[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6120850,"mediaKeyId","2705962-c7d62d694bb1685a23d1fff4e77d86cb","parentId",2705962,"title","CareerConnect Washington grants support business-education partnerships; Fred Hutch’s Lab Launch cited as model","audioSeconds",982,"startMs",74000,"endMs",1056000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2705962-c7d62d694bb1685a23d1fff4e77d86cb&start=74&end=1056","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2705962-c7d62d694bb1685a23d1fff4e77d86cb/thumbnail_74000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6120850/Washington/CareerConnect-Washington-grants-support-business-education-partnerships-Fred-Hutchs-Lab-Launch-cited-as-model","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6120850-b83b8979dcf7d2721a3454b1e4cd08bf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770522158&Signature=heBoRjayk1DKB6AKrBnwJaJejFxZ7k4xQr5kQZ~k35vIYKcUjiV3551PudoZ91w3kwuLTIegR79jVRivWMOuV4uSA7c7UeiHb0iHQblg~3R~b2RjQOhnfRFls5UH4dt2JZAVZlHZTtYUZtLaKuJiVPscZelUcORGdaGbNLlB4FEp~N0L36eWDAxIiRyj7NgXxvma95SbB0fN35t0u5b8JabMDrIUdAXNNcYfabVGAJL42fOwNK6iIk5laXB45BrO2znQbyGYRQvJhebOGFy~XbgZcrhYq73HIsdCvoLcgKOi0KJeapntPUilLay9S7tSMUwDSJME~Z06NzYh2Cc8kA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Postsecondary Education & Workforce","date","2025-03-19T00:00:00Z","article","Andrew Clemens, CareerConnect Washington manager at the Washington Employment Security Department, told the Postsecondary Education & Workforce Committee on March 19 that the state’s CareerConnect Washington (CCW) competitive grant program aims to expand work‑based learning and align education with employer needs. \"Eighty‑six percent of high school students in Washington aspire to pursue education and training after they graduate, and... only 40 percent of our high school students complete a post secondary degree by the time they're 26,\" Clemens said, adding that the legislature created the Career Connected Learning Grant Program in 2019 to close that gap.

The Employment Security Department has used CCW funding to create nine competitively selected regional networks, 10 industry sector leaders and to issue 174 program builder grants that have grown or expanded about 205 programs across the state. Clemens estimated those investments served about 26,665 students over the last five years and said the department currently has about 40 percent of the resources needed to fund approved high‑priority programs in the next biennium. He described CCW’s approach as a public‑private shared leadership model that pairs state agencies with intermediaries such as the Washington Roundtable and Washington STEM.

Mary Grace Katasime of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center described how a 2022 CCW program builder grant enabled a partnership with the Washington Alliance for Better Schools, Shoreline Community College and Shoreline School District to create Lab Launch, an accelerated lab technician pathway. \"Lab Launch is now career launch endorsed by the Washington State Board and is designed to help students integrate their academic learning in biotechnology and biomanufacturing with a paid internship experience at Fred Hutch over the period of two years,\" Katasime said. The program combines running start dual‑credit, a six‑week paid summer internship at Fred Hutch, a year of college coursework, an accelerated lab tech certificate, a digital badge and a guaranteed job interview at Fred Hutch.

Fadouma Yousef, a Lab Launch participant, told the committee the program provided hands‑on technical courses and mentorship that influenced her postsecondary plans. \"Without the Lab Launch program, I wouldn't have had the exposure to these labs, the work they do, or the mentorship that has helped shape my career path,\" she said.

John Bonner of the Washington Alliance for Better Schools and Mark Cummings, president and CEO of Life Science Washington, credited CCW funding with convening partners, aligning curriculum and helping employers and colleges overcome administrative barriers to scale programs. Cummings said the sector‑lead role helped replicate Shoreline’s biomanufacturing curriculum in Spokane to meet major employer demand.

