AJAC is thrilled to announce 10 new partnerships and grant funding we have received to help support local partners and workforce development initiatives to advance apprenticeships here in Washington State.
Seattle Jobs Initiative/JPMorgan Chase: In August 2018 AJAC began a new partnership with Seattle Jobs Initiative through funding from JPMorgan Chase to launch its CareerReady program for manufacturing. CareerReady is a collective impact initiative focused on expanding access for low-income South King County residents to jobs and careers in manufacturing. JPMC resources are enabling SJI to leverage its Basic Food Employment Training (BFET) dollars to connect South King County residents to pre-apprenticeship orientation and training at AJAC’s Kent Training Center, and to support these individuals through completion of AJAC’s Manufacturing Academy pre-apprenticeship and into next-step jobs and careers. SJI is contracting with Partners in Employment, TRAC Associates, Pioneer Industries and the Multi-Service Center to implement this work.
Wells Fargo: In Fall 2018, AJAC entered into a partnership with Wells Fargo to provide financial education to Manufacturing Academy participants. Wells Fargo volunteers from local branch offices attend MA classes in Kent, South Seattle College’s Georgetown Campus, and Bates Technical College one hour per week to provide these classes. In February 2019, Wells Fargo awarded a one-year $10,000 grant to support this work, specifically around expanding access to MA training in South King County for opportunity youth – young adults who are not currently in school or working, or are under-employed in a low-wage job.
Aspen Institute: In March 2019, AJAC was awarded a two-year $50,000 grant to expand access to MA and Youth Apprenticeship pathways for opportunity youth. The goal of the grant is to integrate high school completion strategies into AJAC’s pre-apprenticeship and youth apprenticeship pathways, and to connect at least 50 opportunity youth to these programs over the 2-year period. Learn more.
Generation Work/Annie E Casey Foundation: AJAC has partnered with Port Jobs, SkillUp Washington, ANEW, South Seattle College, the Roadmap Project, the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County and many others over the past 3 years to build stronger partnerships with the youth re-engagement community in South King County to build awareness and stronger connections to apprenticeship pathways for opportunity youth. Generation Work resources are helping support AJAC’s opportunity youth-focused recruitment efforts for Manufacturing Academy in Seattle and Kent. Seattle was one of 5 communities across the country to be awarded these funds. Learn more.
Kaiser Permanente: The Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County was awarded a three-year grant from Kaiser Permanente to work with AJAC, the Puget Sound Education Service District, the Roadmap Project, and many others to build stronger regional infrastructure to connect out-of-school youth to apprenticeship pathways in the manufacturing, construction and healthcare industries. The grant will support the WDC and the Puget Sound ESD to build a business plan that can help mobilize state Open Doors funding for out-of-school youth into pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship pathways, and braid various public and private funding required to support student persistence and completion. Learn more.
Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA): AJAC partnered with the Construction Center of Excellence at Renton Technical College to successfully apply for a one-year grant from New America’s PAYA initiative, which seeks to expand registered youth apprenticeship pathways by building on existing programs and creating opportunities in new industries. The grant will support the creation of the King County Regional Youth Apprenticeship Consortium, which will focus on building regional capacity to grow this work while guiding state policy and practices and creating opportunity for scale and innovation with a focus on equity and access for youth. The award was one of nine grants awarded to partnerships across the country, out of a pool of over 220 applications from 49 states and Puerto Rico. Learn more.
City of Seattle Office of Economic Development: AJAC partnered with the Seattle Public Schools Skills Center and South Seattle College in a successful application to the City of Seattle for resources that will support AJAC youth apprentices at the Seattle Skills Center at Rainier Beach High School, and to promote CTE, pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship pathways to Seattle high school students. Learn more.
Cities of Auburn and Renton Human Services Departments: AJAC was awarded resources from the cities of Auburn and Renton to recruit city residents into AJAC’s Manufacturing Academy pre-apprenticeship programs in Kent and Seattle.
Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Regions: AJAC is beginning a new partnership with Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Regions to launch a new Manufacturing Academy at Goodwill’s Milgard Work Opportunity Center. The training will be available to low-income Tacoma residents attending class at the Milgard Work Opportunity Center, but will also be available via remote learning technology to Goodwill locations in Yakima and Longview. Learn more.
City of Kent: The City of Kent recently awarded AJAC a Lodging Tax Grant to support the 2019 Washington State Youth Apprenticeship Signing Day. The grant dollars will help support travel and lodging for youth apprentices and their families who are traveling to the event from Eastern and Central Washington.
