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Priority Hire Frequently Asked Questions

The Port of Seattle Priority Hire Program supports access to good family-wage jobs to qualified construction workers from Economically Distressed Areas of King, Pierce, and Snohomish County by increasing access to Port of Seattle projects. The program leads to economic growth and job creation in areas that experience economic distress. It also provides jobs to historically underrepresented individuals in the construction industry, such as women and people of color.

The following FAQs should answer any questions you have about the Port's Priority Hire Program.

What is Priority Hire?

Priority hire:

  • Is a Port of Seattle policy that prioritizes local workers living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
  • Creates access to training and employment within the construction workforce.
  • Supports women and people of color to become part of the trained construction workforce, with direct access to a construction career.
  • Creates a better work environment with safety protections, dispute resolution, and a grievance process.
Why Priority Hire?

Priority hire is a shared mission to address projected worker shortage and provide contractors with access to a trained workforce. It:

  • Creates a diverse construction workforce by adding more women and people of color.
  • Creates economic inclusion and growth in economically distressed areas.
  • Strengthens opportunities for communities to access living-wage careers. 
Who can become a Priority Worker?

Priority Workers are individuals prioritized for recruitment, training, and employment opportunities because the individual is a resident in an economically distressed area. Economically distressed areas are predetermined zip codes that allow workers who reside there to become a priority hire.

The zip codes are:

List of economically distressed area zip codes and their corresponding locations.
Zip code Location
98001 Auburn
98002 Auburn
98003 Federal Way
98007 Bellevue
98023 Federal Way
98030 Kent
98031 Kent
98032 Kent
98036 Lynnwood
98037 Lynnwood
98043 Mountlake Terrace
98047 Pacific
98055 Renton
98057 Renton
98087 Lynnwood
98092 Auburn
98101 Downtown / International District
98102 Capitol Hill / Eastlake
98103 Green Lake
98104 Downtown / International District
98105 Laurelhurst / University District
98106 Delridge
98107 Ballard
98108 South Beacon Hill / South Park
98109 Queen Anne
98118 Rainier Valley / Rainier Beach
98121 Belltown
98122 Central District
98125 Lake City
98126 Delridge
98133 Bitter Lake
98134 Industrial District
98144 Mount Baker
98146 White Center
98148 Burien
98168 SeaTac / Tukwila
98178 Rainier Beach
98188 SeaTac / Tukwila
98198 Des Moines
98204 Everett
98208 Everett
98251 Gold Bar
98321 Buckley
What Is a pre-apprentice training program?

A pre-apprentice training program is an education-based program recognized by the State of Washington Apprenticeship and Training Council and endorsed by one or more registered apprenticeship sponsors. The focus is to educate and train students to meet or exceed minimum qualifications for entry into an Apprentice Training Program upon graduation.

What is a pre-apprentice?

A pre-apprentice is a student enrolled in a construction pre-apprentice training program recognized by the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council. Training programs include:

  • Apprenticeship and Non-Traditional Employment for Women (ANEW)
  • Seattle Vocational Institute (SVI)
  • Pre-Apprenticeship Construction Education (PACE)*
  • YouthBuild/YouthCare.

* Note: PACE is under ANEW.

What is a pre-aprentice graduate?

A pre-apprentice graduate is an individual who completed a pre-apprentice training program and has been accepted into an apprentice training program including those who are still completing their first year of apprentice training.
 

What is an apprentice?

An apprentice is a person who is learning a trade on-the-job and is enrolled in an apprentice training program. An apprentice program focuses on teaching specific skills needed to work independently in that trade or position

What is a Journeyman Worker?

A journey-level is an individual who has sufficient skills and knowledge of an occupation, either through a formal apprentice training program or through practical on-the-job work experience, to be recognized by a state or federal registration agency and/or industry as being fully qualified to perform the work of the occupation. Practical experience must be equal to or greater than the term of an apprenticeship.

What is a Preferred Entry?

Preferred entry refers to an agreement provided by a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) that allows pre-apprentice graduates and Helmets to Hardhats veterans who are also priority workers to enter into an apprentice training program ahead of other applicants.

The PLA is a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor organizations that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project.

What is an Economically Distressed Area?

An Economically Distressed Area is a geographic area defined by zip codes in King County that have a high concentration of individuals who are:

  • At or below 200% of the federal poverty level;
  • Unemployed; and/or
  • Without a college degree, compared to other zip codes.

King County zip codes with a high density per acre of at least two out of the three criteria are identified as economically distressed areas.

The list of King County zip codes that qualify as economically distressed are as follows:

Economically Distressed Zip Codes in King County
Zip code Location
98001 Auburn
98002 Auburn
98003 Federal Way
98007 Bellevue
98023 Federal Way
98030 Kent
98031 Kent
98032 Kent
98036 Lynnwood
98037 Lynnwood
98043 Mountlake Terrace
98047 Pacific
98055 Renton
98057 Renton
98087 Lynnwood
98092 Auburn
98101 Downtown / International District
98102 Capitol Hill / Eastlake
98103 Green Lake
98104 Downtown / International District
98105 Laurelhurst / University District
98106 Delridge
98107 Ballard
98108 South Beacon Hill / South Park
98109 Queen Anne
98118 Rainier Valley / Rainier Beach
98121 Belltown
98122 Central District
98125 Lake City
98126 Delridge
98133 Bitter Lake
98134 Industrial District
98144 Mount Baker
98146 White Center
98148 Burien
98168 SeaTac / Tukwila
98178 Rainier Beach
98188 SeaTac / Tukwila
98198 Des Moines
98204 Everett
98208 Everett
98251 Gold Bar
98321 Buckley