The CCNW is led by workforce and education to enhance and promote Career Connected Learning in the five-county region.

The following key organizations are represented in the Advisory Board and Coordinating Team:

• Economic Alliance Snohomish County (EASC)
• Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NWESD)
• Northwest Workforce Council
• Snohomish STEM Network
• Workforce Snohomish

CCNW Regional Leadership/Coordinating Team:

• Jenny Veltri, CCNW Co-Director and STEM/Career Connected Learning Director, NWESD
• Sinead Fitzpatrick Plagge, CCNW Co-Director and STEM/Career Connected Learning Administrator, NWESD
• Alyssa Jackson, CCNW Co-Director and Snohomish STEM Network Director, EASC
• Mary Powers, Career Connected Learning Specialist, NWESD
• Donovan Tate, Career Connected Learning Specialist, NWESD
• Megan Benzing, Career Connected Learning Specialist, EASC

The Career Connect Washington Framework provides students introductory information about career options and opportunities hands-on experiences in various fields. Students then have access to focused training and intense preparation to ensure they have essential skills in the workplace. This framework includes three types of programming: Career Explore, Career Prep, and Career Launch. Explore the Career Explore, Career Prep, and Career Launch programs in the statewide directory.

CCW Grant & Funding Opportunities

Round 13 of CCW Program Builders Selected

We’re excited to announce the results from the 13th round of Career Connect Washington Program Builders. Program Builders demonstrate a clear connection between industry and educators to create and scale Career Launch, Registered Apprenticeship, Career Prep, Recognized Pre-Apprenticeship, and Career Explore programs. Thank you to all applicants for your submissions and the time, effort, and collaboration put into the development of application materials.

As a reminder, Round 13 is Career Connect Washington’s first round of identifying applicants as apparent successful bidders (ASBs) to move into the convenience pool to await the opportunity for funding. As funding becomes available, these ASBs will be offered the opportunity to interview with our selection committee members and, pending selection committee review and approval, become eligible for available funding.

We extend our congratulations to all applicants who have moved into the convenience pool in Round 13, especially these working in the NW Region:

Career Launch

• Edmonds College
• SEIU Healthcare 1199NW Multi-Employer Training and Education Fund

Career Prep

• Northwest Education Service District 189: Educator preparation
• Bellingham Bay Community Boating Center
• Foundation for Academic Endeavors
• Mukilteo School District
• Sierra Pacific Industries

Career Explore

• Western Washington University
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County
• Sound Experience
• Children of the Valley
• Bellingham Bay Community Boating Center
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County

Again, congratulations to those applicants advancing to the convenience pool. We look forward to continuing our work with you to build career connected learning programs for Northwest Washington students.

To receive updates on future rounds of funding and important Career Connect Washington announcements, all are welcome to sign up here.

Apprenticeship Building America (ABA) Round 3 Grantees Selected

We would like to extend our congratulations to the CCW Apprenticeship Building America Round 3 grantees.

Over the past year, Career Connect Washington partners worked side-by-side to cultivate new opportunities to scale Registered Apprenticeships and Recognized Pre-apprenticeships. The Washington State Labor Council, Department of Labor and Industries, and CCW Regional Networks hosted apprenticeship events across the state, bringing workforce partners together around common goals. Sector Leaders and Career Connected Learning Coordinators engaged industry and education leaders in every region and high-priority industry sector.

The results have been profound. Round 3 saw 19 total applications, a new high-water mark. Of those, 12 high-quality proposals have been selected, which will build and scale 7 Recognized Pre-apprenticeships and 5 Registered Apprenticeships. Some projects are led by established CCW partners who are expanding their high-impact programs. Others are led by new members of our coalition who share our commitment to equitably scaling Washington’s nationally recognized apprenticeship system.

As a CCW partner, ESD has now committed $3.7 million of Apprenticeship Building America funds to build and scale 23 Registered Apprenticeships and 16 Recognized Pre-apprenticeships. Across all CCW program development rounds to date, career connected learning grants have supported more than 40 Registered Apprenticeships and more than 20 Recognized Pre-apprenticeships.

An apprenticeship starts with a job. And through our collective action, we are making pathways to good jobs a reality for more and more students here in Washington. Thank you all for your significant contributions to this work and congratulations to our Round 3 grantees. 

CCW Apprenticeship Building America Round 3 Grantees

• Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Employment for Women (ANEW)
  • Expanding Pre-Apprenticeship for Construction Trades | Construction Sector
• Boys & Girls Clubs of King County (BGCKC)
  • New Pre-Apprenticeship for Construction Trades | Construction Sector
• Mukilteo School District
  • New Pre-Apprenticeship for Platform Security | IT & Cybersecurity Sector
• Merle Palmer Minority Scholarship Foundation (Palmer Scholars)
  • Expanding Pre-Registered for Construction Trades | Construction Sector
• The Silent Task Force
  • Expanding Pre-Apprenticeship for Construction Trades | Construction Sector
• Vancouver Public Schools
  • New Pre-Apprenticeship for Construction Trades| Cybersecurity & IT Sector
• Whatcom Working Waterfront
  • New Pre-Apprenticeship for Maritime | Maritime Sector
• Bellevue College
  • Enhancing and New Registered Apprenticeship for IT & Cybersecurity | IT & Cybersecurity Sector
• International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 502
  • Expanding Registered Apprenticeship for Boilermaker/Industrial Rigging | Construction Sector
• Walla Walla School District #140
  • New Registered Apprenticeship for Production Technician | Advanced Manufacturing Sector
• Washington Cement Masons Apprenticeship Committee
  • Expanding Registered Apprenticeship for Masons & Plasterers | Construction Sector
• Whatcom Working Waterfront Foundation (WWFF)
  • Expanding Registered Apprenticeship for Maritime | Maritime Sector

