District CTE director highlights growth in dual credit, industry certifications and paid internships; students describe hands‑on experiences
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Summary
CTE Director Mark Madison presented the district’s CTE plan of work, reporting increased dual credit participation, a rise in industry certifications (from 92 to over 2,600) and a paid internship program with about 100 student placements; student speakers described a GIZA credit‑union branch project and internship experiences at local employers.
Mark Madison, Career and Technical Education (CTE) director for the Edmonds School District, briefed the board on the district’s CTE plan of work and introduced student presenters who shared their internship and program experiences.
Madison said program enrollment and demand continue to grow. He reported that in 2023–24 more than half of graduating seniors completed a CTE pathway and that roughly 44% of the graduating class earned college credit through CTE dual‑credit courses. For students who concentrated in a pathway (two or more CTE credits), Madison said over 99% earned college credit through at least one CTE course.
Madison highlighted a multi‑year push to expand industry‑recognized credentials: the district awarded 92 certifications when it began focused work in 2021 and increased to "over 2,600" industry certifications in the most recent year. He also described career‑connected learning opportunities (tours, employer visits), and said the district supported more than 3,500 career exploration activities in the prior year.
Madison described a paid internship initiative—"Internship Connect"—that placed about 100 students in paid internships either through employer hiring or through subsidies raised by the district foundation for smaller employers. Student speakers detailed three examples:
- Kayla Cleeman described the establishment of a student‑run GIZA campus branch at Lynnwood/Linwood High School in partnership with GIZA credit union; she trained at a community branch and served as campus branch manager intern.
- Alice Quan, a CTE student advisory member, described the student advisory’s work to raise awareness of CTE pathways, run a pathway exploration fair for middle‑school students and support resume‑writing workshops and networking opportunities.
- Akonch (Ekon) Verma described a summer internship with Cast Tailored, where he worked with HR and production staff and said the experience helped confirm career interests.
Board members asked for additional program materials — particularly about the GIZA branch model, dual‑credit articulation and internship funding — and commended students and staff for their work connecting classroom learning to real‑world careers. Madison said staff will follow up with materials for board members and the communications team.