Workforce Development

Department of Natural Resources staff practiced forestry skills with students from the Tumwater School District YESS program.

Industry Partnerships

Green job openings exceed the number of applications, and natural resource career opportunities are expected to continue increasing in coming years. Yet many employers struggle to find applicants with the skills needed for these jobs. Industry and education partners must work together to help the next generation enter and succeed in natural resource industries. 

Washington State Natural Resource Workforce Trends:

  • We are the nation’s largest industry for commercial fisheries, aquaculture and seafood businesses with a value of $1.2 billion. The industry provides almost 10,000 jobs.
  • As the 2nd largest lumber producer in the nation, the forest products industry is now carbon negative by capturing more carbon than it produces.
  • More than five out of every 10 energy jobs are now in renewable energy fields.

Workforce development benefits employers:

Staff from Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and Snoqualmie Tribe practiced plant identification skills after removing invasive blackberries from Tolt McDonald State Park.
  • Recruit and train employees to meet current and future employment gaps
  • Build partnerships with high school students and teachers
  • Connect with partners in your industry sector to identify and solve statewide natural resource workforce issues
  • Address the divide between urban and rural interest in natural resources
  • Provide current staff with opportunities to share their skills and interests

Build the Natural Resource Workforce with PEI:

  • Site visits, guest speaking, informational interviews
  • Co-present at conferences and industry meetings
  • Help fund green job pathways in your sector through sponsorship, co-applying for grants
  • Participate in PEI’s natural resource collaborative
  • Build entry-level jobs, internships, and apprenticeships, coordinate project sites

Contact [email protected] to explore ways to build your future workforce.

The students worked on sites that help reach our restoration goals. Having several of our staff involved on certain projects provided mentorship opportunities as professionals. The hope is that some of the students will one day be interested in working with us. Knowing that in the long-term, we may be shaping future knowledgeable candidates.
— Lindsay Spangler, Education Coordinator, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust