pacific nw transportation consortium region 10 Pactrans

With support from Washington State proviso funding and in partnership with the Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors and the Washington State Association of County Engineers, the PacTrans WDI and TRAC have completed a comprehensive engineering pathway study. This study identifies critical workforce challenges facing the state’s transportation sector and proposes both short-term and long-term solutions to address them.

To share the findings and gather feedback from leaders across the transportation sector—including government agencies, private industry, and academic institutions—PacTrans hosted a Transportation Workforce Development Workshop on May 30, 2025, at the University of Washington’s Waterfront Activities Center.

The workshop brought together approximately 40 participants who contributed their perspectives on the state of the transportation workforce pipeline and collaborated on strategies for building a resilient and future-ready workforce. The event featured a keynote address by Professor Chris Hendrickson of Carnegie Mellon University, a nationally recognized expert in transportation infrastructure and workforce development.

The event also feature two panels:

Current Challenges and Short-Term Solutions

• Roger Millar, Former Secretary, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)

• Janice Zahn, Washington State House of Representatives and Port of Seattle Chief Engineer

• Axel Swanson, Washington State Association of County Engineers Managing Director

• HollyAnna DeCoteau LittleBull, WSP Senior Transportation Planner & Tribal Liaison

• Michael Houston, PE, AICP, Toole Design Seattle Transportation Engineering Group Manager

How to Move Forward and Long-Term Solutions

• Cina Fisher, Alaska DOT Training & LTAP Director

• Matthew Neeley, P.E., WSDOT State Traffic Systems Development Engineer

• Matthew Enders, Washington State LTAP Center

• Ahmed Abdel-Rahim, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Idaho and PacTrans Associate Director

Panelists shared their diverse experiences and emphasized the importance of partnerships, innovation in education and training, and equity in recruitment and career development.

The workshop was inspiring, with participants offering thoughtful insights and feedback that will inform next steps in workforce planning and policy implementation. PacTrans extend their sincere thanks to all speakers, panelists, and attendees for making this event a success, and to the dedicated staff who worked behind the scenes to ensure a seamless and engaging experience.

As PacTrans WDI and TRAC continue to drive workforce initiatives forward, this collaboration sets a strong foundation for addressing the workforce challenges in the PNW’s transportation sector.