||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN |||
On Monday, May 8, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) will join Pathfinder Manufacturing CEO Dave Trader and his team to tour the aerospace manufacturer’s Paine Field facility. During the tour, Larsen will meet with junior and senior high school students who will soon graduate from Pathfinder’s apprenticeship program.
Larsen is focused on robust federal investments in apprenticeships to create more jobs and boost economic opportunity in the Pacific Northwest. Last month, Larsen, the lead Democrat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, participated in a bipartisan hearing to explore the challenges facing the U.S. aerospace and aviation workforce. During the hearing, Larsen emphasized the importance of increasing funding for aviation workforce development grants and increasing outreach to, and opportunities for, communities underrepresented in the industry. Last year, Larsen supported the Aviation WORKS Act, bipartisan legislation to boost investments in aviation workforce outreach, skills training and development initiatives.
Larsen is also focused on helping high school students access in-demand jobs in growing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) industries. In the 117th Congress, Larsen introduced legislation to establish a six-year pathway for high school students through community college and into a registered apprenticeship, preparing students for jobs in state-identified high-skill, high-wage or in-demand industries. He expects to introduce similar legislation this Congress.
