Impact Highlights

 

$23.5 Million

In federal funding secured

3,587

Washington residents enrolled in training

1,604

Program completions achieved

1,181

Participants placed in jobs as of March 2025

5 Industries

Driving economic growth



What is the Washington Jobs Initiative?

The Washington Jobs Initiative (WJI) focuses on developing a skilled workforce and ensuring that Washington remains competitive and successful in the 21st century global economy.

The Washington Jobs Initiative (WJI) focuses on developing a skilled workforce and ensuring that Washington remains competitive and successful in the 21st-century global economy.

Washington state, through its proposal for the Goods Jobs Challenge federal grant, successfully secured $23.5 million to train 5,000 Washington residents, with a goal of placing at least 3,150 individuals into jobs by 2026. The Good Jobs Challenge from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) is making unprecedented investments in locally-led workforce systems to significantly transform American communities. Prioritizing equity, the program aims to broaden career opportunities, enabling more Americans to realize their full potential and secure well-paying jobs.

Transforming Washington’s Workforce for Tomorrow’s Economy

T

he Washington Jobs Initiative (WJI) is revolutionizing how we prepare workers for high-demand careers, ensuring Washington state remains a global leader in the 21st-century economy. Through strategic partnerships and innovative training programs, we’re creating pathways to family-sustaining wages while strengthening our state’s economic foundation.

Federal Investment, Local Impact

Washington state successfully secured $23.5 million through the competitive Good Jobs Challenge federal grant—a testament to our state’s commitment to workforce excellence. This unprecedented investment from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) is designed to transform communities by expanding career opportunities and helping more Americans achieve their full potential through well-paying jobs.

Our ambitious goals by September 2026:

  • Train 5,000 Washington residents in high-demand skills
  • Place 3,150 individuals into quality jobs with family-sustaining wages
  • Build lasting partnerships across 5 critical industry sectors
  • Create career pathways that serve everyone in Washington
The Washington Jobs Initiative (WJI) focuses on developing a skilled workforce and ensuring that Washington remains competitive and successful in the 21st century global economy.

Washington Jobs Initiative & Career Connect Washington

Building on Proven Success

Leveraging the established Career Connect Washington infrastructure, WJI strategically invests in industry sectoral partnerships that deliver results. Our approach combines comprehensive training with learning experiences, creating direct pathways from education to employment.

What sets us apart:

  • Employer-driven training aligned with real jobs
  • Work-based learning that provides income while building skills
  • Wraparound support services removing barriers to success
  • Intentional recruitment ensuring opportunities reach all communities

Meet Our Sectoral Partnerships

Five Industries, Countless Opportunities

The Washington Jobs Initiative enhances Career Connect Washington’s infrastructure through strategic sectoral partnerships in five high-demand industries. These partnerships aren’t just training programs—they’re economic engines designed to place Washington residents into careers while strengthening our state’s competitive advantage.

Our Focus Industries:

  • Advanced Manufacturing & Aerospace – Building the future of flight and production
  • Construction – Creating the infrastructure our communities need
  • Energy & Clean Technology – Leading the transition to sustainable energy
  • Healthcare – Meeting critical workforce needs in patient care
  • Information Technology & Cybersecurity – Protecting and advancing our digital economy

Each partnership combines industry expertise with proven training models, ensuring participants gain the skills employers need while building pathways to long-term career success.

 

Click on a “+”  below to learn more about a sectoral partnership.

The Construct a Career Initiative (CCI) focuses on the construction industry, specifically targeting construction and extraction occupations with state-registered apprenticeships statewide. The CCI is the second phase of a construction apprenticeship awareness and equitable access campaign that began with a Career Connect Washington (CCW) funded project. The CCI will provide targeted outreach to underrepresented populations, case management-level support to prospective apprentices, including childcare access, and a statewide network for construction career pathways.

The Training Resulting In Advancing Good Jobs and Equity (TRIAGE) sectoral partnership consists of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and Multi-Employer Training Fund (Training Fund), Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, Kaiser Permanente, MultiCare, Providence Swedish, Seattle Job Initiative (SJI), Workforce Central, the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council (WDC), Arivva, Washington State Allied Health Center of Excellence, the City of Seattle Office of Economic Development and City of Tacoma. TRIAGE consists of programs developed with employers to address identified skills gaps and employ diverse individuals who enter healthcare jobs via nontraditional educational pathways in high-demand occupations.

Healthcare Talent Pipeline Development (HCTPD) is a bi-regional partnership between the local workforce boards in Spokane and Southwest Washington. HCTPD will build on public-private, collaborative, sector-based workforce initiatives in specific entry-level occupations into living wage, career pathway employment opportunities. The project will be led by Spokane Workforce Council (SWC), the local workforce development board for Spokane County.

The Aerospace and Manufacturing Sectoral Partnership (AMSP) builds upon and formalizes existing partnerships between a broad array of training and supportive service providers, community-based organizations, labor-management partnerships, government agencies, and employers operating across Washington state. AMSP brings together partners that individually work closely and frequently with industry and educational partners—including the AWB Institute and Center of Excellence for Marine Manufacturing and Technology—to ensure training and apprenticeship curriculum and instruction are meeting the standards and needs of aerospace and manufacturing employers.

JumpStart King County is a program under King County Green Jobs that will develop a diverse, skilled workforce in the Clean Technology & Energy Sector. JumpStart’s training component strategy leverages traditional training programs and skills for applicable technology in the clean energy industry, specifically heat pumps and solar. Participants will complete each training component to make them the most marketable candidates for roles essential to clean energy deployment.

Manufacturing WORKS Pierce aims to strengthen the manufacturing workforce and is a partnership with economic development partners, community training organizations, and employers that includes WorkForce Central’s Business Solutions, AJAC, Clover Park Technical College, and Bates Technical College. Manufacturing WORKS Pierce pathways will focus on building and training a talent pipeline and ensuring equitable access to good jobs within the manufacturing sector.

The Pierce-Spokane Construction WORKS partnership takes a dual approach to meeting the needs of the construction workforce in Pierce and Spokane Counties. WORKS maintains a focus on training pathways into good construction jobs and specializes in recruiting workers who, with navigation, coaching, and employer connection support, are ready to directly enter into an apprenticeship pathway and/or good construction job. This partnership is made up of over a dozen construction employers who share a common need – a steady and more resilient workforce.

The Washington Technology Workforce Coalition is led by Computing for All. The Coalition is composed of community, education, government, industry, and workforce partners with the common goal to cultivate a diverse, highly skilled technology workforce throughout Washington state as demonstrated by support from industry, education, community, and workforce partners. The Coalition will provide strategic guidance and support for the tech sector and tech roles, clarify industry demand, participate in the development and implementation of programs to holistically answer demand and realize job placements, and ensure opportunity and priority for underserved and underrepresented populations.

Success Stories & Progress Updates

Real People, Real Results

Our participants are the heart of the Washington Jobs Initiative. From career changers to recent graduates, from urban centers to rural communities, we’re helping Washington residents transform their lives through quality job opportunities.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training program

JumpStart Program

The Washington Jobs Initiative is funded through the Good Jobs Challenge, a program of the U.S. Economic Development Administration, in partnership with Career Connect Washington.