Earning a credential after high school is the key to accessing a vast array of career and advancement opportunities in Washington. Increasingly, the jobs available in our state are being filled by workers who earn a credential after high school. We want Washington kids to be prepared to compete for and succeed in those positions. Through partnerships, research, and policy efforts, we work to increase the number of Washington students who pursue and complete a credential by age 26.
Partnerships
We work with leaders and advocates from education, business, labor, and community-based organizations to enable more Washington students to enroll in and complete a credential after high school. Through statewide public policy efforts, communications outreach, and participation in the College Promise Coalition, we share information about and work to advance research-based strategies that will help students navigate their best-fit pathways through postsecondary learning to credential completion and the career of their choice.
Research and Policy
We conduct careful research and analysis of best practices from around the country to form policy recommendations that will enable more Washington students to achieve credentials after high school. We are pursuing the highest leverage opportunities available to reach our ambitious goal.
- Path to 70 Update: Projected Decline in Credential Attainment Rate Demands Bold Action (2023)
- Postsecondary Enrollment in Washington: The Crisis Intensifies (2022)
- Path to 70% Credential Attainment: Restarting Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)
- Path to 70% Credential Attainment: Catalyzing Dramatic Increases in Postsecondary Enrollment & Completion (2020)
- Path to 70% Credential Attainment for Washington Students (Foundation Report, 2018)
The Credential is Essential
We’re working to ensure that, by the high school class of 2030, 70% of Washington students will earn the credentials they need for career success. Learn more here.
