As the 2023 Washington State Legislature convenes in Olympia over the next 105 days, the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) welcomes opportunities to partner with policymakers and our members to identify actionable solutions to pressing policy challenges. Key policy priorities for WTIA this legislative session include:

Investment in education and reskilling 

Washington’s technology sector is the state’s fastest-growing private-sector employer. For example, Seattle-area tech job postings grew by more than 30% between 2016 and 2021. Despite recent layoffs at tech companies across the state, there is still an increasing need for skilled workers across various sectors. The regional talent pipelines are not able to keep up with that demand, meaning these jobs are filled with talent recruited from other parts of the country or outside the U.S. Additionally, talent recruited solely from local higher education institutions, or through visa programs, is not adequate to address the dearth of diversity in the tech workforce. The industry is unable to solve this workforce development shortage alone. Additional investment is necessary to increase opportunities for Washingtonians to access the family-wage jobs created in the state’s tech sector. 

WTIA continues to advocate for increased public and private investment in education and reskilling programs as viable pathways to increase access to tech careers and support employers in building more diverse workforces. This includes additional funding for K-12 computer science programs and the implementation of the state’s computer science strategy. WTIA is partnering with Washington STEM to study opportunities to bolster K-12 computer science education in our state. Recommendations include the need for a cross-sector leadership structure to support the implementation of computer science programs in the K-12 system and improved data visualizations and accountability metrics. Additional details on these recommendations can be found here. 

Additionally, increased investment in community college and university computer science and cybersecurity programs is also essential, as the expansion of the higher education pipeline will deliver broader access to tech careers for students from diverse backgrounds and from across Washington state. 

Furthermore, increased investment in registered technology apprenticeship is a critical pathway to help reskill the workforce, particularly for women, veterans, and members of the Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) community.

Bridging the digital divide 

The global pandemic exacerbated the digital divide across Washington state. Specifically, it brought into stark contrast long-existing disparities in education, healthcare, and economic opportunities for BIPOC, lower-income, and rural communities. It also highlighted inequalities in accessing and adopting technologies, devices, and digital literacy education. WTIA is partnering with and facilitating collaboration among industry and policymakers to identify opportunities to increase internet access and adoption for unserved and underserved populations, support the development of public-private partnerships, and advance equal access for all Washingtonians to technology and its benefits.

Affordability and livability 

As part of his proposed 2023-25 operating budget, Governor Jay Inslee introduced a sweeping plan to allocate $4 billion in the next six years to support housing construction and reduce homelessness. Inslee’s two-year blueprint calls for the addition of 2,200 housing units and significant increases in programs that support homeless shelters, emergency housing, permanent supportive housing, and landlord/tenant mitigation.

The proposal spotlights the necessity for policymakers to continue to invest in our cities and communities, making them appealing places to start and grow businesses. This includes critical affordability and livability considerations, as well as steps to ensure communities can support new companies and jobs, all of which are essential to the economic vitality of Washington state. Key areas of focus include transportation, public safety, affordable housing, climate change and sustainability, civil liberties and social justice, quality public schools, and the crisis of homelessness. WTIA will actively partner with other nonprofits, policymakers, and our members to accelerate solutions to address these and other challenges.

Read the full text of our 2023 policy priorities and visit https://www.washingtontechnology.org/public-policy/ to learn more about how WTIA collaborates with policymakers and members to create a policy ecosystem that enables a strong and sustainable technology sector that supports thriving communities.