Educators & industry leaders join forces for workshop at Edmonds to help shape the future of environmental restoration education

Ann Avary leads a discussion to identify technical skills needed for prospective entry-level environmental restoration workers. (Arutyun Sargsyan / Edmonds College)

Edmonds College hosted a groundbreaking workshop on Aug. 21 that brought together representatives from eight colleges in the Washington state community and technical colleges system with local industry leaders in the environmental restoration field.  

The environmental restoration focus group allowed educational leaders to learn first-hand from non-profit, state, and federal industry experts how colleges can best develop curricula and train students to meet the rising demand for entry-level workers in the environmental restoration field. A team will assemble a report based on data and information collected from the session and share it with attendees and other partners.

Ann Avary, the NW Center of Excellence director for Marine Manufacturing & Technology, facilitated the event.  

“The Aug. 21 focus group featured conservation and restoration employers and practitioners, who enthusiastically shared their expertise, identifying and mapping high-demand occupations and technical skills,” said Avary. “This process will result in a series of actionable strategies designed to enhance programming, prepare student technicians for entry into the restoration workforce, and meet current and future industry needs.”

The event was co-organized by Edmonds, Walla Walla Community College, and the Agriculture & Natural Resource Center of Excellence at Walla Walla CC. They were joined by Skagit Valley College, Peninsula College, Cascadia College, Green River College, South Seattle College, and South Puget Sound Community College to collaborate with regional industry representatives from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Washington Department of Natural Resources Stillaguamish and S’Klallam Tribes, city of Seattle and King County, Snohomish Conservation District (SCD), Dirt Corps, Workforce Snohomish, and Sound Salmon Solutions to identify specific in-demand jobs and the technical skill sets, certifications, and credentials needed to fill them. 

“Our vision is to stay relevant and forward-thinking in meeting the needs of local industries,” said Edmonds College President Dr. Amit B. Singh. “Our new pilot program with our partners at the Latino Educational Training Institute (LETI) and the SCD in developing bilingual restorative technicians is just a start for local colleges in meeting employers’ needs. We are happy to be the conveners of this meeting and bring together community and technical colleges from the state with industry leaders to help shape the future of restoration education.”  

Edmonds, in collaboration with LETI and SCD, and with funding from the NOAA Climate-Ready Coasts initiative, launched a program to help Latinos earn a certificate of completion in restoration technician last year. The program, which was a result of the collective efforts of these partners, provides classroom education and hands-on experience restoring salmon habitat in the Stillaguamish and Snohomish watersheds. The first cohort is set to graduate in September 2024.   

With the early success of the pilot program, came the realization that there is a strong demand in the market for more environmental restoration workers and a need for more upskilling opportunities at local colleges. The focus group aimed to identify the skills employers value and find ways to equip future students for these fields, building on the success of the pilot program. 

For Erin Ryan-Peñuela, project coordinator for the Snoqualmie Watershed Forum, the forum was a significant step toward building a more inclusive and motivated environmental restoration workforce.

“One of the key reasons this workshop was so important is that it addressed the urgent need to dismantle systemic barriers within the field of environmental restoration,” Ryan-Peñuela said. “Historically, these barriers have hindered BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and other disadvantaged groups from building sustainable careers and making significant contributions to the field. By focusing on inclusivity and equity, the workshop aimed to pave the way for a more diverse and resilient workforce.”