Initiative 1 — good for our future

Our region's economic future depends on providing our kids more than just a high school degree, says a new report from the business led Washington Roundtable.

Fewer than a third of our state's students get post-high school educations. With state tuition costs skyrocketing, it's no wonder they aren't just skipping college, they are also missing out on technical training for trade, medical and other higher-paying jobs. Without those credentials, our children will lose up to $960,000 in extra pay over their lifetimes.

Business leaders, who expect 740,000 job openings over the next 5 years, say "it is imperative that we educate our students and fill the job openings with Washington kids versus having to import talent from other countries or states."

We have a local solution on our fall ballot. Olympia Initiative 1 raises more than $2 million per year from the wealthiest 3% to provide one year of free tuition for community college or job training for every high school graduate. As a local business owner of New Traditions, I know that voting yes on Olympia Initiative 1 will pay off by giving our high school graduates an opportunity to compete for those job openings, attract more jobs here, and boost our local economy.

This story was originally published October 18, 2016 at 5:17 PM with the headline "Initiative 1 — good for our future."