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Community Council
Findings
Findings
firms reported that in-house training
can lead to advancement and higher
wages.
It is important to note, however,
that jobs that do not require postsec-
ondary education are fewer than in
the past and are increasingly low-
wage. Living-wage jobs that do not
require postsecondary education will
become even rarer in the future as
technological progress raises the de-
mand for more highly skilled labor. For
example, within the DOC, an increas-
ing number of positions require higher
levels of educational attainment, and
data, shows that the higher the educational attainment, the smaller the percentage of people who are unemployed. It
also shows that the higher the educational attainment, the higher the median weekly earnings. Data for the Walla Walla
Metropolitan Statistical Area (WWMSA; see below) shows a similar link between poverty rates and educational attainment:
The higher the level of educational attainment, the less likely a person lives in poverty.
EDUCATIONAL PATHS TO LIVING-WAGE JOBS
Strategically investing in education requires flexibility in the type of educational programs that are supported and their
delivery. Speakers emphasized that there is not a single, predetermined path to a family living-wage job, and contrary to
common perception, not everyone has to earn a four-year degree to get a good job. For example, entry-level positions at
local manufacturing firms do not typically require more than a high school diploma or GED. While entry-level jobs do not
always pay family wages, they can be an important starting point in that direction; employers from local manufacturing
that trend is expected to continue. In
addition, changes to the regulatory
framework that governs the health
care field, together with the increased
reliance on IT, means that employ-
ment in that sector requires special-
ized certificates, licenses and stronger
technical skills.
Career and Technical Education
Many speakers highlighted the
importance of Career and Technical
Education (CTE) and encouraged in-
vestments that develop greater oppor-
tunity for CTE, beginning in elementary
POVERTY RATE AND EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
POPULATION 25 AND OLDER, WWMSA
Percent below the federal poverty level
Less than
a high school
degree
High school
diploma or
equivalent
Some college
or Associate’s
degree
Bachelor’s
degree or
higher
14.5%
14%
10.7%
5.40%
school. According to Dennis Matson,
Director of CTE for Walla Walla Public
Schools (WWPS), there is currently
industry demand for CTE graduates.
CTE (traditionally referred to as voca-
tional education) has been devalued in
recent decades because of a “univer-
sity for all”mentality that suggested
the path to successful employment
required a four-year degree. Currently,
CTE is being reframed as programs
are adapted to more closely align with
high-wage and high-demand indus-
tries through programmatic pathways.
While high school CTE courses are
For local employers,
the top priority for new
hires is a good work
ethic, positive attitude,
and dependability.
Because many
employers provide on-
the-job training, they
want new hires who are
adaptable and express a
desire to learn.