(WSB photo)
The Aviation Maintenance Technology program’s hangar at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) hosted a high-profile event today: Governor Jay Inslee and County Executive Dow Constantine were among the speakers at the presentation of a study about aerospace-manufacturing competitiveness. The study showed, the governor said our state is “the best place to make a new mid-market airplane.” That’s a reference to Boeing‘s impending decision on whether – and where – to design and build just such a plane, and the study is part of an effort to convince the company to do it in Washington. Our state’s advantages for the industry have been long known, Inslee added, but now a study proves it. The industry is worth $76 billion to our state’s economy, he noted, and as a result has an “aerospace-friendly ecosystem.” Here’s the study announcement; here’s the full report (PDF). And here’s TVW video of the media briefing at SSC:
Executive Constantine said SSC – which he described as “West Seattle’s own university” – was a great place for the announcement because of its role in training the next generation of workers for the industry. “We are working to preserve aerospace jobs and strengthen the state’s entire supply chain,” he declared. He and Inslee are both members of the state’s council leading a “multi-pronged, broad-based, statewide campaign to demonstrate Washington’s position as the site with the lowest risk and highest return on Boeing’s potential investment to design, produce, and assemble the new airplane.”
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