of the workforce on Port construction projects.
CONSTRUCTION APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
The Port of Seattle was the first to adopt apprenticeship utilization goals over three decades ago
and is committed to achieving its apprenticeship hiring goals set in Port policy and addressing the
disproportionately low involvement by people of color and women in the construction labor
force.
Apprentice utilization goals for non-Project Labor Agreement (PLA) major works construction
projects are set at 15% and includes a goal of 10% of apprenticeship hours for women and 15%
for people of color. In 2018, the Construction Labor Group negotiated new goals for projects with
a Project Labor Agreement to increase percentages for people of color and women. The
apprentice utilization goals for PLA projects are now set at 15% per craft, which includes a goal
of 12% of apprenticeship hours for women and 21% for people of color. These new goals are in
alignment with the other Regional Public Agencies.
2021 Apprenticeship Performance Summary
In 2021, there were 18 contracts that included a Project Labor Agreement and 22 non-PLA
contracts with Apprenticeship utilization goals.
Overall apprentice utilization on the 40 projects with Apprenticeship goals in 2021 was 21.8%
overall based on project duration.
• 9 of 40 projects are meeting their overall apprenticeship goals
Apprenticeship utilization for people of color was 32.4% overall based on project duration.
• 22 of 40 projects are meeting their inclusion goal for people of color apprentices
Apprenticeship utilization for women was 9.9% overall based on project duration.
• 13 of 40 projects are meeting their inclusion goal for women apprentices
Our efforts have resulted in increased participation by women on our Port projects with
performance close to our established goals and rising participation in each of the last 4 years.
Overall utilization and the utilization for people of color have consistently exceeded the goals we
have set when evaluated at a program level.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11b Page 3 of 4
Meeting Date: May 24, 2022
Template revised September 22, 2016.
PRIORITY HIRE PROGRAM
The Port of Seattle supports the City of Seattle and King County findings that King County has
geographic areas of economic distress as evidenced by poverty indicators. The Port of Seattle
seeks to act effectively and expeditiously to encourage solutions toward economic growth and
job creation in areas of the County that are economically distressed as evidenced by
comparatively high levels of poverty, unemployment rates and education attainment. The
Priority Hire program enhances community partnerships focused on inclusion and access to
opportunities and services; expands opportunities for disadvantaged populations to advance
equity and social justice; and ensures that Port construction projects are planned and
implemented in a way that improves equity in local communities.
The Priority Hire program requires contractors to hire workers from economically distressed
areas of King County. Priority Hire ZIP codes are defined by King County as having a high
concentration of residents based on these three criteria:
o People living 200% below the Federal poverty level
o Unemployment rate
o People without a college degree
King County ZIP codes with a high density per acre of the three criteria are identified as
Economically Distressed Areas (EDA) and included on the Priority Hire ZIP code list published by
King County’s Finance and Business Operations Division.
The goal for Priority Hire utilization is 20% annually and is administered only through a Project
Labor Agreement. 2021 was the first full year we applied a Priority Hire program to new Project
Labor Agreements.
2021 Priority Hire Performance Summary
Overall priority worker utilization on the 8 projects with Priority Hire goals in 2021 was 25.3%
overall.
• 5 of 8 projects met their overall Priority Hire goal
Inclusion goals for apprentices, journey workers, women, or people of color have not been
established, but tracking of performance in these areas is ongoing to better understand
performance of these programs.
Priority Worker utilization for Apprentices was 21.8% of total Priority Hire hours in 2021.
Priority Worker utilization for Journey Workers was 78.2% of total Priority Hire hours in 2021.
Priority Worker utilization for people of color was 41% of total Priority Hire hours in 2021.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11b Page 4 of 4
Meeting Date: May 24, 2022
Template revised September 22, 2016.
Priority Worker utilization for women was 3.3% of total Priority Hire hours in 2021.
LOOKING FORWARD
In addition to the established program and project goals, we are also considering other goals or
adjustments to strengthen the Apprenticeship and Priority Hire programs.
Hearing from our community along with industry partners (labor and contractors) is critical to
our programs. We collaborate closely with other public agencies, like the City of Seattle and King
County, to ensure our programs are as successful as possible. This includes attending the King
County and City of Seattle Priority Hire Advisory Committee. As we learn from these peer
agencies, this will inform the Port’s exploration of a joint Regional Priority Hire Advisory
Committee.
The development of enhanced data analytics and dashboards is another way we have been
learning about the program and the participants. We can use these tools to evaluate the
programs and inform our decisions such as adding subgoals for women and workers of color for
the Priority Hire program or increasing our overall goals.
While we have a mature Apprenticeship program, our Priority Hire program is still largely in its
infancy. We are excited to grow our community impact, and make sure our most underserved
communities have access and opportunity to these living wage construction jobs and careers.
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING
(1) Presentation
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS
2020 Apprenticeship and Priority Hire EWFD Committee Briefing – July 2021
2020 Apprenticeship and Priority Hire Annual Report - July 2021
2021 Apprenticeship and Priority Hire EWFD Committee Briefing – April 2022
