Washington marks five years of CareerConnect; King County highlights Jumpstart program to train 18—624-year-olds for clean-energy jobs

Angie Mason Smith, program director at Washington STEM and implementation lead partner for CareerConnect Washington, opened a celebration of the initiative's five-year milestone and introduced speakers who described how the program connects employers, training providers and young people to career pathways.

"We're honored to be in this space with so many of our champions," Smith said, framing the event as a demonstration of CareerConnect Washington's reach across industries, philanthropy, labor and government.

CareerConnect's founding and expansion

Madi Don, who led CareerConnect Washington in its early years, traced the initiative to a 2017 statewide STEM convening and a task force that led to a statute in 2019 formalizing the effort. Don said the program grew from extensive listening tours with industry, labor and education partners and was designed to match business needs with student learning opportunities.

"It has to be real, and it has to be connected to real need in the business community," Don said, describing the initiative's emphasis on employer engagement.

Why Jumpstart matters

Ingrid Stegemiller, industry engagement director with the Washington Roundtable, highlighted workforce demand figures and said employers are central to expanding career-connected learning. "Our members want Washington students to be ready for the 1,500,000 job openings that are expected in our state by 2032," Stegemiller said, adding that 75% of those openings will require a postsecondary credential, an apprenticeship or an industry-aligned certificate.

Stegemiller introduced Jumpstart as a new, federally backed effort to widen participation and provide wraparound supports. She said Jumpstart is funded in part by a $23,500,000 federal Good Jobs grant allocated to the state to build on the CareerConnect platform.

Jumpstart model and employer-engaged placements

Michael Carter, climate and workforce manager in the King County Executive Climate Office, described Jumpstart as a multisector partnership that recruits 18—624-year-olds into clean-energy careers with training, certifications and paid work experience. Carter said the program pairs state-registered pre-apprenticeship programs (such as PACT) with a three-week climate curriculum and employer-based placements.

"We make folks King County employees... we put them on our payroll, up to 240 hours paid at $25 an hour. That's roughly $6,000 before taxes," Carter said, explaining the paid work-based learning component and how participants are placed with contractors doing actual decarbonization and clean-energy work.

Carter gave procurement examples in which county grant and contract terms require participating contractors to join the Jumpstart network. He said King County has also accessed a $50,000,000 EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant that will fund decarbonization work in community centers, adult family homes, day cares and multifamily buildings; contractors working on those projects will be asked to participate in Jumpstart to expand training-to-hire pathways.

Voices from employers and participants

Employers and small-business owners at the event described how Jumpstart reduced training costs and created a reliable talent pipeline. Will Sumner, co-owner of Puget Sound Solar, said he became involved in workforce development after hearing Michael Carter speak and called Jumpstart a practical source of trained workers.

Sarah Ali, a project manager who said she is with Sears Solar Energy, described Jumpstart as an "even playing field" that broadened access for people interested in solar and related clean-energy roles. Juan Pablo, a former TAC program student, said he secured an internship through a partner company and later a full-time installer position: "They provided a full time position as a solar panel installer, which I'm super grateful for," he said.

Small employers also reported benefit. Deb McGowan, owner of Averitas Electric, said her company recently hired a trainee through Jumpstart and that the program helped offset the high cost small businesses typically face when training new workers.

Training providers and outcomes

Roz Jenkins of Emerald Cities Collaborative described New World Cities' HVAC preparatory academy participants who joined Jumpstart and were hired by local contractors after a six-week paid placement. King County deputy executive Shannon Braddock said the county expects roughly 80 Jumpstart graduates in two years and reiterated the county's commitment to linking climate investments with workforce development.

Next steps and sustaining support

Speakers repeatedly urged continued legislative support and partnerships to sustain and scale the work. Don and Governor Inslee called on advocates to press policymakers for ongoing appropriations to maintain the initiative's momentum.

The event closed with an invitation to tour host facilities and meet trainees and employers involved in Jumpstart and CareerConnect Washington.