Committee members asked how CCW coordinates with other agencies and how grantees are evaluated. Clemens said CCW operates with a statutory cross‑agency work group and that each CCW program has an assigned ESD grant manager for technical assistance and on‑site monitoring. He characterized CCW funds as startup or program‑builder dollars intended to create capacity; programs that become career‑launch endorsed can then pursue additional, longer‑term funding from agencies such as the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), OSPI and the Student Achievement Council.

Why it matters: The CCW competitive model channels state startup funds to locally designed, employer‑informed pathways and, in the Fred Hutch example, produced a short credential plus employer interview that program leaders say increases students’ immediate employment prospects and connects local employers to trained entry‑level staff.

Ending: Committee members asked for follow‑up on performance metrics and long‑term funding paths for endorsed programs. ESD representatives said they would provide additional details about evaluation metrics and interagency funding options after the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Postsecondary Education & Workforce - 3/19/2025 1:30 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Andrew Clemens, CareerConnect Washington manager at the Washington Employment Security Department, told the committee that CareerConnect Washington grants fund regional networks, industry sector leads and competitive program builder grants to expand work‑based learning and close a postsecondary attainment gap.","taxTitle","Postsecondary Education & Workforce, House of Representatives, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20275,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6120834,"State worker retraining program serves dislocated and vulnerable workers; colleges report strong employment outcomes",935,4031000,4966000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2705962-c7d62d694bb1685a23d1fff4e77d86cb&start=4031&end=4966","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2705962-c7d62d694bb1685a23d1fff4e77d86cb/thumbnail_4031000.jpg","/articles/6120834/Washington/State-worker-retraining-program-serves-dislocated-and-vulnerable-workers-colleges-report-strong-employment-outcomes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6120834-15226991de507c5b66621943bab5bae7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770522158&Signature=l8mxru5aiX~fvdjYhvMvNFIxOKUD1uLGOmkPRA77PCax3WwghygdCspTrgmflUH6TOQ3sbYP86FzWVIaLgxZkG3c0A0KJgEyPrXLyBmz4SbF6JHM~4UaJ~prmLFOAp5eLJ0g8~H5cVrmdAjnsXYHP9PwpPGzkckq1rBLaGZ9fWk-~lo-eS9~94B0HRMcNoMV1MXCTy2GRemxIvGxMhnfAtYmjv-G4GlDa0mBE6EhtJSYCKu~yOqoe5WBTCWyZZ8rBy412uC3MyxDTxpd~qAOSM4nVb6uxjqiJAx5smX~DivCkobtXQ680K6cJKQ8lKPYEOMdYv1MJlyMmG1Mq20d~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Anna Olson, policy associate at the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, described the Worker Retraining Program to the committee as a 30‑year program that provides financial aid, advising and training aligned with local industry needs through all 34 community and technical colleges. \"The funding for the Worker Retraining Program... supports students directly with financial aid and direct support services, and it also supports workforce training programs that are aligned with local industry needs,\" Olson said.

Olson said the program supports both instructional programs at colleges and direct student services at private career schools (through competitive contracting), and that eligibility categories include dislocated workers, vulnerable employees, veterans separating from military service and a few other groups. She said dislocated workers have policy preference and that service distribution shifts when unemployment rises.

Travis Delaney, associate director for policy research at the State Board, reviewed demographics and outcomes. He said about two‑thirds of worker retraining participants are over age 30, with a median age of 35, and that the majority of the program’s participants are female. Delaney said the largest group of credentials are in health professions, and that roughly two‑thirds of an exiting cohort left with a credential. \"About 73 percent of students who exit the program were in a job two quarters after their exit, and 91 percent of those students who got that job kept that job for another two quarters,\" Delaney said.

Olson and Delaney showed that program enrollment spikes tracked state unemployment trends (peaking near 20,000 students during the Great Recession and falling to just under 8,400 students in 2023), and that current enrollments are up roughly 16 percent year‑over‑year in the most recent academic year. They also said local colleges reexamine eligible program mixes annually with employer and labor advisory committees.

