Bellevue Picked for Federal Program That Helps Low-Income Residents Get High-Tech Jobs

Seattle Times | Katherine Long | December 15

http://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/bellevue-chosen-for-national-program-to-help-low-income-residents-get-jobs-in-high-tech/

“The city of Bellevue has been chosen to join a federal government program that opens the doors to money and outreach that can help low-income residents go to college and learn technical skills. The federal program is called TechHire, and the city will work with Bellevue College and a private company, Coding Dojo, to help people in the area get training that can lead to high-paying jobs…Seattle has also been designated a TechHire city. That designation allowed the Washington Technology Industry Alliance to begin an apprenticeship program that trains people for technology jobs and helps place them.”

 

Renters May Get Relief from Move-In Fees under New Seattle Ordinance

Seattle PI | Daniel Demay | December 14

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Renters-may-get-relief-from-move-in-fees-under-10793626.php

“The Seattle City Council on Monday unanimously approved a measure that limits upfront move-in fees and security deposits. The ordinance will also allow renters to spread out the payment of those fees and their last month’s rent over several months…First introduced this summer, the measure met with strong resistance from landlord organizations that argued spreading out the deposits undermines the whole point of paying the upfront fees. But as rents have risen astronomically in Seattle, those upfront fees – first and last month’s rent and a security deposit (and sometimes more) – have become multi-thousand-dollor cash outlays that many renters simply don’t have.”

 

Where’s Bertha? Headed Toward the Surface Below Belltown

Puget Sound Business Journal | Jim Hammerand | December 14

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2016/12/13/wheres-bertha-seattle-tunnel-alaska-tunnel-99.html

“The massive tunneling machine known as Bertha is boring its way back toward the surface after reaching its lowest point beneath downtown Seattle. Seattle Tunnel Partners’ $80 million boring device is now about 170 feet below Belltown (near Third Avenue and Blanchard Street) and about 70 percent done with its 9,270-foot tunnel, the Washington State Department of Transportation said Tuesday. Crews have installed 1,000 of the project’s 1,426 concrete tunnel rings.”

 

Seattle’s Cloud-Computing Boom is New Force Helping to Drive Washington Economy

Seattle Times | Matt Day | December 12

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/expertise-in-the-cloud-generates-state-jobs/

“Western Washington’s economy has long been driven by companies that build complex systems, from Boeing’s airplanes to cellular networks and the personal- computer operating systems that gave rise to Microsoft. Amazon.com’s growth into a technology power through its Amazon Web Services cloud-computing unit and Microsoft’s move to compete aggressively in that market have added the cloud to Seattle’s list of specialties. From 2013 to 2016, Washington’s employed labor force grew by 7.2 percent, according to state occupational data. The number of workers employed in roles core to cloud computing — including computer-systems analysts, network architects and software-application developers — grew by 26 percent, to 80,017.”

 

Seattle’s Minimum-Wage Experiment Offers Encouraging Results

MSNBC | Steve Benen | December 9

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/seattles-minimum-wage-experiment-offers-encouaraging-results

“When Seattle raised its minimum wage to $15 an hour, the right predicted an economic disaster for the city…In June 2014, local officials approved the $15 minimum wage, to be phased in over several years, and at the time, the city’s unemployment rate was 5.4%. The law first took effect in April 2015, when Seattle’s unemployment rate was 4.3%. As of last month, after the wage hike, the city’s unemployment rate was down to 3.4%.”

 

Washington Gov. Inslee Pushes for Broad Adoption of New Computer Science Education Standards

GeekWire | John Stang | December 8

http://www.geekwire.com/2016/washington-gov-inslee-pushes-broad-adoption-new-computer-science-education-standards/

“Gov. Jay Inslee wants 50 percent of Washington’s schools to meet new computer education standards by early 2019. Washington Superintendent of Public instruction Randy Dorn signed those new standards on Thursday, putting them into effect. Chris Reykdal, who takes over Dorn’s job in January, also backs the new goals…The new standards map out computer literacy goals for students in elementary and middle schools, while also mandating the levels of proficiency a student needs to pass a high school computer science course.”