OLYMPIA, Wash. – Gov. Jay Inslee is convening a statewide summit Wednesday, May 31, that promises to bring together hundreds of leaders from business, industry, labor, education and community groups to discuss next steps needed to move more Washington youth into high-demand jobs.
The Governor’s Summit on Career Connected Learning will be hosted statewide by WSU Extension, in partnership with the Governor’s Office, the state’s Workforce Board, Washington STEM, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The summit culminates a year-long National Governors Association Work-Based Learning initiative that has highlighted promising practices and programs at 21 “learning laboratories” selected by the governors. It is part of a broader push to provide youth better job preparation and more opportunities to learn valuable work skills.
“Career Connected Learning provides a unique opportunity to connect youth, professionals and employers to opportunities through hands-on learning experiences,” said Inslee. “By convening employers, educators and community leaders, we’ll share programs and policies that prepare young people for great jobs in their local economies.”
The governor will deliver his remarks in real time to 27 sites across the state. Inslee’s presentation, to be made at the Microsoft Campus in Redmond, before an audience of about 400 people, will be streamed to 26 sites, bringing the total audience more than 1,200 individuals. The remarks will be followed by facilitator guided discussions where community leaders will be able to ask questions, learn more about how to help young people in their own area gain work experience, and create a pipeline of skilled workers to meet the needs of business in even the most remote areas of the state.
The regional events will run 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. See more information at the Governor’s summit website.
Washington was one of six states awarded a $100,000 NGA grant in the spring of 2016 to form a policy academy that would create recommendations to help bring promising programs to scale. The policy academy, co-chaired by the governor’s office and the state’s Workforce Board, pulled together the state’s key education, employment and economic development agencies, in addition to business and labor organizations.
Together, the team has sought to build a network of champions to help all of Washington’s young people access real-world work experience, leading to high-demand careers.
The summit is sponsored by Title Sponsors JP Morgan Chase and Microsoft, Platinum Sponsor Kaiser Permanente, Benefactor Sponsor PEMCO, and supporting sponsors including the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and We Work for Health. The Policy Academy is underwritten by the National Governors Association and Siemens Foundation.