Regional Competitiveness Indicators Report Released |
A highlight of the Prosperity Partnership Fall Luncheon was the release of the 2006-2007 Regional Competitiveness Indicators report. This first-ever report evaluates our region's competitiveness using a set of 20 economic and social indicators and reports progress made on the implementation of the 2006 Action Items of the Prosperity Partnership's Regional Economic Strategy. As Pierce County Executive and Prosperity Partnership Co-Chair pointed out, "We know that it's not enough to just say that you're going to do something. And it's not enough just to do what you say. The third leg of any plan is measuring your progress." This year, the document serves as a baseline, but in future years it will allow the region to tangibly measure its progress in becoming more competitive. In addition, while this year's report measures the Puget Sound against five peer regions around the United States, next year's report will also include regions throughout the world - recognizing that competition is truly global in today's world economy. A copy of the report is available at the Prosperity Partnership website. |
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Prosperity Partnership E-Newsletter
Prosperity Partnership Celebrates 2006 Accomplishments at Fall Luncheon
The luncheon focused on the great work achieved by the Prosperity Partnership over the past year. Of the 18 First Year Action Items the Prosperity Partnership set out to address in 2006, 16 have been addressed so far this year. Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Director Bob Drewel led the review of these accomplishments in the form of a game of Prosperity Partnership Bingo, calling out the highlights from the year and thanking the organizations and individuals who have worked hard to make these goals happen. Drewel also highlighted the Partnership's work with communities of color and its outreach to Eastern Washington. Washington State Senate Republican Leader Mike Hewitt (R-Walla Walla) spoke to this latter point, saying that "Cooperation between the two sides of our state is vital to prosperity for everyone, and the Prosperity Partnership has made an amazing effort to bring us together on the issues that matter most."
On the entertainment side, Teatro Zinzanni's Tuan Le opened the event with an incredible juggling and hat twirling routine. Two singers from the Seattle Opera sang God Bless America as part of the Rotary's weekly tradition of opening with a patriotic song. And KIRO News Radio host Dave Ross sang two satirical songs about the state of our transportation and education systems. High Demand Degrees Take Center Stage for 2007 Legislative Session The central theme of the event was the importance of quality education for all residents to sustaining the Puget Sound region's prosperity. According to the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington ranks 36th out of the 50 states in per capita production of bachelor's degrees. However, Washington ranks among the top ten states in scientists and computer specialists employed per capita and leads the nation in engineers employed per capita. Because of this, we must import people with bachelor's degrees to fill the jobs created by our growing economy. This leaves our economic future partly in the hands of decision makers in other states and regions across the country and around the world. Importing workers also means that Washington students are not being prepared to seize the opportunities our economy is creating. The first step to solving this challenge is to fill current capacity in high demand, high impact fields in our colleges and universities in 2007. For more information on the Prosperity Partnership's proposal to improve Washington State's production of degrees in high demand fields, visit the Prosperity Partnership website (pdf). Microsoft Announces Major Education Initiative
This initiative fits in well with the Prosperity Partnership's efforts to fill existing capacity for degrees in high demand fields at Washington's higher education institutions because students interest in these subjects has to be encouraged and fostered at a young age. Currently, barely half of Washington's 10th graders passed the latest WASL math exam, a requirement for high-school graduation beginning in 2008. Research shows that algebra is the "gatekeeper" for student access to the upper-level high-school courses in mathematics that drive high-school graduation, college readiness and college completion. Students who pass algebra by the ninth grade and geometry by the 10th grade more than triple their odds of attending college. "The Prosperity Partnership has been a leader in shining the focus on the importance of math and science, and it has inspired us at Microsoft to do our part," Smith said. "It starts at the middle-school level so that the students are interested in and prepared for the math that's needed in high school and college. And then it means filling the pipeline by finding the space for these motivated students in our colleges and universities." Microsoft's strategy calls for initially supporting eight Puget Sound-area school districts in producing significant improvement in the teacher preparation, academic rigor and awareness about the importance of math education in middle schools. Proficiency in algebra is the core performance metric of the program, while the central goal is student participation and achievement in math. Partners Announce Bold Goals for 2007
These Second Year Action Items are composed of some planned steps from the original strategy development process, some continuations of First Year Action Items and some entirely new efforts. This flexibility is an important part of the implementation of the Regional Economic Strategy, and represents the Prosperity Partnership's ability to react to new opportunities and changing regional priorities. As in 2006, the Second Year Action Items represent efforts throughout the five industry clusters and six economic foundations. A complete list of the Second Year Action Items can be found in the Prosperity Partnership's 2007 Action Items document. Washington State Tax Reform: The Leadership Role of the Nonprofit Sector National Forum on Trade Policy: Trade and Regional Prosperity Conference Measuring Health in the Built Environment: A Concise Learning Session on Health Impact Assessment Greater Seattle 2006 Business & Trade Mission to India National Forum on Trade Policy: "Trade and Regional Prosperity" Digital Entertainment Dinner Program
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On November 1, the Prosperity Partnership held its annual Fall Luncheon at the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle. The event, attended by a sold-out crowd of 1,200 was an exciting mixture of policy discussion, celebration and entertainment. 
The highlight of the event was the presentation of an award by U.S. Senator Patty Murray to Washington State University President Lane Rawlins for his "career of leadership in creating jobs and educating the people of the Puget Sound region and the State of Washington". Senator Murray recounted her long relationship with President Rawlins, starting when she and her husband were students at WSU, and President Rawlins spoke eloquently about the importance of and challenges to our higher education system. Both recognized the value of the Prosperity Partnership's work, with Senator Murray stating that "the Prosperity Partnership is an effective new model for our region in achieving our economic prosperity."
The luncheon also served as a venue for a very exciting announcement from the Microsoft Corporation. Senior Microsoft Vice President and Prosperity Partnership Co-Chair Brad Smith announced the Microsoft Math Partnership, a public-private initiative to enable educators and encourage Washington state businesses and state government to focus new attention and resources on improving middle-school math education. Smith committed $6 million over three years from Microsoft to help fund this effort. 
When the Prosperity Partnership began implementing the Regional Economic Strategy, the group immediately committed itself to not only setting broad, long-rang strategic goals but also to ensuring that it used tangible action items to guide its work in the short term and provide benchmarks for achieving the strategy. For 2007, the Prosperity Partnership has continued this approach, announcing at the fall luncheon its new set of 18 action items. 