It seems like a problem the state can’t quite get its arms around: Selling young Washingtonians on career readiness — acquiring the skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow. But there are bright spots: A program called Career Connect Washington is working to connect students to the careers of the future. And one school district in southwest Washington is having remarkable success prepping its students for life after high school. This week, host Austin Jenkins sits down with Ingrid Stegemoeller and Brian Jeffries of the Partnership for Learning (PFL), and Rick Goble and J Vander Stoep of the Chehalis School District.
According to the PFL, Washington state is expected to see 1.5 million+ job openings by 2032, with 75% requiring postsecondary credentials such as degrees, apprenticeships, and industry-aligned certificates and licenses. Meanwhile, 86% of Washington students aspire to pursue education after high school, but only 40% are expected to complete the post-high school credentials needed for economic success.
The PFL runs the Career Connect Washington program. Stegemoeller and Jeffries say the opportunities are myriad for students, who can tap into good careers via post-high-school education and training. And, they say, a paradigm shift is needed for businesses, to focus direct engagement with future worker and with schools; and for schools, to shift their focus beyond high school graduation to prepping kids for postsecondary training and education.
Meanwhile, a relatively small, rural school district in which about half of students qualify for free or reduced price lunches, is having remarkable success prepping students for post-high-school training and careers. For the past 5 years, 100% of grads from WF West High School in Chehalis have been admitted to college. If you’re a parent who brings your kid to a kindergarten orientation, the teacher is going to talk to you about preparation for college. The district has career counselors who guide kids during middle school, high school – even after high school graduation.
What’s Chehalis’ secret? “Family. It’s like one giant family. People really care about each other,” according to Superintendent Rick Goble. “There’s the community support in Chehalis, it’s like no other I’ve ever seen, ever worked with. And I think from that, having our alumni coming back and giving back to the school, to the community, that’s what really makes it all happen.”
School Board Member J Vander Stoep has been involved with Chehalis’ “Student Achievement Initiative” from the beginning. He and Goble trace the origins and history of the program, talk about how it works today with students, parents and teachers, and discuss future efforts to maintain and build upon the program’s current success.