Committee members asked about how worker retraining coordinates with other workforce actors. Olson said coordination is handled largely at the college level and through the legislatively mandated advisory committees (which include business, labor and local workforce development councils) and that the program is closely coordinated with ESD’s Training Benefits program and other funding streams.

Why it matters: Worker retraining provides an established, state‑administered route for dislocated and at‑risk incumbent workers to regain employment or upgrade skills, and the State Board’s outcome figures show substantial short‑term job placement and retention for participants.

Ending: Presenters encouraged committee members to contact the State Board for additional data; they noted the program’s role in responding to rising unemployment and the workforce needs of local employers.","The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges told the committee that the Worker Retraining Program supports dislocated and vulnerable workers through financial aid, training and advising across the state’s 34 community and technical colleges.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6120840,"Career Bridge portal to relaunch with mobile‑friendly design, new tools and enhanced outcomes data",684,3146000,3830000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2705962-c7d62d694bb1685a23d1fff4e77d86cb&start=3146&end=3830","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2705962-c7d62d694bb1685a23d1fff4e77d86cb/thumbnail_3146000.jpg","/articles/6120840/Washington/Career-Bridge-portal-to-relaunch-with-mobilefriendly-design-new-tools-and-enhanced-outcomes-data","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6120840-537990aab60a5943c7c77b801744dc13/orig.mp4?Expires=1770522158&Signature=YRKG0ukZaQiiZ3FLz-tqlGGftu-pJIrNnBZG4B-bGvOcnTX2EoGVC4KtqnPH2ABg8wI2EO7CmR1-Doa9~p0ItW84izAwmnqrP8tMNtmQFxqqVcRwKwdaXRIX6~wyvnpwXuKbwaqA6-Ng6BfJcbcW59Hs9EBrfzqkJX48BVVU2dwU2yGxiRUYYJvJkYXc4AxxqCahe1Ix~b5IQQWHsEB~B2ZO5osC8CxF220aJTJB6NLzwaeYKrOZStXnM0Z8fRP01tTzKrWD11d6fGmhCe7uCCWK1IdWjmEkIU--cWmmfFGGxpUJwtKRgNSXm9lwbrPrd2G2MBKKOOiAWBMJrRNKHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Marina Parr of the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board previewed a modernized Career Bridge portal to the committee, saying the site will relaunch in June with a mobile friendly design and several new tools for job seekers, students and counselors. \"Career Bridge launched in 02/2009... we have 6,500 Washington post secondary programs on Career Bridge,\" Parr said, noting the public portal currently aggregates registered apprenticeships, community and technical college programs, private career school programs and four‑year institution programs.

Parr said Career Bridge has provided transparent completion, employment and earnings outcomes for postsecondary programs and has averaged about 6 million annual page views. The modernization will add a digital portfolio for saved searches, a shorter and longer version of a career‑interest quiz and a redesigned, mobile‑first user interface.

Parr also previewed work to link occupational data to program outcomes. She said Employment Security is collecting employer occupational data and that Washington was among the first states to require employers to provide job title information. That work will enable Career Bridge to report whether program completers worked in the occupations they trained for, the presenter said.

The Workforce Training Board is also testing a prototype conversational AI tool with Campus Evolve and the College Success Foundation to help students navigate program choices; Parr said the prototype will be piloted with a small group of students.

Why it matters: Career Bridge is the state's central public portal for comparing postsecondary programs and seeing program‑level employment outcomes; the modernization aims to make the tool far more user friendly for students, incumbent workers and counselors and to increase transparency about program‑to‑occupation outcomes.

