(1) The department is responsible for identifying and developing strategies to help achieve the goals established in RCW 43.330.760. In support of pursuing the goal, the department must prepare and update each fiscal biennium a report on the state of the manufacturing and research and development industry and workforce. The report must identify progress or challenges the state has encountered in achieving the goals established in RCW 43.330.760 and identify recommendations to the legislature.

(2) The report may include, but not be limited to:

(a) Recommendations for specific actions to develop a manufacturing workforce pipeline and specific manufacturing subsectors that present workforce opportunities or challenges;

(b) Identification of dislocated workers;

(c) Career connected learning opportunities;

(d) A survey of financial aid that can be leveraged to fund training for the manufacturing workforce pipeline, such as Washington college grant opportunities, passport to careers, and prison to postsecondary funding;

(e) Recommendations on improving the state's competitiveness for manufacturing and research and development job retention and creation;

(f) Identification of high-demand advanced manufacturing industries and subsectors globally;

(g) Identification of site selection criteria of advanced manufacturing and research and development projects; and

(h) Recommendations of best practices to streamline environmental permit approval and appeal processes for the purpose of getting manufacturing businesses who want to site or expand in Washington more certainty, faster.

(3) The department must convene a manufacturing council to advise and consult on the development of the report and recommendations.

(a) The director or the director's designee must appoint to the council such persons from the private, nonprofit, and public sectors as may best inform the state's ability to innovate, diversify supply chains, and expand living wage jobs in the manufacturing sector.

(b) Representatives must include small to mid-sized private sector manufacturing businesses, labor and apprenticeship programs, statewide business associations, higher education institutions, and workforce partners. The department must work to ensure:

(i) Equal representation of business and labor on the council;

(ii) That appointees represent every region of the state such that economic diversification across all regions is supported; and

(iii) That the council includes a strong array of voices from women and minority executives and labor in manufacturing.

(4) All state agencies with expertise in workforce development and economic development are encouraged to provide such information and resources as may be requested to inform and facilitate identification and analysis of public policy challenges and potential recommendations for the report in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.

(5) In its first biennial report, the department shall coordinate with the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the state board for community and technical colleges to assess any inadequacy or gaps in delivering hands-on, skills-based learning remotely to all Washingtonians seeking to enter the manufacturing workforce or to be retrained for a transition within the manufacturing workforce.

Short title—2021 c 64: See note following RCW 43.330.760.