Career Connect Washington
Career Connect Washington (CCW) is a statewide network of business, labor, education, and community leaders creating work-based and academic programs for young people in Washington to explore, prepare, and launch themselves into college and careers.
CCW and the CoE
CCW released specific grants to sector leaders, like industry associations, Centers of Excellence, sector-focused workforce development organizations and community-based organizations, and consultants, to foster improved collaboration and coherency amongst employers within a sector to scale their work-based learning programs and create equitable opportunities for students. CCW chose leaders to support workforce development and collaborate with employers for ten high-demand sectors. The CoE is proud to partner with CleanTech Alliance as the Career Connect Washington Sector Leader for Clean Technology & Energy. As part of our work as sector co-leaders we will be publishing a sector strategy report that will be made available.
What is Explore, Prep, and Launch?
Career explore, prep, and launch are all part of the career connected learning continuum to help students prepare for the future.
Explore
Kids as young as kindergarten think about what they are going to be when they grow up. Career Explore programs provide early exposure to potential careers, helping students learn about different kinds of work and how their interests are connected to jobs in various fields through activities such as career fairs and worksite tours.
Prep
Launch
Career Launch combines paid worksite experience with classroom instruction and culminates in a valuable credential or progress toward a degree. By participating in Registered Apprenticeships and other Career Launch programs in K-12, CTC, and four-year college systems, students and young people can earn while they learn and become competitive job candidates.
Ways to get involved:
Become a Program Builder (and apply for CCW grant funding)
CCW funds Program Builders to build, expand, and/or enhance career connected learning (CCL) programs, in both academic and work-based settings, for young people ages 5-30. Create meaningful experiences on the career connected learninging continuum (Career Explore, Prep, and Launch) that help young people build the knowledge and skills they need to pursue college and careers. Program Builders can be employers, educators, non-profits, skill center, community-based organizations, and others: what they have in common is their work to bridge and build connections between industry and the education system.
Apply for Career Launch Endorsment
The Career Launch endorsement application is designed to verify that a program meets the definition of Career Launch. Career Launch programs combine meaningful, high-quality on-the- job experience with classroom learning. These programs include registered apprenticeships, which are automatically endorsed, and Career Launch programs in the K-12, community and technical college, and 4-year systems, which have to go through the Career Launch endorsement review process. We aim to ensure that 60% of young adults beginning in the class of 2030 will participate in a Career Launch program. The Career Launch endorsement review process is overseen by the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges. For more information on the Career Launch endorsement process or for a PDF copy of the application, please visit SBCTC’s website. Questions on the Career Launch endorsement process can be sent to CLERapp@sbctc.edu. Please note: Registered apprenticeships programs are automatically endorsed as Career Launch programs and do not need to go through the endorsement review process.
Connect with your Sector Leader
Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy
- Monica Brummer, Director
- monica.brummer@centralia.edu
- Benjamin Roldan, Workforce Development Specialist
- Benjamin@cleantechalliance.org