Economic Alliance Snohomish County (EASC) and the Snohomish STEM Network attended Boeing’s Q3 Community Leaders Meeting on Sept. 4, 2025, at the Washington Aerospace Training & Research (WATR) Center, powered by Edmonds College. The meeting gathered leaders from education, nonprofits, business associations, utilities, local government, and congressional offices to hear updates on workforce development initiatives.
The meeting included a tour of the WATR Center facilities, where attendees experienced firsthand how training spaces are designed to equip participants with skills that meet immediate hiring needs in aerospace and manufacturing.
Building a sustainable workforce pipeline
Boeing highlighted two key workforce initiatives designed to connect students with advanced manufacturing careers:
- Core Plus Aerospace — a two-year high school advanced manufacturing curriculum that prepares students for in-demand careers through hands-on learning. This program is offered at seven Snohomish County high schools and at the Sno-Isle Skills Center. Students who complete Core Plus are positioned to join the Boeing Student Development Program, a paid summer internship model that provides real-world experience inside Boeing facilities.
- Boeing Pre-Employment Training Program (BPET) — this program allows students from pre-certified academic manufacturing tracks to fast-track the application process for specific Boeing jobs, shortening the timeline from training to employment.
The WATR Center, which opened in 2010 as an educational resource for career pathways in the aerospace and manufacturing industry, also shared its role in the workforce ecosystem. The WATR Center offers four pre-certified training programs that meet the BPET criteria. Participants graduate with job-ready skills in as little as 12 weeks, and are automatically qualified for specific jobs without needing to be assessed by an interview. This pipeline helps close a timeline need gap that longer programs cannot always address.
Fueling Snohomish County innovation
The meeting drew a wide mix of organizations and leaders:
- Education: Dr. Amit Singh, President of Edmonds College; Dr. Paul Pitre, Chancellor of Washington State University Everett; and representatives from Everett Community College.
- Nonprofits: Elizabeth Wood, CEO of Imagine Children’s Museum; Cocoon House; Dr. Steve Woodard, VP of Volunteers of America Western Washington; Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County; and Girl Scouts of Western Washington.
- Public Sector: Snohomish PUD, Snohomish County, and staff from the offices of Sen. Maria Cantwell, Sen. Patty Murray, Rep. Suzan DelBene, Rep. Rick Larsen and Rep. Marilyn Strickland.
- Associations and other community partners: Greater Everett Chamber, Renton Chamber, and other business and community leaders.
This cross-sector attendance highlights the clear connection between workforce initiatives and broader community and economic priorities in Snohomish County. Workforce programs that shorten the path from classroom to career expand opportunities for students and support the industries that drive the county’s economic future.
-Alyssa Jackson is Director of the Snohomish STEM Network.
