Our Blog
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DOL Rescinds Industry-Recognized Apprenticeships
On Friday, the United States Department of Labor issued a final rule rescinding Industry-Recognized Apprenticeships (IRAPs) while refocusing on the existing registered apprenticeship system. IRAPs, a Trump Administration initiative that never got off the ground, were determined by the department to be a “duplicative, lower quality system that was not in the best interest of…
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ATEC Fly-In Day 2
On day two, attendees headed to the hill, meeting with legislators and aides across both parties and chambers. Read day one’s report here. Center of Excellence Executive Director Jason Petrait joined Washington State’s delegation and visited Senator Patty Murray’s office to speak with staffers, highlighting the intense industry need for aviation technicians. The team shared…
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ATEC Fly-In Day 1
The Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC) kicked off its annual Washington D.C. Fly-In with a full schedule of conference sessions, updating attendees on initiatives and legislative priorities, all in preparation for heading to Capitol Hill to meet legislators and aides on day two. Aircraft maintenance and workforce leaders, including Center of Excellence Executive Director Jason…
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Annual Women in Aviation International Scholarships Are Live!
Each year, Women in Aviation International (WAI) awards hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships to its members to help them kickstart or advance their careers in aviation and aerospace. As a nonprofit organization, WAI is dedicated to the encouragement and advancement of women in all aviation and aerospace career fields and interests. Last year…
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Center of Excellence Partners with PNAA and AJAC to Host Successful Job Fair
On Thursday the Center of Excellence, in partnership with the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance (PNAA) and the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC), hosted a job fair at AJAC’s site in Kent. Over 35 jobseekers met with a dozen employers hiring production workers, skilled machinists and back-office professionals. This successful event showed both the intense hiring…
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Aerospace Job Fair
We are pleased to present a job fair in partnership with the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance and hosted by AJAC, the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee. Join us Thursday, September 15th at AJAC’s facility in Kent between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to meet with a wide range of aerospace companies looking to hire now. Registration…
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Everett President Dr. Darrell Cain Congratulates Aviation Graduates
Earlier this month, Everett Community College Interim President Dr. Darrell Cain visited the college’s aviation program to personally congratulate students in the day and swing Aircraft Maintenance Technician cohorts on their impending graduation. Over the course of an afternoon, Dr. Cain met with faculty, toured Everett’s facilities on Paine Field and climbed aboard the college’s…
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Introducing the Center of Excellence Timeline
Today we’re pleased to share a timeline of the work accomplished over the years at the Center of Excellence for Aerospace & Advanced Manufacturing. We recognize that the work we’re doing today would not be possible without what came before: years of dedication from staff and support from our host college, the state and federal grantmakers.…
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Partner Spotlight: Everett Community College’s Corporate & Continuing Education Center
Everett Community College’s Corporate & Continuing Education Center (CCEC) is a local educational leader that the Center of Excellence is proud to partner with. The two organizations regularly share insight and referrals to local manufacturing employers, with both organizations working to meet the needs of our manufacturing base. CCEC does more than manufacturing education, with…
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Open Positions at the Centers of Excellence
Earlier this year the Washington State Legislature approved the 12th Center of Excellence. Sited at Whatcom Community College, the Center of Excellence for Cybersecurity is now hiring a Director. Find out more and apply. We will miss Kristi Grassman, departing as Director for the Construction Center of Excellence. That job is posted now. Find out…
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The Indeed Manufacturing and Aerospace Job Tracker
Welcome to the Indeed Manufacturing and Aerospace Job Tracker! At the start of 2022, Center of Excellence staff was kicking around the best ways to understand the state of the manufacturing and aerospace industries in Washington and instead of turning to expensive databases or third-party write-ups, the staff decided to review what people look at:…
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This Day in Aviation History
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the first delivery of an automobile by air. On August 15th, 1922 the Aeromarine Airways flying boat Buckey carried a Ford car from Detroit to Cleveland in 90 minutes. But according to Timothy Jabez Newman of First In Aviation, the record should come with an asterisk: The car entered…