How to use messages and talking points about the CCW network and career connected learning
As a CCW partner, you are part of a coordinated statewide effort to support Washington’s young people as they pursue college and careers.
Different people and organizations talk about career connected learning in different ways, which can sometimes confuse young people and their supporters as they grapple with new terminology and assess career and education opportunities. CCW was created to reduce barriers for young people to access opportunity, and we’ve found that speaking with a common voice as a coordinated network can help achieve that goal.
You know your local audiences and their needs best; CCW’s role is to support ongoing outreach with shared language that you can use to craft communications. Keep in mind that messages are not intended to be used verbatim in every situation, but to act as a guiding template for important, values-based information to consistently include in your communications.
Tips on Using Messages
- Build up from key messages: messaging is a foundation to build writing, content, and talking points from.
- Be concrete: messaging does not capture all aspects of your career connected learning work or all benefits, nor is it intended to ‘stand alone.’ Add specific examples, like a participant testimonial, and concrete details, like partners you work with, to illustrate the key benefits. You will add sub-messages, examples, facts, and supporting points in most communications you create.
- Listen to your audience: There may be additional benefits that you know resonate with specific audiences but remember to focus on the benefits they care about in relation to career connected learning opportunities.
- Allow audiences to have questions: Thorough communication is beneficial but ensure you don’t give audiences more information than they can hear at one time. Messages help guide what’s critical to include when space or time is limited.
- Repeat, repeat, repeat: If there’s one top benefit of messaging, it’s ensuring that audiences hear the same values and benefits over and over.
Download messaging resources:
How to use messages and talking points about the CCW network and career connected learning
As a CCW partner, you are part of a coordinated statewide effort to support Washington’s young people as they pursue college and careers.
Different people and organizations talk about career connected learning in different ways, which can sometimes confuse young people and their supporters as they grapple with new terminology and assess career and education opportunities. CCW was created to reduce barriers for young people to access opportunity, and we’ve found that speaking with a common voice as a coordinated network can help achieve that goal.
You know your local audiences and their needs best; CCW’s role is to support ongoing outreach with shared language that you can use to craft communications. Keep in mind that messages are not intended to be used verbatim in every situation, but to act as a guiding template for important, values-based information to consistently include in your communications.
Tips on Using Messages
- Build up from key messages: messaging is a foundation to build writing, content, and talking points from.
- Be concrete: messaging does not capture all aspects of your career connected learning work or all benefits, nor is it intended to ‘stand alone.’ Add specific examples, like a participant testimonial, and concrete details, like partners you work with, to illustrate the key benefits. You will add sub-messages, examples, facts, and supporting points in most communications you create.
- Listen to your audience: There may be additional benefits that you know resonate with specific audiences but remember to focus on the benefits they care about in relation to career connected learning opportunities.
- Allow audiences to have questions: Thorough communication is beneficial but ensure you don’t give audiences more information than they can hear at one time. Messages help guide what’s critical to include when space or time is limited.
- Repeat, repeat, repeat: If there’s one top benefit of messaging, it’s ensuring that audiences hear the same values and benefits over and over.
Download messaging resources: