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

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…