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Dec
12

Priority Hire

King County's Priority Hire Program is a workforce and economic development strategy that provides training and family wage employment opportunities in the construction industry on King County public works construction projects of $5 million or more. The Priority Hire program provides access for persons interested in pursuing career opportunities in the construction industry who reside in economically distressed areas of King County, and in areas of Pierce and Snohomish counties where the county has rate payers.

In May 2016, King County Executive Dow Constantine issued a directive to county department directors to implement a pilot Priority Hire program for large capital construction projects, consistent with a 2013 Executive Order for Project Labor Agreements.

The Priority Hire Program is an important component of King County's Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan and supports a more diverse and trained workforce that is necessary for our region to continue to thrive.

Priority Hire Grant Program Master Community Workforce Agreement (MCWA) Priority Hire Advisory Committee Respectful Worksite Language

Goals

  • Align and champion greater workforce diversity in the trades
  • Increase entry and diversity in the trades
  • Improve retention of workforce diversity in the trades

Benefits

  • Prioritizes economically disadvantaged local workers for inclusion in King County capital construction projects
  • Supports the hiring of residents who live in King County Priority Hire ZIP Codes
  • Training and job opportunities in the construction industry for local residents needing family-wage jobs
  • Assist in addressing a widening gap between the demand for construction labor and the supply of skilled trade workers in our regional labor market

Eligibility Criteria

FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

  • For answers to frequently asked questions regarding the Priority Hire program, visit our Priority Hire FAQs

2023 Annual Results

  • $10.7 million in wages earned by priority hire workers, compared to $5.7 million in 2022
  • 692,195 total Washington State labor hours on projects with priority hire requirements, compared to 463,727 in 2022
  • 205,210 priority hire labor hours, compared to 121,446 hours in 2022
  • 39.9% priority hire apprentice participation rate, exceeding the required rate of 24.5%
  • 26.7% priority hire journey worker participation rate, exceeding the required rate of 18.3%
  • 1,077 priority hire workers, including 853 journey workers and 224 apprentices compared to 779 priority hire workers, including 618 journey workers and 161 apprentices, in 2022
  • 55.5% priority hire minority worker participation rate, compared to 53% priority hire minority worker participation rate from 2022
  • 13.8% priority hire women worker participation rate, compared to 13.1% priority hire women worker participation rate from 2022

Priority Hire Advisory Committee

The membership of the Priority Hire Advisory Committee includes representatives with experience in the construction industry:

  • Contractors
  • Associated General Contractors of Washington
  • Labor unions
  • Small, minority and/or women owned businesses
  • Pre-apprentice and apprentice training providers
  • Local community and business organizations

Visit the committee page to learn more.

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