Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/418083
28 DECEMBER 2014 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com F or those thinking about future careers or looking to change their existing one, consider Washington's wine industry. A recent study of the industry's projected growth and employ- ment shows strong demand for vineyard and winery employees in the next few years. In short, Washington's educational institutions aren't graduating two- and four-year degree students fast enough to keep pace with the industry's steady growth, according to an employment needs assessment of the state's wine grape vineyards and wineries published by Agri-Business Consultants. A lack of workers trained under Washington State growing and winemaking con- ditions forces growers and vintners to look out-of-state to find key personnel. The study found that as many as 212 people with bachelor degrees and 260 with associate degrees will be needed for jobs created from 2014 to 2018. (See Table 1.) Even more—2,000-some workers with less than a two- year degree—will be needed in vineyards and wineries in the next four years. "The study shows that we're going to have to produce more graduates at all levels, but especially at the asso- ciate degree level," said Trent Ball, agriculture depart- ment chair and viticulture and enology instructor at Yakima Valley Community College. Ball is also partner in Agri-Business Consultants, the firm that conducted the study. Dr. Raymond Folwell, retired agricultural econ- omist who led the industry's first employment needs assessment in 2001 and updated it in 2008, was lead author. The assessment was done to update the employment needs of the grape and wine industry and help colleges strategically plan for the future. The study included data on historical job trends of the wine, grape, and support sectors, industry growth (wine grape acreage, number of wineries, volume of grapes produced, volume of wine sales in Washington), and information from economic impact studies done in 1999, 2006, and 2011. Correlations were developed from the relationships between number of jobs and grape acreage and volume of wine produced. (See Figure 1.) Grapes A growing wine industry Economic impact studies from 1999, 2006, and 2011 show growth in four key areas of Washington's wine industry. Total jobs Tons produced Wine grape acreage Number of wineries SOURCE: AGRI-BUSINESS CONSULTANTS FIGURE 1 10,000 20,000 30,000 1999 2006 2011 1999 2006 2011 1999 2006 2011 1999 2006 2011 11,250 18,865 29,672 20,000 40,000 24,000 31,000 43,849 50,000 100,000 150,000 70,000 120,000 142,000 200 400 600 800 160 534 739 Washington's wine industry is growing faster than in-state colleges can graduate wine students. by Melissa Hansen WINE INDUSTRY needs trained workers Grape picker Carllos Godinez is enrolled in the Latino Agricultural Education Program for Viticulture and hopes WRRQHGD\EHDYLQH\DUG¼HOGPDQDJHU