Gov. Inslee signs legislation to raise awareness of construction careers

Editor’s note: This article first appeared on AGC of Washington’s website. You can read the original here.

In a victory for AGC of Washington, career-awareness legislation spearheaded by the association has been signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee.

The bill (SSB 5713) creates a matching-grant program to bring awareness to careers in industries such as construction that are having a difficult time attracting new people to their industry. AGC worked with prime sponsor Sen. Guy Palumbo (D-Maltby) and allies from the Washington Hospitality Association and the Carpenters Union to pass the bill in the first year of its introduction—an unusual achievement in Olympia.

Now AGC is working to get funding for the bill included in the state’s operating budget.

AGC Past President Nancy Munro (MidMountain Contractors) and AGC Executive Vice President David D’Hondt twice traveled to Olympia to testify before the House and Senate Higher Education committees in support of the bill. They explained to legislators how the measure will make people ages 19 to 29 aware of the excellent, family-wage career opportunities available to them. They also described what AGC and its members already do to recruit new people into the industry and the millions of dollars the industry invests in workforce development.

For more information, contact AGC’s Government Affairs Associate Michele Willms at 360-352-5000.

Photo: From left, AGC’s Christine Brewer, David D’Hondt, Nancy Munro and Michele Willms join supporting legislators (from right) Sen. Lynda Wilson, Rep. Melanie Stambaugh and prime sponsor Sen. Guy Palumbo for Gov. Jay Inslee’s signing of SSB 5713.