Connecting Educators to Industry

Did you know that K-12 vocational training, known as Career and Technical Education (CTE) is now a part of basic education in Washington State that must be fully funded thanks to recent legislative action? On top of this, an additional $510 million has been earmarked for CTE over the next four years. The Washington Business Alliance coordinated efforts to make all of this a reality. Our focus now is to help with implementation in rural communities in the state. Thanks to the support of the Chehalis Foundation, we are able to offer this pilot program in Lewis County. Our overarching goal is to offer a platform to help connect K-12 educators with local businesses, economic and workforce developers in order for local experts to share their work and how to meet the local employment needs through CTE. Sen Braun will be joining us to speak about why this initiative was so important to him. If you are an educator, this new legislation expands your ability to provide hands-on, applied learning to students looking for their first job after graduation or after post-secondary education. If you’re an employer or economic developer, this new focus on strengthening CTE in the state should help you address the current difficulty finding qualified, well-trained employees.