Career Connected Learning

Career Connect Washington Northwest Region hosted at the NWESD189 serves 35 school districts, which includes 440+ schools and 165K students in Skagit, Whatcom, Snohomish, San Juan, and Island 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.

Connecting Students and Employers

For School Districts

Services Available!

Request a Service

Request an Industry Guest Speaker

Go on a Field Trip – Worksite Tour

Request a Career-Related Workshop:

Best Resume Ever

Best Job Search Ever

Best Internship Ever

Best Job Interview Ever

For Employers

Get Involved!

Be a Guest Speaker at a High School

Host a Field Trip/Tour at Your Worksite

Host a Summer Intern

Volunteer with STEM Like Me!®or a similar program (Structured Middle School Activity)

Be a Guest Speaker at an Elementary School

For Community Partners

Let's Meet!

MEETING REQUEST

Let’s meet so we can:

Maximize Our Resources

Partner on Career-Related Events

Collaborate Across the Region

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events, Worksite Tours, & Industry Guest Speakers:

04/09/2024: STEM Like ME! Meridian Middle School, 7th & 8th grades.

04/17/2024: Healthcare Careers with Midwife Kelly, Cap Sante High School, 9th – 12th grades, AM classes.

04/26/2024: Build Your Confidence: Resume & Interview Tips, Lynden High School.

05/07/2024: Concrete High School – Career Exploration Day!

05/24/2024: Maritime Careers with the Northwest Maritime Apprenticeship Program, Cap Sante High School, 9th – 12th grade, PM classes.

05/2024: Date to be Determined: STEM like ME! Marysville Pilchuck High School.

06/27/2024: Teaching & Learning in a Changing World – STEM Like ME! for Teachers – PD Opportunity – (Breakout Session), NWESD 189

11/21/2024: Nooksack Valley Middle School, STEM Like ME! Event.

Past Events List

Past Events:

02/07/2024: Learn to Love Your Resume Workshop. Cap Sante High School, 9th – 12th grade AM classes.

02/14/2024: “Find Your Match” Career Exploration Event, 9th Graders, Anacortes High School. Participating employers: PACCAR Training Center, La Conner Maritime, City of Anacortes Public Works, PeaceHealth, NWESD 189 Information Technologies – Charell Williams, Electrician Trades/Apprenticeships.

02/14/2024: Adulting 101 for High School Seniors, 12th Graders, Anacortes High School.

02/16/2024: Rocket Resume Workshop, 11th & 12th grades, Scriber High School (Edmonds School District).

02/21/2024: Medical Assisting and Healthcare Careers, Skagit Regional Health, Cap Sante High School (AM Class).

02/21/2024: 911 Dispatcher Careers, Skagit, 911, Cap Sante High School (PM Class).

02/21/2024: Maritime Careers with Captain Brian Vick. Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Island County, Coupeville Middle & High School DINO group.

02/22/2024: STEM Like ME! Marysville Getchell High School, Snohomish County.

02/2024: Date to be Determined: Marysville STEM Like ME! Event – Middle School

02/28/2024: Learn to Love Your Resume Workshop. Cap Sante High School, 9th – 12th grade PM classes.

02/29/2024: Presenting at STEM to Seed Community Launch Program – Outdoor STEM School, Educator Event.

03/2024: First week of March – STEM Like ME! Cedarcrest Middle School, Marysville, Snohomish County.

03/18/2024 – 03/20/2024: ECHO Healthcare Careers Tour: Snohomish County, specific schools.

03/20/2024: Women in STEM Careers with Gracie, Cap Sante High School, 9th – 12th grade, PM classes.

12/12/2023: Dress for Success, Career Workshop (collaboration with WWU Career Closet), Options High School.

12/13/2023: Emergency Medical Tech, Critical Transport Careers, NW Ambulance, Cap Sante High School.

11/21/2023: Learn to Love Your Resume Presentation, 11th Graders, Anacortes High School.

11/27/2023: Bellingham Technical College Presents, Corah Castellano, Anacortes High School – College Prep Class.

11/28/2023: First IMPRESSions, Career Workshop, Options High School.

