Our Partners

Introduction

In mid-September 2019, we announced the selection of our regional partners who will make Career Connect Washington happen. Business, education, and government leaders in nine regions teamed up to create over 29,000 career connected learning experiences. After a rigorous application process, a cohort of regional networks and intermediary organizations have been named to expand career-connected learning programs across Washington.

Regional networks, learning coordinators and intermediary organizations all play important roles in ensuring our young people have the opportunities they deserve to build the careers they want.

This work is coordinated by the Employment Security Department and Washington STEM and funded through federal WIOA dollars, JP Morgan Chase, and local private funds.

We are grateful to the many organizations who have contributed time and insight to this work. Labor leaders and the Business and Philanthropy Leadership group are also listed below.

For information on grantees, read the Governor’s announcement and for contact information for individual projects or any other information, contact Anna Nikolaeva at the Employment Security Department or Gilda Wheeler at Washington STEM.

Regional Networks and CCL Coordinators

Click on the image above for a PDF of this map with links to the regional contacts.

Regional Networks

Regional Networks are the key to scaling career connected learning statewide and will play an integral role in convening and managing regional, cross-industry partnerships that will lead to expansion of opportunities for Washington youth.

Each Network also has a Career Connected Learning Coordinator, who is also listed. CCL Coordinators help regional networks work with the K-12 system.

In fall of 2019, the following organizations were named Career Connect Regional Networks.

Capital Region Educational Service District 113
Website
Counties: Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Grays Harbor and Pacific
Contact: Lorie Thompson, lthompson@esd113.org
CCL Coordinator: Pat Lange, plange@esd113.org

Greater Spokane Incorporated/Spokane STEM Network
Website
Counties: Adams, Ferry, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens and Whitman
Contact: Cassidy Peterson, cpeterson@greaterspokane.org
CCL Coordinator: Dennis Conger, NEWESD 101, dconger@esd101.net

Educational Service District 105 / South Central Washington STEM Network
Website
Counties: Kittitas, Yakima, Grant and Klickitat
Mark Cheney, mark.Cheney@esd105.org
CCL Coordinator: Hugo Moreno, ESD 105, Hugo.moreno@esd105.org

Educational Service District 112 / Southwest Washington STEM Network
Website
Counties: Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Pacific, Skamania and Wahkiakum
Contact and CCL Coordinator: Vickei Hrdina, vickei.hrdina@esd112.org

North Central ESD 171 / Apple STEM Network
Website
Counties: Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan
Contact and CCL Coordinator: Sue Kane, suek@ncesd.org

South Kitsap School District # 402 / West Sound STEM Network
Website
Counties: Kitsap, Jefferson and Clallam
Contact: Kareen Borders, borders@skschools.org
CCL Coordinator: Kimberly Hetrick, Olympic Region ESD 114, khetrick@oesd114.org

Washington Alliance for Better Schools
Website
Counties: King and Pierce
Contact: Phyllis Harvey-Buschel, phyllis@wabsalliance.org
CCL Coordinator: Walter Jackson, Puget Sound ESD 121, wjackson@psesd.org

Washington State STEM Education Foundation / Mid-Columbia STEM Network
Website
Counties: Walla Walla, Benton, Franklin, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin
Contact: Debra Bowen, deb@STEMlearning.org
CCL Coordinator: Greg Fancher, ESD 123, gfancher@esd123.org

Workforce Snohomish
Website
Counties: Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom
Contact: Joy Emory, joy.emory@workforcesnohomish.org
CCL Coordinator: Bre Urness-Straight, NW ESD 189, burnessstraight@nwesd.org

Intermediaries

Career Connect intermediaries bridge connections between industry and educators to create and scale Career Launch, Preparation, and Awareness/Exploration programs.

In the first round of applications, we received applications for twice as much grant funding as available. Applicants who were not selected in Round 1 were able to revise and re-submit their proposals in future rounds.

The following organizations have been named Intermediaries in Round 1:

Apprenticeship for Nontraditional Employment for Women (ANEW) / Regional Pre-apprenticeship Collaborative (RPAC)
Website
Contact: Karen Dove, karen@anewaop.org

The Training Fund (SEIU Healthcare 1199NW)
Website
Contact: Laura Hopkins, lhopkins@healthcareerfund.org

Washington Alliance for Better Schools (WABS)
Website
Contact: Shereen Henry, shereen@wabsalliance.org

Independent Technicians Automotive Committee (ITAC)
Website
Contact: Wayne Bridges, asanw.itacapprenticeship@gmail.com

Computing for All
Website
Contact: Ritu Bahl, ritu@computingforall.org

Olympic Educational Service District 114
Website
Contact: Jeff Allen, jallen@oesd114.org

South Central Workforce Council
Website
Contact: Amy Martinez, amy.martinez@co.yakima.wa.us

SkillSource / North Central Workforce Development Council
Website
Contact: Aaron Parrott, aaronp@skillsource.org

Spokane Workforce Council
Website
Contact: Dawn Karber, dkarber@spokaneworkforce.org

Workforce Southwest
Website
Contact: Benton Waterous, bwaterous@workforcesw.org

The following organizations have been named Intermediaries in Round 2:

Elements of Education Partners
Website
Contact: Elizabeth Hirschl, liz@elementsofed.org

Washington Commission on Hispanic Affairs
Website
Contact: Maria Siguenza, Maria.siguenza@cha.wa.gov

Washington State University – Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
Website
Contact: Jessica Gerdes, jessica.l.gerdes@wsu.edu

Wenatchee Valley College
Website
Contact: Jennifer Hadersberger, jhadersberger@wvc.edu

The following organizations have been named Intermediaries in Round 3:

Computing for All

Website: https://www.computingforall.org/
Contact: ritu@computingforall.org

Independent Automotive Technicians Apprenticeship Committee

Website: https://www.asanorthwest.com/itac-program-information/
Contact: wayne.bridges.auto@gmail.com

Seattle Colleges

Website: https://www.seattlecolleges.edu/
Contact: anna.baldwin@seattlecolleges.edu

Seattle Jobs Initiative

Website: https://www.seattlejobsinitiative.com/
Contact: agoldstein@seattlejobsinit.com

Shoreline Community College

Website: https://www.shoreline.edu/
Contact: ghamilton@shoreline.edu

Thurston County Chamber of Commerce Foundation

Website: http://thurstonchamber.com/
Contact: mfiess@thurstonchamber.com

Washington Alliance for Better Schools

Website: http://www.wabsalliance.org/
Contact: shereen@wabsalliance.org

The following organizations have been named Intermediaries in Round 4:

AJAC

Website: https://www.ajactraining.org/
Contact: CPierson@ajactraining.org

Northwest Maritime Center

Website: https://nwmaritime.org/
Contact: lisaw@nwmaritime.org

Whatcom Community College

Website: https://www.whatcom.edu/
Contact: twagner@whatcom.edu

WSU Spokane – Health Sciences

Website: https://spokane.wsu.edu/
Contact: katrina.rogers@wsu.edu

Partners

We are grateful for the leadership of all the organizations who have been, and continue to be, involved in this effort. Their commitment to Washington state young people is deeply appreciated.

AGC Biologics

Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC)

Alaska Airlines

Amazon

America Achieves

Associated General Contractors of Washington

Association of Washington Business

Avista

Ballmer Group

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Boeing

Columbia Hospitality