Grays Harbor Economic Development Council

Grays Harbor County offers a ready-to-go workforce with a solid work ethic. Unemployment normally averages 7%, yielding a skilled workforce with the desire to work. A workforce unemployed/underemployed skills study completed for the EDC in 2004 shows that there is an ample supply of workers in the county. The County's workforce totals over 32,000 skilled workers. Within a 30-mile radius of the Satsop and East County Development Parks, there is a population of 250,000 and a regional workforce of over 68,000 workers.

Grays Harbor County has many standard and customized training and education programs available. Grays Harbor Community College has created many custom programs targeted to individual employer's needs. The College recently developed programs for training the workforce at Safeharbor.com, a customer support service center and for Westport Shipyard, a manufacturer of custom boats. The college also offers a full-array of two-year degree programs and vocational certificates, as well as bachelor degrees through a partnership with Washington State University.

State funds are available to train employees and candidates for employment, both in the form of wage subsidies during on-the-job training and grants to the college or other institutions for customized training programs. Direct grants to area businesses may be made available that will pay up to 50% of the wages for qualified, full-time trainees for up to a period of three months.

For demographic tables on Grays Harbor employment, click workforce demographics.