11/29/2023: Orcas Island High School, Worksite “Marine Trades” Tour at Aspen Power Catamarans in Burlington.

12/4/2023: Skagit Valley College Presents, Anacortes High School – College Prep Class.

12/5/2023: Interviewing 101, Career Workshop, Options High School.

11/6/2023: Whatcom Community College, Nubia Robles Presents, Anacortes High School – College Prep Class.

11/7/2023: PACCAR Training Center Presents, Engineering, Ari Metzger, Anacortes High School – College Prep Class.

11/13/2023: Padilla Bay Interpretive Center, Marine Science Careers, Chandler Colahan, Women in STEM – Anacortes High School, College Prep Class.

11/14/2023: STEM Like ME!®, Centennial Middle School 7th Grade Class. (Employers & Organizations: Zap Energy, NW Ambulance, Sno-Isle Skills Center, Snohomish County Public Works, Harmsen, LLC.

11/15/2023: IT & Cybersecurity, Skagit Regional Health, Cap Sante High School.

10/17/2023: Process Engineer, Marathon Petroleum Corp, Victoria Henry, Women in STEM, Anacortes High School – College Prep Class.

10/18/2023: Career Theories Workshop, Cap Sante High School – 10, 11, 12th grades

10/19/2023: ZAP Energy, Women in Engineering, Guest Speaker Training Session.

10/23/2023 – 10/26/2023: Washington Apprenticeship Vocational Education (WAVE) Tour at NWCI in Burlington. Hands-on career exploration for high schoolers with different union-based trades. By invitation only; RSVP required. 400 students attended from 5 counties in NW region.

08/09/23: Workforce Wednesdays, Boys & Girls Clubs Worksite Tour – Northwest Carpenter’s Institute in Burlington to learn about building trades careers.

08/16/23: Workforce Wednesdays, Boys & Girls Clubs Worksite Tour, “Healthcare Careers hosted by Whatcom Community College”

07/26/23 & 08/25/23: PeaceHealth’s Summer “Healthcare Job Shadowing Opportunities” in Bellingham (Only for Whatcom county high schoolers age 16+)

07/12/23: Workforce Wednesdays, Boys & Girls Clubs from Whatcom County tours Dakota Creek Industries to learn about ship building careers.

07/26/23: Workforce Wednesdays, Boys & Girls Clubs with James Walsh, “Careers in Aviation!”

7/10/23 – 7/14/23: Whatcom Community College GenCyber Camp for Middle School & High Schoolers – FREE!

05/30/2023: Women in STEM, Guest Speaker Andrea Frost from Dell Technologies, Mount Vernon High School

05/24/2023: STEM Like Me!^SM Career Day with IRG Physical Therapy and Snohomish County Public Works, Centennial Middle School

05/19/2023: Two Worksite Tours: Dakota Creek Industries & Sierra Pacific Industries, Mount Vernon High School

05/18/2023: Learn to Love Your Resume Workshop, Mountlake Terrace High School

05/17/2023: STEM Like Me!^SM Career Day with Cloud Mountain Farm and Innotech, Lummi Nation School

05/01/2023: Learn to Love the Job Fair Video, Bellingham High Schools

05/11/2023: How To Support Your High Schooler’s Job Search, Job & Career Fair, Bellingham High Schools

04/21/2023 – 04/25/2023: Washington Apprenticeship Vocational Education (WAVE Tour) for hands-on experiences in the construction trades at the NW Carpenter’s Institute in Burlington

04/14/2023: Women in STEM Andrea Frost and Gracie Ermi, STEM is for Everyone, Anacortes High School & Anacortes Robotics Club

03/22/2023: Best Job Search Ever Workshop for Seniors, Cap Sante High School

03/29/2023 Best Job Search Ever Workshop for Juniors, Cap Sante High School

03/28/2023: Apprenticeship 101: What You Need to Know About the Pipe Trades, Lummi Nation School

03/28/2023: Internship/Apprenticeship Panel: Career Options for You, Lopez Island Middle & High School

