Category: Postsecondary Success

2025 Report: Employer Leadership in Early Talent Development

Washington’s economy has long been a national leader, driven by innovation, strong private sector growth, and a talented workforce. Last year, research projected more than 1.5 million job openings in our state through 2032, with 75% requiring postsecondary credentials. Washington students are eager to seize this opportunity: 86% aspire to complete a credential beyond high school.

However, without systemic change to scale up enrollment and credential production, Washington will experience a shortfall of nearly 600,000 credentialed workers needed by 2032.

To safeguard Washington’s economic vitality and expand opportunity for its residents, our state must build a stronger, more aligned talent pipeline that empowers and compels more students and adults to earn credentials necessary for living-wage jobs and long-term economic mobility. High-quality, career connected learning that intentionally integrates education with career and credential pathways is one critical solution for both employers and students.

Learn more about employers who are leading on this early talent development strategy in the 2025 Employer Leadership Report for Career Connect Washington.

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Jefferson Healthcare Develops High-Demand Career Pathways

Jefferson Healthcare in Port Townsend is addressing rural healthcare workforce shortages by building a local talent pipeline through career connected learning. By partnering with local schools and colleges, they’ve developed a three-phase pathway that introduces students to healthcare careers as early as 8th grade and supports them through training, post-high school credentialing, and direct employment.

 

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Skill Up For Our Future: Priority Occupation Cluster, Advanced Computing & Tech

REPORT: Washington’s advanced computing and technology sector is growing fast—already making up 21.8% of the state’s GDP, the highest in the country. Over the next decade, demand for software developers, computer support specialists, and systems analysts will surge, with 128,000 job openings expected by 2032. Despite this demand, there’s a critical skills gap: 84% of these jobs require a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the state is on track to produce 35,000 fewer qualified workers than needed.

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Path to 70% Update: Postsecondary Enrollment Recovery Falling Short of Workforce Needs (February 2025)

REPORT: Recent postsecondary enrollment trends reveal the challenge of meeting projected demand for workers with degrees, apprenticeships, and high-value industry certifications. After years of stagnation, enrollment at Washington’s colleges and universities plummeted during the pandemic. Community and technical colleges (CTCs) lost over 53,000 students—a 24% decline—from fall 2019 and fall 2022, while public baccalaureate institutions lost 10,000 resident undergraduates (an 11% drop).

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Fred Hutch LabLaunch: Hands-on learning for students + talent for life sciences sector

 

Spotlight: Fred Hutch’s LabLaunch program is redefining career preparation in the life sciences. This partnership between Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Washington Alliance for Better Schools, and Shoreline Community College equips students with the skills needed for high-demand lab technician roles. The program combines hands-on lab experience with academic training, ensuring students are job-ready and offering them a guaranteed interview at Fred Hutch upon program completion.

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Partnership for Learning Steps into a leadership role with Career Connect Washington

We are excited to take a leadership role with the Career Connect Washington initiative (CCW), working alongside partners from Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC), Washington STEM, and the Employment Security Department. As part of this new public-private leadership group, we are committed to supporting education-to-career pathways that equip today’s students to succeed in tomorrow’s workforce.

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Case Study: Chehalis Student Achievement Initiative

In 2013, the Chehalis School District and the Chehalis Foundation partnered to launch the Chehalis Student Achievement Initiative (SAI), an effort focused on improving student achievement, modernizing instructional practices, and preparing students for college and careers. The depth of community engagement and partnership has driven impressive gains over the initiative’s 10-year history. 

  • High school graduation: Graduation rate at W.F. West High School, the region’s one comprehensive public high school, rose from 77% in 2013 to 95% in 2023, far outdistancing the state graduation rate. 
  • College-ready diploma: The percentage of W.F. West High School graduates completing the high school credit requirements required for admission to the state’s public four-year colleges and universities increased from 38% in 2013 to 51% in 2023. 
  • Direct postsecondary enrollment: The percentage of W.F. West High School students enrolling in a postsecondary program the fall after high school graduation rose from 48% in 2013 to 62% in fall 2023. 

Learn more about what makes the district stand out in our new case study, which is part of our Credential is Essential series. 

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2024 Legislative Successes for WA Students

A family celebrating a graduate.

The 2024 legislative session wrapped up last week, and it resulted in several policy changes and investments that will support progress toward Partnership for Learning’s goal that 70% of Washington students, overall and within each racial and ethnic community, complete a credential after high school, such as a degree, apprenticeship, or industry-aligned certificate or license.

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Postsecondary enrollment plateaus – 51,000+ Fewer Students Enrolled Since Pandemic

A chart showing postsecondary enrollment trends in WA state.

 

After three years of steep declines, postsecondary enrollment in Washington is showing signs of recovery. According to data shared with Washington Roundtable by the state’s public postsecondary institutions, 51,000+ fewer students enrolled in our public institutions in fall 2023 than in fall 2019 – representing a 17% enrollment decline since the pandemic’s onset. This comes when postsecondary education is increasingly the only pathway to middle-class jobs.

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