Congratulations to all and we look forward to continuing our work with you to build career connected learning programs for Washington students.

Round 12 of CCW Program Builders Selected

We are excited to announce the twelfth round of Career Connect Washington Program Builders, who bridge the connection between industry and educators to create and scale Career Launch, Registered Apprenticeship, Career Prep, Recognized Pre-Apprenticeship, and Career Explore programs. Thank you to all applicants for their submissions and the hard work they put forward to develop application materials.

We want to first congratulate the applicants in our NW region who were selected:

• Skagit Legal Aid – New Career Launch in Language Interpreter (Skagit)
• Whatcom Community College – New Career Launch in Healthcare (Whatcom, Skagit, Island, Snohomish)

Congratulations also to these additional statewide awardees:

• Washington State University – New Career Launch in Healthcare (Stevens)
• Puget Sound Educational School District – New Career Launch in Education (King)
• Walla Walla Public Schools – New Career Launch in Construction (Walla Walla)
• Northwest Maritime Center – New Career Launch in Maritime (King)
• Thriving Together NCW – New Career Launch in Behavioral Health (Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Okanogan, Adams)
• Vancouver Public Schools – New Career Launch in Maritime (Clark)
• Vann Studio Salon – New Career Launch in Cosmetology (King, Pierce)

We look forward to continuing our work with you to build career connected learning programs for Washington students.

To receive updates on future funding rounds and important Career Connect Washington announcements, all are welcome to sign up here.

Apprenticeship Building America (ABA) Round 2 Grantees Selected

We would like to extend our congratulations to the applicants who were selected:

• Pacific Northwest Ironworkers – New Pre-Registered for Metal Trades | Construction Sector
• Pre-Employment Preparation Program (PEPP) – Expanding Pre-Apprenticeship for Construction Trades | Construction Sector
• Skillspire – New Pre-Apprenticeship for Platform Security | Cybersecurity & IT Sector

For additional information on the selection process, please review the ABA Round 2 Executive Summary: Apprenticeship Building America Round 2

To receive updates on future funding rounds and important Career Connect Washington announcements, all are welcome to sign up HERE.

Career Connect Washington Past Northwest Region Program Builder Awardees include the following:

• AGC Education Foundation – Career Prep in Construction (Statewide)
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County – Career Explore in Advanced Manufacturing, Energy, and Healthcare
• Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County – Career Explore in healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing (Snohomish)
• Coding for All – Career Explore in information technology (Snohomish)
• Computing for All – Career Launch Cloud Computing
• Eat on the Wild Side – Career Launch in maritime (Statewide)
• Edmonds College – Career Launch in healthcare (Snohomish)
• Foundation for Academic Endeavors – Career Prep in Education
• HopeWorks Social Enterprises – Career Launch in Education (Snohomish)
• Mukilteo School District (Sno-Isle Tech) – Career Prep in Aerospace/Advanced Manufacturing/Health Sciences/Information Technology/Human Services (Snohomish)
• Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association – Career Launch Restoration and Education Certificate Pathways (Whatcom)
• Nooksack Valley School District – Career Explore in advanced multiple industries (Whatcom)
• Northwest Alliance for College Access/FuturesNW – Career Explore in Advanced Manufacturing/Healthcare/Construction
• Pacific Education Institute – Career Prep in Natural Resources
• Pacific Shellfish Institute – Enhancing Career Explore in Aquaculture
• San Juan Islands Conservation District – Career Launch Restoration Ecology
• Skagit Valley College – Career Launch Manufacturing Technology
• Sustainable Connections/Cloud Mountain Farm Center – Career Explore in Agriculture (Whatcom/Skagit)
• Vamos Outdoor Project – Career Launch Education and Social Services
• Washington State University – Career Explore in Data Science
• Western Washington University – Career Launch Sustainability
• Western Washington University – Career Prep in Green Economy
• Whatcom Community College – Career Launch Behavioral Health
• Whatcom Working Waterfront – Career Launch Registered Apprenticeship in Maritime

Career Connect NW hosted at the NWESD 189 serves 35 school districts, which includes 440+ schools and 165K students in Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties. One of our main goals is to create programs that make it easier for businesses and schools to connect. By facilitating strong partnerships between our schools and businesses, we can help students explore different career pathways and increase their readiness to enter high wage, high demand careers in our communities.

Our work is data-informed and strategically focused on building equitable student access, increasing system capacity, and positive outcomes for students.