Technology is driving innovation across the state and throughout our top industries. The Tech Alliance wanted to better understand how this shift was affecting Washington’s workforce, companies, and communities. In partnership with the economic impact firm, Community Attributes, we dug into the data and stories that underlie Washington’s tech-driven economy. This report is the result.
Executive Summary
Apples. Power. Healthcare. Technology is central to innovations in each of these sectors - changing the way business is done, improving efficiency and requiring fewer natural resources, while also causing shifts to the workforce. The report found that every region of the state has increasing dependence on workers with high-tech skills and at the same time faces a significant gap between employer demand and the supply of those with the desired degrees and training.
Key Findings
Nurses and computing occupations (software engineer, programmer, developer, etc.) dominate STEM jobs in every region
STEM jobs represent 44% of healthcare jobs, more than 50% of jobs in the Information and Communications Technology sector, and nearly 20% of all government jobs
- 26% of Washington’s current STEM jobs could be filled by someone who has received a STEM degree or certificate from a Washington institution in the past 10 years
Additional analysis, conducted by the Tech Alliance, of state job forecasts and federal IPEDS data shows that if the state’s institutions of higher education continue to graduate students at the same rate with the same percent earning STEM degrees (~22%), the state will educate about 420,000 STEM graduates (2005-2025) to fill more than 1.5 million STEM job openings (2015-2025) - meeting only 27% of the total demand with in-state education.
Click the map to explore by geography and see both the penetration of tech-related jobs and the production of degrees in those areas. Or click on the industry-specific icons to delve into the life-cycle stories of where and how technology is changing the apple, power, and healthcare sectors.
The picture that emerges is one of a diversified economy dependent on the development of new technologies, the adaptation and application of those technologies, and the required shifts in the workforce (new degrees, retraining, etc.). The strength of this economy depends on our collective commitment to supporting those elements that make this growth possible - education, the entrepreneurial & research climate, and distribution and access to opportunities. This is where the Tech Alliance is focused.
Visit the report. Explore Washington's regions. Learn about how our state's unique communities and businesses are using technology to drive innovation. Check out regional summaries at the links below.
We welcome your feedback, and want to share YOUR story. Contact info@technology-alliance.com for opportunities to get involved. A sincere thank you to our partners, Community Attributes, who helped take this report from idea to reality.