Washington Aerospace Training and Research Center

INDUSTRY Support

Industry Support

The Washington Aerospace Training & Research (WATR) Center is an educational resource for career pathways in the aerospace and manufacturing industry. WATR works in collaboration with the other state aerospace centers to deliver premier industry-driven training to support manufacturing in Washington state, resulting in continuous growth and sustainability.

Manufacturing in Washington State

Interesting Facts

  • In 2022, 8.60% of the Washington state workforce was employed in the manufacturing industry - that's 268,000 jobs.  77,400 are aerospace manufacturing jobs
  • In 2021, by far the largest manufacturing sector in Washington State was "Aerospace and other transportation equipment" with an output of $27,910 mil.
  • As of 2019, Washington state was home to 6,462 manufacturing firms, including approximately 1,500 aerospace-related companies that supply parts for every aircraft manufactured world-wide.
  • Washington is the home of The Boeing Company's two final Assembly plants in Everett and Renton and five manufacturing sites all concentrated in the Central Puget Sound region.
  • As of 2023, Boeing is the second largest employer in the state of Washington and employs over 66,000 people.
  • Many people in the industry are third and fourth generation employees, a testament to the quality and loyalty of the state's manufacturing workforce.

Need even more reasons to start a career in manufacturing? Find these and even more interesting manufacturing facts at The National Association of Manufacturers. Or check out the 2024 Aerospace Regional and Local Economic Impacts report.

Working With Industry

Instructor showing students an autoclaveThe WATR Center is industry focused and responsive to workforce needs. It is committed to providing innovative and relevant programs of study for present and future manufacturing workers that meet the demands of the fast-paced industry.

The WATR Center doesn't just train potential employees -- Washington manufacturing companies seek its guidance to create customized training programs for their own employees, which in turn expands their existing skillsets. 
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