Thanks to Boeing’s Support of Technical Education
Boeing’s long-standing partnerships with community and technical colleges across Washington are helping students gain the skills and opportunities needed to launch successful aerospace careers — fueling both individual futures and the region’s economy.
For more than a century, Boeing has been a cornerstone of Washington’s economy and aerospace industry. As one of the state’s largest employers, Boeing depends on a highly skilled workforce to maintain its leadership in aerospace manufacturing.
Washington’s community and technical college system, serving over 300,000 students annually, plays a vital role in sustaining this workforce. These institutions provide accessible, hands-on education that fuels the aerospace sector’s strength and innovation.
Recognizing this, Boeing has steadily increased its investments in these schools, supporting programs that prepare the next generation of technicians, engineers and manufacturing professionals. Since 2012, Boeing has provided more than $2.1 million to community and technical colleges across Washington State. These efforts not only prepare students for rewarding careers but also strengthen communities and the regional economy.
Building Strong Workforce Pathways
To meet these workforce needs, Boeing has focused its investments on strengthening educational pathways that prepare students for aerospace careers. Community and technical colleges offer industry-relevant training in aircraft production, machining, fabrication, and maintenance — skills critical to meeting today’s workforce demands.
“Boeing’s investments in Washington’s community and technical colleges are helping open doors and create pathways to jobs shaped by the emerging technology in aerospace.”
Boeing’s partnerships enable these institutions to scale programs quickly and stay current with evolving technologies. As commercial aviation rebounds and new aircraft programs take shape, these collaborations ensure training aligns with real-world manufacturing requirements.
Long-Standing Partnerships With Technical Colleges
One of Boeing’s longest partnerships is with Renton Technical College (RTC). Over the past two decades, Boeing has provided sustained support through scholarships, equipment upgrades, and workforce training programs. When RTC launched its mechatronics program, Boeing provided training equipment and expertise to keep labs cutting-edge.
In December 2025, Boeing made a landmark grant to Renton Promise — the largest private sector contribution to date — helping remove financial barriers for Renton high school graduates pursuing technical careers. Together, these efforts strengthen a regional ecosystem that supports students from high school through technical education and into aerospace careers.
Beyond Renton, Boeing’s partnerships extend across the region, including a long-standing collaboration with Everett Community College (EvCC). EvCC offers degree programs, certificates, and customized training tailored to Boeing’s needs, including management and leadership pathways. Many programs integrate on-the-job learning for academic credit, enabling Boeing employees to advance their skills while working.
EvCC also serves as a pipeline for future aerospace talent. Through hands-on projects, mentorships, and internships supported by Boeing grants, students gain valuable exposure to manufacturing environments and industry standards.
Aligning Curriculum With Industry Needs
By working closely with colleges, high schools and skill centers, Boeing ensures students graduate with skills that match the demands of today’s aerospace factories.
Boeing collaborates directly with these institutions to shape curriculum in high-demand areas such as precision machining, composites, avionics, and advanced assembly.
Programs like Core Plus Aerospace, a two-year high school aerospace curriculum Boeing helped launch with the state, introduces students to aerospace manufacturing pathways, creating seamless transitions into the workforce or postsecondary technical programs.
“To date, Boeing has hired more than 1,500 Core Plus Aerospace students, demonstrating the program’s success in preparing job-ready talent.”
The Boeing Pre-Employment Training Program (BPET) allows candidates from pre-certified academic courses and Military Career Skills Programs to fast track the hiring process when applying for specific manufacturing jobs at Boeing. High schools, colleges and other training partners provide training aligned with current manufacturing skills, and students who have the endorsement of their instructor receive a BPET certification that allows them to receive contingent offers for open positions in their field. Hands-on learning takes place in spaces that mirror real production environments, such as the “Gray Ghost,” a 767 fuselage section Boeing donated to the Washington Aerospace Training and Research Center (WATR Center) at Edmonds Community College in 2023.
The “Gray Ghost” 767 fuselage training platform at Edmonds Community College provides students with real-world aerospace manufacturing experience through hands-on training.
Graduates who successfully complete BPET may be eligible to transition directly into Boeing roles, often bypassing the traditional interview process. This makes BPET one of the most streamlined pathways into the company’s workforce.
Together, programs like Core Plus Aerospace and BPET create seamless pipelines from high school through technical training to employment across the aerospace and manufacturing industries in the region.
These initiatives reduce onboarding time and training costs while ensuring graduates are ready for modern production environments, including lean manufacturing and digital tooling.
Expanding Access Through Scholarships and Statewide Programs
Beyond individual colleges, Boeing supports statewide initiatives such as the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship, a public-private partnership that provides financial aid and advising to students pursuing high-demand STEM credentials at both four-year universities and community and technical colleges. Boeing played a key role in launching this program in 2012, with total contributions exceeding $30 million, and supported the organization’s addition of the Career and Technical Scholarship track in 2020 for students enrolled in community and technical colleges.
These investments are especially impactful for first-generation and low-income students, boosting enrollment and completion rates in technical programs.
A Lasting Impact on Communities and the Economy
Boeing’s investments in Washington’s community and technical schools demonstrate the power of industry-education partnerships in workforce development. Through funding, program support, and long-term collaboration, Boeing is helping build a resilient training ecosystem that meets the evolving needs of aerospace manufacturing.
“As Boeing grows, innovates and launches thousands of aerospace manufacturing careers around Washington, these partnerships will remain essential to powering our state’s aerospace future — removing barriers to education and creating opportunities for every level of aerospace profession, while contributing to the long-term prosperity of Washington’s communities and economy.”
Boeing employees mentoring or teaching through the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship: A Boeing engineer mentors students through the Skills that Shine program, sharing industry expertise and supporting the next generation of aerospace professionals. “Giving back as a mentor requires me to articulate my job function, professional goals, and my company’s vision. Mentorship encourages reflection and thoughtful discussions, promoting self-growth. It feels rewarding to know I’m a valuable role model,” said Mason, Skills that Shine mentor and Boeing engineer.