03/28/2023: STEM Careers, Industry Professional Speaker Charell Williams, Oak Harbor Exceptional Academy

02/07/2023: Career Day at Conway Middle School with guest speakers from PACCAR, Sound Experience, Innotech, and Cascadia Eye

Career Connect Resources

Career Interest Inventories & Exploration

Free Career Interest Inventories:

My Next Move – Browse careers by industry & take an Interest Profiler assessment
Career One Stop – GetMyFuture for young adults
Washington Career Bridge – Career Quiz
O*NET – Research industries and take free career assessments
O*NET – Spanish Language website
Apprenticeships – Why Apprenticeship? Video and list of Washington state apprenticeship programs

Career Connected Learning Information:

CareerConnect@Home
Career Connected Learning Overview
Career Preparation
Career Launch
Career Connect Washington Strategic Plan (January 2019)

Career Maps

These visual Career Maps created by the Workforce Development Council feature high-wage, high-demand careers, including possible job titles and wage ranges for the greater Seattle-King County region.

High School and Beyond Planning

Career-Related Workshops

We offer career-related workshops! Each workshop is 45 minutes and presented by Mary Powers, Career Connected Learning Specialist at the NWESD189. Mary’s background includes 7 years at Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Career Services where she created and facilitated more than 300 workshops for students.

Workshops:

Best Resume Ever: This helps students create a first resume and includes easy-to-use templates.
Best Job Search Ever: This helps students make strategic choices on deciding on a first job.
Best Job Fair Ever: This prepares students for job and career fairs, including etiquette, communication, and professionalism tips.
Best Internship Ever: This prepares students for internships, including analyzing interactive case studies.
Best Job Interview Ever: This prepares students to interview for jobs, including managing interview anxiety.

Request the workshop by going to the “For School Districts” icon above and we will contact you within 3 business days to schedule your workshop! Don’t see what you need? Make a request and if we can build it for you, we will!

Video Library:

Apprenticeship/Trades Resources for the Classroom

Top Three Resources

Play a video for your students showcasing trades from our region at the WAVE Tour, which promotes high-wage, high demand jobs.
Share the Apprenticeship 101 presentation (Apprenticeship 101 ) with your students, created by L&I and includes a list of contacts at the end.
Provide your students a link to Futures Northwest’s comprehensive Apprenticeship Resource page. The page includes videos for high school students on the trades, including local opportunities and contacts.

Career Exploration Videos to Show In Class

Videos

Working in Washington State: A Documentary. Created by students at Voyager Middle School in Snohomish County who interview people working at Washington State Ferries, in Healthcare, at Microsoft as Software Engineers, at Boeing as Production Engineers, and several other careers. 36 minutes.

Washington Apprenticeship Vocational Education Tour showcasing high-wage, high demand jobs/apprenticeships in the construction trades: Plumbers/Pipefitters, Carpenters, Electricians, Laborers, Sheet Metal, and more. 2 minutes.

See Yourself in Me: A Spotlight on Women in STEM. Features students from Sedro-Woolley, Mount Vernon, La Conner, and Concrete High Schools and employers in this region with a focus on high-demand, high-wage STEM careers. 34 minutes.

WSDOT’s “High School to Highways” Program – A recent hire shares his story. 2 minutes

Career Connect Washington Program Builder Grants

The Career Connect Washington NW Regional Network offers technical assistance to businesses, community organizations and educational partners in the application process. If you are considering applying for a CCW Program Builder Grant, contact Career Connect Washington NW Regional leads Jenny Veltri, jveltri@nwesd.org, Alyssa Jackson, alyssaj@snohomishstem.org, and Sinead Fitzpatrick Plagge, splagge@nwesd.org.

Our Partners

Career Connect Washington: Who We Are

We are industry, labor, education, and community leaders who are creating work-based and academic programs for young people to explore, learn, and earn money and college-level credit. We believe all students in Washington deserve a future of purpose and prosperity— and the support necessary to achieve it. That’s why we’re creating opportunities that launch every Washington student into college and career. By weaving together college and work, we can build a better workforce, better lives, and a better Washington.