OLYMPIA – State Representative Vandana Slatter, D-Bellevue, was recently appointed to a state task force looking at issues related to changes in technology and the impact on industries and the workforce in Washington state.
Continued advancements in technology, including automation, robots, and artificial intelligence, are anticipated to impact jobs and wages across the nation. The Future of Work Task Force was created to provide the legislature with recommendations to develop policy that prepares Washington’s businesses, workers, and students for that eventuality.
“Advancements in technology are going to continue to have a profound impact on our state’s economy and workforce,” said Slatter. “I’m excited to serve on this task force, which will help us ensure Washington’s businesses, workers, and communities can thrive economically while responding to the rapid changes in industry and work, and to prepare our young people to navigate the careers and workplaces of the future.”
The task force, which was established in a new law passed in the 2018 session, will be supported by the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, a governor-appointed partnership of members from business, labor, and government.
Initial recommendations and a report outlining the plan and methods to be used by the task force must be submitted to the legislature by December 31, 2018. The task force will submit additional recommendations to the legislature and the governor by December 31, 2019.