In a series of recent case studies, our education foundation, Partnership for Learning, profiles a range of opportunities that stakeholders across Washington – educators, institutions, policymakers, employers, and families alike – should consider as they work together to remove barriers and encourage students on their best-fit pathways to earning post-high school credentials. Areas of focus:
Employers are expected to create 373,000 net new jobs in Washington state by 2026. Most will require or be filled by workers who have completed a post-high school credential such as an apprenticeship, certificate, or degree. Yet our state is facing a crisis in credential attainment, with the pandemic further driving declines in postsecondary enrollment. Our goal: 70% of Washington students – overall and within each racial and ethnic group – will earn a post-high school credential by age 26. Strategies already underway can make up half the distance in enrollment gains needed to hit that goal by the high school class of 2030. Getting the rest of the way will require new thinking, transformed systems, and an unrelenting effort to meet the needs and aspirations of Washington students, particularly Black, Hispanic, Latino/a, Native American, and Indigenous students and students from low-income backgrounds. These case studies start to look at some of those options and efforts to remove barriers so more students earn the credentials that will power their futures and help them reach their dreams.
Find more of our research and resources here.