Economic Recovery Symposium
Designing Our Future: Building an Equitable Recovery and a New Seattle Economy
Overview and Objectives
Over three dates – December 10 and 11 and January 21 – we will convene leaders from across the Seattle Metro Area to participate in this important discussion. Joining us will be representatives from business, industry, secondary and post-secondary education, as well as community leaders and activists, community-based organizations, civic partners, and philanthropists.
The symposium will address – at a sector level – the pressing issues facing the Seattle-area economy, including:
- Covid-19 and resulting job loss, with disproportionate impacts on people of color, women, and young people
- The intersection of racial justice and our education and workforce ecosystem
- The move toward automation and resulting dislocation of workers, accelerated by COVID-19
- The need for industry and workforce solutions that meet the demands of the climate crisis
Participants will hear from experts regarding the state of our economy and community. Sector teams will then be guided through a structured process to develop a blueprint for economic recovery that is equitable, speedy, and addresses these pressing issues. Refer to the session agendas in the accordions below.
Registration
Registration is free but required. Register now.
Partners
- Seattle Colleges
- Seattle Jobs Initiative
- Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County
- JPMorgan Chase
Sessions and Agendas
Opening Session: Taking Stock of Our Economy and Community
Agenda
8:30 - 9:00 a.m. | Breakfast and Networking
Enjoy breakfast on us and get to know your fellow leaders from across the region through light networking.
9:00 - 9:30 a.m. | Welcome, Symposium Goals, and Agenda
We will discuss the big picture - what we hope to achieve together through an Economic Recovery Symposium - and the agenda for our Opening Session.
9:30 - 10:30 a.m. | Economy Panel: As the Dust and Rubble Settle – Discerning the Seattle Economy Post-2020
Engage with economic and workforce development experts on these and other topics:
- The key trends that will shape our economy in the next 3 – 5 years and how we can prepare for these transitions
- Jobs and skills with growth potential in a post-COVID economy, those expected to diminish, and what will emerge anew
- How we can ensure that historically dispossessed people have truly equitable access to this changing and emerging economy
10:30 - 11:00 a.m. | Break and Brag
We’ll take a break while opening the floor to show off your pets, your kids, the new skill you learned during quarantine, or whatever brings you happiness in these trying times! This is also an opportunity to order lunch (on us) if you haven’t already.
11:00 a.m. - Noon | Community Panel: An Economy for Whom? Can We Achieve True Equity?
Engage with community luminaries on these and other topics:
- What needs to happen over the next 1 –3 years to move toward racial equity in our City and region?
- What are we carrying with us from the COVID-19 crisis, and the protests and soul-searching surrounding the recent killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other members of the black community?
- What changes do we need to make within Seattle’s education systems and workforce to facilitate racial equity? What practical form should those changes take?
- If we're heading into a period of economic hardship, how can we keep the traditionally dispossessed from bearing the worst? What safety net can we hold up, and what practical educational and economic opportunities can we assure?
Noon - 1 p.m. | Getting into the Weeds: Sector-Based Impacts and Planning
This will be a working lunch (on us) while we gather into sector-based groups to discuss the current conditions of several of our region’s major industries. Groups will be led through a structured process to identify intersections of each sector with COVID-19 and job loss, systemic racial injustice, increasing automation, and more, leading into a discussion of our “blueprint” for recovery that will be continued on Day 2 of the Symposium.
- Technology
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Healthcare
- Retail
- Hospitality
- Logistics and Transportation
1:00 - 1:30 p.m. | Opening Day Synthesis and Closing Activities
We will synthesize the key learnings from the day using visual diagrams, and set the stage for day 2 of the Symposium where we will continue to design our blueprint for equitable recovery through a sector lens.
Planning an Equitable Recovery
Agenda
8:30 - 9:00 a.m. | Breakfast and Networking
Enjoy breakfast on us and continue to connect with fellow leaders from across the region through light networking.
9:00 - 9:15 a.m. | Welcome, Reflection on Opening Sessions, and Agenda
We will open the floor for any lingering take-aways from the Opening Sessions and lay out the plan for day 2, Industry Deep Dive: Planning an Equitable Recovery.
9:15 - 11:00 a.m. | Sector Breakout Groups
We will pick up on our work in sector-based breakout groups, focusing on designing the blueprint for recovery in your chosen sector. Groups will be led through a structured visioning and design thinking process resulting in tangible strategies for recovery.
- Technology
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Healthcare
- Retail
- Hospitality
- Logistics and Transportation
11:00 - 11:30 a.m. | Industry Deep Dive Synthesis and Closing
We will synthesize the key learnings from the day and set the stage for the next month and the closing session of the symposium in January, where we will present a blueprint for recovery based on your sector-based design work.
Implementing a Plan for Equitable Recovery
Agenda
8:30 - 9:00 a.m. | Networking
Connect with your fellow leaders from across the region through light networking on our digital whiteboard.
9:00 - 9:30 a.m. | Welcome, Reflections, and Agenda
We will welcome everyone to the new year, recap our first two Symposium sessions, and lay out the plan for our Closing Session: Implementing a Plan for Equitable Recovery.
9:30 - 10:00 a.m. | The Blueprint for an Equitable Recovery
We will unveil and discuss our Blueprint for Equitable Recovery, from both big picture and sector-based perspectives, with space for reactions and questions.
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. | Where from Here: Planning for Implementation and Momentum
As a group, we will discuss strategies for blueprint implementation including how we will structure and fund the work, collaborative implementation teams and other next steps to ensure momentum and forward progress.
11:00 - 11:30 a.m. | Symposium Synthesis and Closing
We will synthesize our plans for implementation and next steps, and close out the symposium by celebrating our progress and one another.