Intern Links to Success at Washington Chain

Ryan Gookstetter quit school in the ninth grade, received his GED in what should have been the eleventh grade, and then he graduated to a succession of lousy jobs and bad life experiences that concluded last spring with him, at age 24, earning minimum wage behind the counter of a fast food outlet. "The money struggle was really hard," he says. "It wasn't just the amount of pay, but the struggle to get hours."

Last summer, Ryan decided to make a change. He enrolled in SODO Inc., a customized, short-term job training program that led him to an internship that turned into a fulltime job. Today, at Washington Chain, Ryan earns double the hourly rate he made in fast food. He not only gets 40 hours of work each week. He also gets lots of overtime.

As a result, you couldn't find a better poster person than Ryan is for the transformative power of work-based learning. Or, a better reason to learn how your company might benefit from the next round of the SODO Inc. intern program. Participating companies are now signing up. To learn more, call Carla Dean at the Manufacturing Industrial Council, 206-762-2470.

"Before I went to work here, I didn't even know there were companies like Washington Chain," Ryan says. "The way I was before, and the way I am now, it is a 180-degree turn. If I wasn't working here, I'd probably still be in fast food. I have a whole different quality of life now. I can sustain myself. I feel good about life."

Washington Chain feels pretty good about it too. The company tried one intern who washed out the first day before lunch time. But, it glommed onto Ryan because of his enthusiasm, his willingness to work hard and the fact he showed up for work every day on time.

While he was trying out as an intern, his wages were paid by SODO Inc. Bert Cehovet, VP for finance at Washington Chain, says the decision to participate in the intern program was "a no brainer."

The interns for the next round of the program are now receiving job readiness training at the Puget Sound Industrial Excellence Center at the Georgetown campus of South Seattle Community College. Before they are allowed to interview with companies, the students must successfully complete several weeks of training in physical fitness, workplace safety, tool use and employer expectations.

Hiring your SODO Inc intern is the exception. The program is designed to expose interns to industrial job opportunities – to get them excited about the next level of necessary training. Interested companies can participate in the interview training sessions to select their intern or can accept the intern matched to their job description. The interns work and report to you, but King County pays their wages, insures them and takes care of L&I issues.

The interns now in training are scheduled to begin job interviews Monday, February 15. They will be available for work from March 1 through March 26.

The last round of SODO Inc. trained and placed 89 young people, ages 18 to 24, at 25 companies including Balancing Services, Northwest Grating, Puget Sound Coatings, Outdoor Research, Sea-Tac Marine, CDL Recycle, Laird Plastics, MC Electric Vehicles, Brace Point Railings, Roadlink, Cascade Gasket and Baley Roofing.

Seven of the interns wound up getting hired as Ryan did at Washington Chain.

Located in SODO near the Home Depot on Lander, Washington Chain is the nation's largest distributor of industrial chains, anchors and connectors. Created in 1954 out of an old company called Alaska Junk, Washington Chain now includes a subsidiary in Blaine and a sister company in New Orleans. Customers include ship and barge companies, construction companies and the US Navy.

Ryan works in the chain yard at the Seattle plant where he has learned to operate cutting torches, forklifts, the overhead crane and two stress rigs that can exert one million and two million pounds of pressure on giant wire ropes and chains. The stressors pull the ropes and chains until they break. Some of the chains are so big you could fit your head through the links. Ryan gets jazzed up just talking about it.

He turned 25 a couple of weeks ago and recently received his first pay boost. He wants to work his way up in the company. It's still early in his new career, but so far, so good. In fact, according to Ryan, so far, fantastic. "This is definitely way better than anything I'd ever done before."

---

Everybody Who is Anybody


By our count, at least ten government entities possess responsibility for some aspect of transportation in the Duwamish, and each and every one of them is participating in a community transportation forum Tuesday, February 9, from 8:30 am to 10:30 am at the Puget Sound Industrial Excellence Center.

The goal is to see how these agencies might improve communication with the businesses, workers and residents who call the Duwamish home, and, maybe, how they might improve communication with each other. The public is welcome to attend. The forum is being conducted by the Duwamish Transportation Management Association and Seattle Port Commissioner Gael Tarleton will moderate the discussion.

