Template revised April 12, 2018.
COMMISSION
AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Item No.
11a
BRIEFING ITEM
Date of Meeting
March 24, 2026
DATE: March 5, 2026
TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director
FROM: Derek Bender, Manager, Talent Connections
Kim DesMarais, Director, Talent Management
Katie Gerard, Senior Director, Human Resources
SUBJECT: Port of Seattle Talent Connections Programs Update
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This briefing informs Commission of key internship program updates and impacts from 2025 and
outlines a new pathway program opportunity that will launch in 2026.
In 2025:
1. We offered and hired 65 internship opportunities for college students in various degree
programs ranging from Juris Doctor, Master’s, Bachelor’s, Associate, and certification
programs.
2. We hired and welcomed 55 High School interns into our Winter and Summer program
through the efforts of numerous community partnerships with local school districts and
youth supporting organizations.
3. We continue to foster key community partnerships with near Port communities including
school districts, regional university and college campuses, Tribal partnerships including
the Muckleshoot and Suquamish Tribal schools, and community groups in the Duwamish
Valley.
4. With our commitment to equity, our outreach efforts span from prioritizing youth facing
barriers to employment and supporting those furthest from opportunity.
5. We saw tremendous gains in all measurable categories of youth development through
our program metrics.
6. We celebrated the achievements of many interns who were successful in transitioning
into regular and temporary Port roles, leveraging the skills and knowledge gained through
their internship opportunities.
7. We look forward to the launch of our new pilot program, Port Pathways Program, that
offers new opportunities to those who face barriers to higher education and often are
structurally excluded from participating in traditional internship models that lead to wage
gain and increased career mobility.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a Page 2 of 4
Meeting Date: March 24, 2026
Template revised September 22, 2016.
Program Updates
Talent Connection Pathway Opportunities
Our Talent Connections team provides four different programs that support entry into Port
career pathways:
1. High School Internship Program – Designed to provide early career exposure and career
connected learning for youth enrolled in high schools throughout King County.
2. Post-Secondary Internship Program – Designed to provide engaging and intentional
professional development to college students, looking to leverage their academic
learnings and apply them to practical experiences.
3. Veteran Fellowship Program – Designed to support recently transitioned service
members with transferrable skill identification and civilian career exposure.
4. Port Pathways Program – New pilot program in 2026, offering internship experiences to
those facing barriers to higher education and career mobility, addressing a gap in
traditional internship offerings tied directly to academic experience.
Collectively, our combined programs offer 134 opportunities each year.
High School Program
The Port of Seattle’s High School Internship Program provides structured, early-career exposure
and career-connected learning opportunities for high school students throughout King County.
Through strong partnerships with local school districts, tribal schools, and youth-serving
community organizations, the program creates equitable pathways for students to explore Port
careers and develop foundational workforce skills.
Consistent with the Port’s commitment to advancing equity and expanding access to economic
opportunity, outreach efforts intentionally prioritize students who face systemic barriers to
employment or who are furthest from opportunity and communities in low and very low equity
communities.
In 2025, the Port hired and supported 55 high school interns across the Winter and Summer
sessions, reflecting both strong community engagement and the effectiveness of targeted
recruitment strategies.
Program outcomes in 2025 demonstrated significant gains across key youth-development
metrics, and several former interns successfully transitioned into additional Port roles,
underscoring the program’s role in building long-term career pathways. As a critical component
of the Talent Connections portfolio, the High School Internship Program strengthens the region’s
talent pipeline while advancing the Port’s strategic priority of fostering inclusive,
community-centered workforce development.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a Page 3 of 4
Meeting Date: March 24, 2026
Template revised September 22, 2016.
Post-Secondary Program
The Port of Seattle’s Post-Secondary Internship Program provides career focused, professional
development experiences for college students pursuing a range of academic pathways, including
certificate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and juris doctor programs. The program is designed
to help students apply their academic learning to practical, real-world contexts while gaining
career exposure across Port divisions and operational environments.
In 2025, the Port offered and hired 65 post-secondary internship opportunities, reflecting its
continued commitment to building a strong regional talent pipeline. Interns benefited from
intentional development programming that supports skill-building, career exploration, and
professional readiness. These experiences prepare students for high-demand careers while
strengthening future workforce capacity for the Port and its industry partners.
The program has demonstrated meaningful impact, with many former interns transitioning into
full-time Port roles by leveraging the skills, relationships, and applied knowledge acquired during
their internship assignments. As part of the broader Talent Connections strategy, the
Post-Secondary Internship Program supports the Port’s long-term workforce development
priorities and helps advance equitable access to high-quality career pathways for students across
the region.
Outreach
In 2025 and through the first quarter of 2026, Talent Connections strengthened and expanded
its community-centered outreach strategy to ensure equitable access to Port of Seattle career
pathway opportunities. Through intentional engagement with nearly 70 community partners,
Talent Connections advanced its commitment to supporting youth furthest from opportunity.
Throughout the year, staff participated in more than 60 youth-focused outreach events across
King County, providing career awareness, direct engagement, and early exposure to Port
industries. In addition, staff hosted 23 dedicated information sessions and facility tours, offering
students, educators, and community partners deeper insight into Port careers, operations, and
internship pathways.
These combined outreach efforts have reinforced the Port’s regional presence as an accessible,
community-aligned workforce development leader. They continue to build trust, expand career-
connected learning opportunities, and deepen relationships with partners who play a critical role
in connecting young people to meaningful career pathways at the Port.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a Page 4 of 4
Meeting Date: March 24, 2026
Template revised September 22, 2016.
Port Pathway Program
The Port Pathway Program is a new pilot launching in 2026 that expands the Port of Seattle’s
commitment to equitable workforce development by creating internship opportunities for
individuals who face significant barriers to higher education and traditional career-entry models.
This program is designed to address a longstanding gap in conventional internship structures,
which often require academic enrollment and can unintentionally exclude communities
historically underrepresented in pathways to living-wage careers.
Through Port Pathways, participants gain exposure to Port careers, develop transferable
workplace skills, bolster skills gained through alternative routes, and engage in structured
professional development activities tailored to their needs. By removing academic-experience
requirements, the program broadens access to Port opportunities and helps build career mobility
for participants who have historically lacked access to similar career-connected learning.
As part of the broader Talent Connections suite of programs, Port Pathways strengthens the
Port’s career ecosystem by intentionally serving those furthest from opportunity. This pilot will
support the Port’s strategic goals of expanding equitable economic access, diversifying the
regional talent pipeline, and creating more inclusive pathways into Port careers.
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING
(1) Presentation slides
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS
April 12, 2022 – The Commission was briefed on Youth Internship Programs
June 23, 2020 – The Commission authorized Workforce Development Policy Directive,
Resolution No. 3776
February 11, 2020– The Commission was briefed on Youth Internship Programs
November 27, 2018 – The Commission was briefed on Youth Internship Programs
May 9, 2017 – The Commission was briefed on Workforce Development Updates
