Monica Babine
Washington State University Extension

At WSU Extension, we are helping rural Washington transition from its former economic base of timber-, fishing- and mining-related jobs to economies based on technology.  The broadband and telecom infrastructure needed for such a transition is fundamental to the success of teleworking, as is the commitment of the community to cultivate teleworker jobs and attract people with the right skills to fill them.

Thanks to the vision of the Forks community, which formed a public-private partnership in 2001 to build a digital backbone along the coast of the Olympic Peninsula, the area has the broadband infrastructure necessary to support advanced telework applications.  Forks also has the other two ingredients to make rural telework work: workforce development capacity and interest in finding and securing jobs for information workers.

That’s where Washington State University Extension comes in.  As coordinator for our telework efforts, I work with community, business, and government leaders to create jobs and cultivate the innovative and flexible leadership capabilities needed to sustain holistic rural telework initiatives, such as the one in Forks.

Rural telework can help urban companies cut facilities costs, find specialized talent and reduce operating expenses.  Telework benefits rural communities by providing employment and motivating them to install 21st century communications, such as broadband.  These examples illustrate that rural doesn’t have to mean technologically relegated…

What do a Washington state language interpreter, technological entrepreneur and business writer have in common?

Two things; first, they all live and work in rural communities on the Olympic Peninsula.  Second, their work is possible because of advanced communications connections, including broadband access to their home offices.   

Pura Carlson lives in Forks, Washington.  For over eight years, she provided language interpretation services to clients of Language Line Services, an international business headquartered in California.  She worked from home using a phone line dedicated to clients.  More than a translator, Pura has studied her clients’ businesses and knows their concepts and terminology.  Language Line Services adopted its flexible telework policy when it realized most of the skilled interpreters it sought were not located within commuting distance of its headquarters.  From her home in Forks, Pura has helped the company achieve its goal of global reach using the skills of home-based workers. Pura is currently serving as an instructor for a new interpreter course at the Forks branch of Peninsula Community College. She also is helping create a new pool of language interpreters who will serve clients in Forks and around the world.

Larry Burtness has worked as a freelance technology professional and entrepreneur, leaving behind the crush of urban life some 10 years ago in favor of the slower pace of a small town.  Larry discovered there was big demand for his high-tech skills, and in a rural town with broadband and telecommunications infrastructure, there was little rest for the weary.  Larry also developed a virtual museum called the Olympic Peninsula Community Museum.  Using broadband Internet service, museum “attendees” can enjoy photos, journals, rare documents, oral histories and more online because Larry transferred these resources to digital media and onto to the museum’s website.

Sekiu resident Denise Dunne Devaney owns and runs her own company, TextPRO Writing Services.  Denise grew increasingly frustrated trying to edit drafts via e-mails from clients over dial-up connections.  She reached out to Forks to learn more about its technology options and then got a high-speed broadband connection to her home office.  The improvement was dramatic.  With high-speed connectivity, Denise is more productive and responsive to her clients.

The rural teleworkers highlighted here are just the tip of the iceberg.  I encourage you to go to www.cbdd.wsu.edu to learn more about rural telework – in Forks and throughout Washington State.