“Workforce” is a word on the tongues of all legislators at the State Capitol this year. Majority Democrats and minority Republicans, House and Senate. Workforce shortages are impacting virtually all areas of Washington’s economy, both public and private and employment.
What can lawmakers do to address the shortage? It’s a multi-faceted approach, say legislators tasked with focusing on the issue — no one bill or program will solve the problem. It involves policy bills of various stripes, plus budget appropriations.
This week, host Austin Jenkins discusses how the Legislature is approaching the workforce shortage. His guests: House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committee Chair Representative Vandana Slatter, and the ranking Republican on that committee, Representative Alex Ybarra. Plus, Representatives Mari Leavitt and Greg Cheney, two legislators who are looking closely at professional licensing and credentialing, areas in which barriers may exist to getting more workers into the workforce.