Participating agencies include the Washington State Department of Transportation, the City of Seattle Department of Transportation, Metro, Sound Transit, King County International Airport (Boeing Field), the Port of Seattle, and the federal agencies responsible for air, sea, rail and highway transportation. One topic for discussion is how these agencies and the community will respond to major construction projects that will get underway this year on the south end of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the Spokane Street Viaduct.

If you plan to attend: Click Here or call 206-762-2470

Wharton School Examines National Manufacturing Recovery
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Although it represents a declining share of the U.S. economy, signs of a manufacturing rebound in the nation and around the world seem to be another indication that the global recession is coming to an end…A surprisingly solid uptick in recent surveys that track the future prospects for manufacturing suggests that renewed strength in orders and declining inventory will lead to advances in industrial production and broader economic expansion in the months ahead.

Source: City of Seattle OED Daily Digest, January 22, 2010

Closures this Weekend for Spokane Street Viaduct Work
Ramps leading to West Seattle Bridge from northbound I-5 and Columbian Way will be closed this weekend

• The northbound I-5 off-ramp leading to the West Seattle Bridge.
• The ramp from Columbian Way (from Beacon Hill) leading to the West Seattle Bridge.

These ramps will be closed from 10:00 p.m., Friday, January 29, until 5:00 a.m., Monday, February 1. In case of rain, crews may reschedule some of the work for the following weekend.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will detour traffic on surface streets through the south of downtown area using the route shown on the enclosed map (see attachment). Drivers should expect congestion on I-5 near the Spokane Street Viaduct and in the SODO area Friday night through early Monday morning. This phase of the project should have minimal disruptions for King County Metro Transit bus service, but there could be delays if there is traffic congestion.

Drivers going to and from the Seattle Boat Show at the Qwest Field Event Center and the Mariners' FanFest at Safeco Field should use the James Street, Airport Way, Dearborn Street or Forest Street exits from I-5, and then follow signs to the stadiums. From the Alaskan Way Viaduct (SR99), take the First Avenue South exit. Traffic on I-90 will not be affected.

As a reminder, drivers should also be aware of the following ongoing closures:

• The existing westbound Spokane Street Viaduct off-ramp to Fourth Ave South is permanently closed.

• All lanes of lower Spokane Street between Sixth and First avenues are closed to through traffic for the duration of the project. Local business access, however, will be preserved.

• Fourth Ave South between South Horton and Industrial Way South is reduced to one lane in each direction for the next several months. This may also include full closures of the northbound lanes at night for up to a week.

When complete, the South Spokane Street Viaduct Widening project will nearly double the width of the elevated roadway. Seattle commuters and the freight community will enjoy improved access between I-5, SODO (the area south of downtown) and West Seattle, and significantly improved traffic flow and safety on this key east-west route. The $168 million viaduct effort, SDOT's largest project currently in construction, is expected to be complete by 2012.

Freight Alert - Washington's New Commercial Vehicle Pass System

Keeping freight moving during major transportation disruptions is key to supporting the state's economy and jobs, and to ensure that our citizens' essential needs are met. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has developed a new Commercial Vehicle (CV) Pass System intended to support freight movement by authorizing emergency, essential, and other goods delivery through affected areas during a highway disruption of two to seven days.

The state will activate the Commercial Vehicle Pass System when major freight highways are closed or severely restricted, and a limited-capacity detour is available nearby. CV passes will be issued on-line based on the highway detour's capacity and the priority of goods carried, as determined by the State Emergency Management Division.

More details about the CV Pass System, including the priority categories and the on-line application for a CV pass is available at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/commercialvehicle/detourpass. Two test periods will be held, allowing shippers and trucking companies to become familiar with the on-line CV pass Web site. This is an opportunity to pre-register your company and identification number (truck license plate number), which could save you time during a transportation disruption. The dates are: January 25 – 29, 2010 and February 22 – 26, 2010.

Questions and comments about the new CV Pass System can be e-mailed to Jim Wright, WSDOT Permits Program Manager, at wrightji@wsdot.wa.gov or by calling 360-704-6345 during regular business hours.