Ending: Parr said the board appreciates legislative funding for the modernization and expects usage to rise once the site is relaunched in June.","The Washington state Career Bridge career and education portal will relaunch in June with a mobile friendly interface, a digital portfolio, an improved career quiz and prototype AI features; the portal lists about 6,500 postsecondary programs and has shown employment and earnings outcomes for thousands of programs since 2009.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6120845,"Regional H2P collaborations use student voice, data and partners to smooth high school-to-postsecondary transitions",1545,1569000,3114000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2705962-c7d62d694bb1685a23d1fff4e77d86cb&start=1569&end=3114","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2705962-c7d62d694bb1685a23d1fff4e77d86cb/thumbnail_1569000.jpg","/articles/6120845/Washington/Regional-H2P-collaborations-use-student-voice-data-and-partners-to-smooth-high-school-to-postsecondary-transitions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6120845-dae9b83cbcda1cf99a10d9eafabeab79/orig.mp4?Expires=1770522158&Signature=TAB3UrmPRAgjGPI-saQvQROu7sDB1LVq-N4dXyjvjGOPX4a-9XVsZKiUiVv3h5~d2mL6Q-BYzJSaZlLpZq0vgn6irpD1C0NRQ1SynaIC7BYKSLsEzLLVGxr182-0WEA5uiX8jO4362EMX7BUSFtwgMawhMMjJe3sZQ01tor5zktWUhXexH3P1y7fuVatp~-quahcx7ajYZjVd0sXYauY4p5QhTjC2WK5xzNy7JzmnRyrsD8OoOc-irz-hxVo-4CbF595HhMCNeZ8G4nbfiwW0ebfRDSxPyMxuCg6YXNghhGh1ar92J11lIgCAL7D5lZ~zA333pKJhoMoTfyPbB3NJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tana Peterman, senior program officer at Washington STEM, told the committee that nearly 90 percent of Washington students aspire to postsecondary education but only about 40 percent are projected to complete a program by age 26. Peterman said Washington STEM’s High School to Postsecondary (H2P) collaborative helps districts use student‑centered data to align K‑12, postsecondary and workforce supports.

Peterman said H2P has worked with about 40 schools in 33 districts to survey students about aspirations, supports and barriers, then to convene regional teams that include K‑12, colleges and community partners. \"We hold each other accountable for different parts of this data driven process,\" she said.

Alma Castillo, career readiness coordinator at Educational Service District 105, described a regional H2P variant she called H2P2 that serves 25 districts across south central Washington. Castillo said regional partners convene regularly, integrate state and local data sources and center student voice through listening sessions and panels. She gave a concrete local action that followed student input: when Yakima students reported insufficient transit options to reach central campus classes, the convening funded an additional bus route with the city.

Susan Rose, assistant principal at Quincy High School, described how her school uses student qualitative data (personal statements and focus groups) and a compact “Student Story AI” tool to do large‑scale thematic analysis of student voice. Rose said Quincy has used H2P data sharing to reduce pre‑college course taking and expand dual credit and career programming aligned to local labor markets. In response to a committee question about demographics, Rose said Quincy is “about 86, 87 percent” Hispanic and that a large majority of students qualify for free or reduced price meals.

Sinead Fitzpatrick Palagi of Northwest ESD 189 discussed mapping K‑12 courses, dual‑credit articulations and postsecondary pathways in computer science and IT to identify gaps in cybersecurity and data science offerings. She said ESD 189 is building communities of practice and working with community colleges to improve transferability and equitable access.

Why it matters: The collaborative model anchors planning in student‑reported barriers and regional data, producing targeted local interventions (transportation, dual credit, advisory curriculum) and connecting school‑level practice to postsecondary partners and employers.

Ending: Presenters said the H2P model is designed to be replicable and that regions can convene similar cross‑sector teams to reduce equity gaps and create clearer postsecondary pathways.","Washington STEM and regional educational service districts described a High School to Postsecondary (H2P) collaborative that supports 40 schools in 33 districts, facilitates student listening, data sharing and local interventions (for example expanding a bus route in Yakima) to improve enrollment, retention and completion.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

CareerConnect Washington grants support business-education partnerships; Fred Hutch’s Lab Launch cited as model

State worker retraining program serves dislocated and vulnerable workers; colleges report strong employment outcomes

Career Bridge portal to relaunch with mobile‑friendly design, new tools and enhanced outcomes data

Regional H2P collaborations use student voice, data and partners to smooth high school-to-postsecondary transitions