Need for trained wine workers grows due to industry boom

A decade of explosive growth in Washington's wine industry has created a growing need for more trained workers in the vineyards to the laboratory, according to new survey.

The survey, unveiled Wednesday in Yakima, disclosed concerns among growers about a shortage of field workers and supervisors. For wineries, the employment needs will be in lab technicians, cellar masters, and those with sales and marketing expertise.

In both cases, it's expected that recruitment will need to go beyond the state's borders.

With wineries having grown from 150 to 600 in the last eight years, Washington is now the nation's second largest wine-producing state, trailing only California.

The industry-sponsored survey, the first in a decade, shows three major industry players looking at working closer with colleges and universities on training programs, apprenticeships and exploring ways to recruit semi-skilled workers.

The plans are being pursued by the Washington Wine Institute, the Washington Wine Commission and the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers. The three groups reviewed the survey during a daylong meeting at the Yakima Convention Center. The meeting marks the third year the groups have gotten together to talk about issues of mutual interest.

"This quantifies what the state of the need is now," said Vicky Scharlau, executive director of the growers association. "This will lay out a long-term plan and strategy. If you don't have a map, you can't get there."

Robin Pollard, executive director of the Wine Commission, said the survey reinforces some assumptions about an industry that has grown dramatically.

"There is a need for workers at all skill levels. There is a need for graduate degree employees in viticulture and enology," she said. "We clearly have a need for workers in sales and marketing with an emphasis on wine."

Conducted by FutureWorks, a Seattle firm, the study found that growers expect only moderate growth in acreage in the next few years. While growth will be slow, growers expect shortages in vineyard workers, vineyard managers, and viticulturalists.

Among growers responding to the survey, more than 9 out of 10 said worker shortages are a major concern.