Celebrating our future scientists, technologists, engineers, mathematicians
“It’s not just asking about how classes are going but asking ‘how are you?’ That’s how you find issues of food or housing insecurity, impostor syndrome, or feeling over your head.” – Mary Theisen, College Success Foundation
Leela Cohen, 22, loved working with children at the YMCA and she knew she wanted to find a career that would offer an opportunity to work with and help people. Four years after graduating from high school, she went in search of learning opportunities that would offer a long-term career path.
Partnership for Learning,
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of Washington high school students currently go on to earn a post-high school credential by age 26.
41%
"I was interested in the medical field but unsure how to get a foot in the door," Cohen says. "My aunt was working for the Edmonds School District and told me about Career Connect Washington. When I went to an informational meeting for their Career Launch apprenticeship program, it seemed like the perfect way for me to learn more about working as a medical assistant while earning money."
Work experience programs are available starting in high school and continue through postsecondary training in any number of industries across the state. Much like the 15-month apprenticeship program that Cohen completed, these opportunities offer real-world experiences that build upon classroom learning and prepare Washington students for high-demand jobs.
The estimated credential attainment rate is lower
for Washington’s Black (31%), Hispanic and Latinx (30%) and Native American (18%) students.
Access to resources is right at your fingertips
the education foundation of the Washington Roundtable, brings together business leaders and education partners to improve our state’s education system, so Washington students are ready to pursue the career pathways of their choice.
Are you interested in real-world learning and gaining work experience?
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Launch your career
Use the directory as a one-stop resource to find internships, apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities. Search programs that are geared toward a specific age group, occupation or location.
Find a Career Launch program that provides the opportunity to earn while you learn.
Career Connect Washington is a consortium of business, labor, education and community leaders who collaborate to create work-based experiences paired with academic opportunities that ensure young people will be poised to fill the job openings Washington employers are creating. CCW works with hundreds of schools and employers across the state to give meaningful, career-related experiences to students and young adults (up to age 30).
Academics and real-life experiences
"Washington business owners want to hire employees from our state but they're having a hard time finding enough qualified local job applicants to meet their needs," says Maud Daudon, executive leader for CCW and former president and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. "Our goal is to expand the pool of qualified candidates and level the playing field for all students regardless of their socio-economic background."
What are employers looking for?
Business owners cite completing a post-high school credential as a top qualification for hiring new employees, Daudon says. Recognizing the demands of the changing economy, Washington Roundtable, a nonprofit organization comprised of senior executives from major private sector employers, is rallying business, education and nonprofit leaders around a goal of increasing the rate at which Washington’s high school students earn a postsecondary credential to 70% by the high school class of 2030.
The goal of CCW is for 100% of the high school class of 2030 to participate in Career Explore and Career Prep programs before graduation, and 60% of the class of 2030 to participate in a hands-on Career Launch program.
Introducing all students to a world of career choices
"The feedback we get is wonderful. Not only do work supervisors see growth in the students as they gain confidence, but these young people are coming up with great ideas and inspiring their mentors! It's a win-win for everyone involved," Daudon says.
As for Cohen, she was hired on full time upon completion of her Career Launch program with Kaiser Permanente. "During my training I learned exactly what a medical assistant does, how hard they work, and how much the patients trust them," she says. "I became confident this is the right career path for me."
How Career Connect Washington works:
She enrolled in a 15-month apprenticeship program with Kaiser Permanente in Bothell, an opportunity she found thanks to the direction from her aunt. Now students and young workers like Cohen have an even easier way to find work-based experiences: the Career Connect Washington directory, a one-stop online destination to access work-based learning opportunities.
Meaningful, high-quality on-the-job experience
Aligned classroom learning
Competitive candidate
Valuable credential beyond high school diploma
Career Connect Washington is a public-private partnership that connects schools and employers across the state to provide meaningful, real-world job experiences to students of all ages, and workers up to age 30.
Leela Cohen
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Goal: By 2030, 70% of Washington high school students will go on to attain a post-high school credential by age 26.
From classroom to credential
program, it seemed like the perfect way for me to learn more about working as a medical assistant while earning money."
"I was interested in the medical field but unsure how to get a foot in the door," Cohen says. "My aunt was working for the Edmonds School District and told me about Career Connect Washington. When I went to an informational meeting for their Career Launch apprenticeship program, it seemed like the perfect way for me to learn more about working as a medical assistant while earning money."
By Partnership for Learning
New directory connects students with paid work experiences