“Governor Gary Locke recently decided that construction companies that do business with the state must include in their ranks a substantial number of apprentices – an order intended to put more workers into family-wage jobs and supply more trained workers for the industry, according to the state. In signing the executive order, Locke called it one more step in his multi-prong and multi-year effort to link new and dislocated workers with the state’s growth industries as they scramble to hire skilled employees. Without this step, we will simply miss the opportunity to move thousands of young people into high-skill and high-wage lifetime careers, Locke said. Washington is facing a labor shortage in the construction industry, which is booming, Locke said. Skilled workers are retiring at a rapid rate, and we’re not replacing them quickly enough. Locke said performance data collected by the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board indicates apprentices have the highest employment and wage rates of any education and training program in Washington. Apprenticeship programs have proven themselves in Tacoma and Seattle, Locke said, ordering all state agencies under his authority require the participation of apprentices in all state public works at the following levels: – For contracts awarded from July 1, 2000 through December 31, 2002, at least 10 percent of total labor hours for projects of more than $2 million. – For contracts awarded from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003, at least 12 percent of total labor hours for projects of more than $2 million. – For contracts awarded from January 1, 2004 forward, 15 percent of total labor hours for projects of more than $1 million. Locke has set aside $2 million of welfare savings to be available to qualified nonprofits, businesses, and business associations wanting to set up programs to train low-income workers in pre-apprenticeship programs. We would welcome a partnership with industry in this effort, Locke said. The governor noted a voluntary goal of his executive order is for minorities to perform up to one-fifth of apprenticeship hours and women to perform up to one-sixth of the apprenticeship hours.”