The city of Renton celebrated the first Workforce Development Month with a proclamation and a reception.
At the Sept. 15 Renton City Council meeting, Mayor Armondo Pavone presented a proclamation to Renton Technical College staff designating September as Workforce Development Month and to recognize the college for creating opportunities for Renton residents and a highly skilled workforce to attract employers to the city.
“Workforce development supports our community, businesses and the health of our economy. It is a key priority that I share with council and I’m proud of the work we have done to establish programs like the Renton Promise in support of this,” Pavone said
The city has long financially supported Renton Promise, a program that allows graduating high school seniors from the Renton School District to attend Renton Technical College for free for a two-year associate’s degree.
“This investment helps students obtain highly sought-after skills that will benefit them in the workforce and set them up for success in their lives and supports our technical colleges in providing high-quality, accessible education,” Pavone said.
Renton School District worksite learning coordinator Kellie Luther applauded Renton’s multi-partnership approach to workforce development at the meeting and announced a new program coming for students.
“We have a youth employment program that we are going to be starting up this summer, partially because of the city, the chamber, and Renton School District working together, in order for students to be able to see what their potential idea of a career could look like out in the field,” Luther said.
Boeing’s Senior Manager of Global Engagement Gina Breukelman said the company has been investing in the math success for third- through eighth-grade students and preparing high school students for jobs in the aerospace field.
“Math is a fundamental subject that all of our students need for all of our jobs at Boeing,” Breukelman said. “Continuing on to high schools, Boeing has the Core Plus Aerospace program, where students learn about manufacturing skills that can lead to jobs at Boeing, or in the construction or maritime industries. We’ve hired over 1,400 high school students directly to Boeing through the Core Plus program statewide, with the largest concentration here in Renton. We are also partnered with Renton Technical College, filling skilled jobs with local talent.”
Renton Technical College Executive Director of the Office of Innovation and Strategic Partnership Wade Parrott III accepted the proclamation. Prior to the meeting, a small reception was held for the mayor, city councilmembers, city leadership, and representatives from Renton Technical College, Renton School District, the Renton Chamber of Commerce, the City of Renton’s Economic Development team, Boeing, and businesses from throughout the community.
“Renton Technical College’s slogan is, ‘Be The Place,’ and we continue to do that through partnerships and programs like the Renton Promise,” Parrott said.
