Last year the Tri-County Workforce Development Council and Northwest Food Processors Association issued a concept paper and set up the Statewide Washington Food Processors Workforce Skill Panel. BTC Dean Satpal Sidu is a member of this panel. The paper and skill panel address the issues of food processing operator training as described from excerpts of the concept paper below.
Food processing in Washington State is the third largest manufacturing employer with 27,470 workers, a $975 million payroll and $2.83 billion in value added commodities (2003 data) according to Globalwise, Inc. Washington food processors faced with new technology demands and the "war for talent" continue to report skill gaps and shortages in critical maintenance and operator positions. Other manufacturing industries have tended to adopt high performance workforce strategies more rapidly than food employers. There is confusion and frustration when seeking training assistance as currently there is no statewide clearinghouse to link workforce needs of food processors with the services of public and private education providers. Missing is a career pathway plan to identify and train supervisors and managers (especially women, Hispanic and other minorities), to become high-skill high-wage food processing industry leaders of the future.
In response to this, the BTC PTEC program has begun developing courses to train operators in food processing operations. These courses will be developed based upon operator need skill sets as defined by visits and surveys sent to food processing facilities. Initially the courses will be offered as short workshops or special topics.
BTC PTEC STeP Summer Institute for high school females
This summer the BTC PTEC program will hold a Science and Technology e Preview (STeP) one week summer institute for high school females. At the Institute young women will learn about the career opportunities available in process technology such as those in fuel production, the environment, and other local industries.
This learning will be done in an atmosphere of "hands on" activities and fun. We will also provide salary information in a quality of life activity. In this activity the participants will design what type of lifestyle they might want in ten years. We will also take a field trip to a local industry site for the participants to view and tour a process industry.
Toward the end of the week, the participants will separate into small groups to design and create a class presentation on a process used to produce a product. These presentations can take on a variety of formats and will prove to be quite entertaining and informative. As a culmination of the week activities, the participants will be treated to an awards luncheon that includes parents, friends and industry representatives who also serve as an audience for their presentations.
We will recruit 20 sophomore, junior or senior high school females to participate in this institute. Two instructors will direct the institute. The institute will be held during the last part of June or early part of July.
This program typically starts in Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters
This summer the BTC PTEC program will hold a Science and Technology e Preview (STeP) one week summer institute for high school females. At the Institute young women will learn about the career opportunities available in process technology such as those in fuel production, the environment, and other local industries. 
