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Oct. 19, 2017
High demand, stiff competition for IT and skilled production workers threaten current and long-term growth of key sector that today employs nearly 30,000 across the state
OLYMPIA, WA – Washington state’s life sciences industry is
facing a critical lack of skilled workers that threatens to stunt future
growth, according to a report released today by the state Department of
Commerce. The 2017 study was commissioned by the Governor’s Life Science and
Global Health Advisory Council.
The
report, Assessing Washington’s Life
Science and Global Health Workforce Dynamics: Enhancing Connections and
Addressing the Skills Gap to Ensure Future Growth, notes that while
Washington has built a sizeable life science industry employing nearly 30,000
in high-quality jobs, future growth and competitiveness face challenging
headwinds, with workforce issues the top concern. Industry data showed recent
stagnation in job gains, patent activity and industrial research and
development here compared to the U.S. and competitor states.
Average wages in the industry are $84,156 with above-average
concentration in research, testing and medical labs. Washington is also a leader in the related,
primarily nonprofit global health sector, but was not included in this study.
A primary cause for concern is intense competition for similar
talent and STEM graduates sought by the region’s huge IT and aerospace
industries. The assessment identified eight groups of workers in high-demand:
life-science-related engineers; medical and clinical lab technicians;
regulatory affairs; bioinformatics/biostatistics; engineers and engineering
technicians; information technology; skilled production; and marketing and
technical sales reps.
“The report tells us we need better alignment with industry needs and existing workforce capabilities,” said Commerce Director Brian Bonlender. "The good news is the study helps provide a roadmap to accomplishing that. It highlights the industry's strengths, such as its workforce diversity as compared to other high tech industries."
Diversity and inclusion in the workforce is one bright spot
in the report. Washington’s life science employers are faring better at
engaging women in the industry than the nation and are doing much better than
other large manufacturing and IT sectors in the state economy. Since 2000, life
science employers have also increased the share of racial minorities from 16
percent to 22 percent, signaling progress in inclusion as well as gender
representation.
Bonlender joined Leslie Alexander, executive director of
Life Science Washington, Denise McCarthy, executive director of Oregon
Bioscience Association, and Lori Stewart, vice president of human resources at
Adaptive Biotechnologies to discuss the study and workforce challenges at the Life Science Washington Governor’s
Summit in Bellevue tomorrow. Life Science Washington is the state’s leading
industry association of biomedical and biotech companies.
Download
the study here.
Contacts:
Penny Thomas, Commerce
Communications, 206-256-6106
Twitter: @WAStateCommerce
Facebook: facebook.com/wastatecommerce
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