Possibilities to progress: How CCW is advancing career opportunities for all

At CCW, our mission is to ensure that all young adults in Washington have opportunities to succeed. As part of that mission, we’re committed to achieving equity in access, enrollment, and completion rates across our Career Explore, Prep, and Launch programs, reflecting the rich diversity of our state.

In this blog, we’ll dive into the strategies CCW is adopting to ensure that factors like race, income, geography, gender, and citizenship status no longer determine student outcomes in Washington.

How CCW is leveling the playing field in career connected learning

To achieve equitable access to career connected learning programs, it’s crucial that program builders can effectively serve diverse student populations. Over the past year, CCW implemented several tactics to strengthen equity across our system. These included: 

  • Integrating equity strategies into statewide, industry, and regional expansion plans to guide future Program Builder funding and offering technical assistance to address data and access gaps.
  • Assisting Washington Job Initiative (WJI) partners with equitable employer engagement through assessments, the PEAR framework, and targeted recruitment and retention strategies.
  • Collaborating with consultant Erin Jones to identify barriers for BIPOC-led organizations accessing CCW and public funding.
  • Partnering with Washington STEM to survey high school students on career connected learning, using insights to refine program design and align opportunities with student goals.

Our coalition works at the community, regional, and state levels to offer extensive support and resources, break down barriers, and ensure the success of all Washington youth and young adults.

CCW’s sector-driven strategy for career connected learning

In 2022, CCW added Sector Leaders in 10 high-demand sectors to our network to create sector-specific strategies to grow career connected learning and address sector-specific workforce needs. This year, leaders updated those strategies and made recommendations. Common themes revealed across sectors included:

  • Expanding existing high-quality programs
  • Increasing student awareness of sector jobs
  • Developing soft skills in students and young people
  • Improving educator professional development to ensure long-term program success
  • Addressing sector-specific equity barriers
  • Increasing cross-sector career programs
  • Continuing to engage existing and new employers

Program builders can use these strategies as a guide for shaping their programs. Meanwhile, CCW will use them to set priorities and investments and Sector Leaders will use them to focus on their most critical needs. This coordinated approach aligns CCW partners, creates new career readiness opportunities, and helps training programs quickly adapt to industry changes.

A new partnership is reshaping finance career pathways

The Washington Bankers Association (WBA) is taking on an innovative leadership role by offering free banking and career preparation training programs to Washington’s young people. 

WBA will now administer BankWork$, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit training program endorsed by Washington’s banking industry nearly a decade ago. Currently available to high school graduates in Puget Sound and Spokane, WBA plans to expand the program statewide by seeking Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway approval from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

This expansion will ensure students receive high-quality, relevant training, and employers have access to diverse and sustainable talent pools. It will also increase access to finance careers, provide resources for the local banking community and program participants, and support CCW’s mission to create skill-building opportunities and address workforce needs.

Round 13 Program Builder Funding: Now accepting applications

Since 2019, CCW has offered funding to program builders to create new or expand existing career connected learning programs in Washington. These funds can help program builders forge relationships with employers and educational institutions, develop curricula, and seed new or expanded programs to benefit students. 

Based on feedback from partners and past fund recipients, we’ve redesigned the application process to be more equitable, predictable, and responsive. The new process features a shorter application and a multi-phase approach with Regional Networks and Sector Leaders providing expertise.

Additionally, a new “Convenience Pool” allows accepted applications to stay active for up to two years, eliminating the need to resubmit. Employment Security Department (ESD) and CCW partners will provide technical assistance, networking, and ongoing support, allowing for proposal improvements. When new funds become available, programs in the Pool may be selected for consideration, and some applicants might be invited to present to the Selection Committee. Apply now

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Advancing equity, together

By collaborating with partners like you, we are building pathways to create and support more equitable workforce training programs across the state.