Regional Partnerships

WA IT & Cybersecurity Sector Partnerships

Our sector partnership involves business champions from the IT industry and other stakeholders in the shared labor market region, including intermediaries, education, workforce development, economic development, and community organizations to address the workforce needs of IT industry.

We have been launching and growing regional sector partnerships through a framework that fosters industry-driven alignment across economic development, workforce development, and education.
Sector Partnership Program
The state has invested in regional, public-private partnerships targeting key industries that are vital to our regional economies. We have started with sector partnerships in the Puget Sound Region and aim to be present across all the 9 regions of WA for IT & Cybersecurity sector.

Connect with a sector partnership in your region or industry.
Sector Partnership Directory

CCW network coordinators are engaging with businesses and other stakeholders actively involved across WA.


Regional teams serve as strategic conveners of an integrated workforce development system to promote aligned relationships between business representatives, local government, economic development, education, and workforce partners to engage and implement talent development solutions tailored to meet the needs of businesses and job seekers.


View current Sector Partnerships and Colleges offering IT training by region below.



Map

Network
Lorie Thompson,
lthompson@esd113.org

CCL Coordinator
Cecily Kiester, ckiester@esd113.org

Network
Cassidy Peterson,
cpeterson@greaterspokane.org

CCL Coordinator
Jessica Dempsey, jdempsey@esd101.ne

Network
John Bonner, john@wabsalliance.org

CCL Coordinator
Walter Jackson, wjackson@psesd.org

Network
Debra Bowen, deb@STEMlearning.org

CCL Coordinator
James Kindle, jkindle@esd123.or

Network
Sue Kane, suek@ncesd.org
Aaron Parrott, aaronp@skillsource.org

CCL Coordinator
Sue Kane, suek@ncesd.org

Network
Jenny Veltri, jveltri@nwesd.org
Alyssa Jackson, alyssaj@snohomishstem.org

CCL Coordinator
Sinead Plagge, splagge@nwesd.org

Network
Mark Cheney,
mark.cheney@esd105.org
Hugo Moreno,
hugo.moreno@esd105.org

CCL Coordinator
Shelly O’Neill, shelly.oneill@esd105.org

Network
Vickei Hrdina,
vickei.hrdina@esd112.org

CCL Coordinator
Chad Mullen,
chad.mullen@esd112.org

Network
Kareen Borders, borders@skschools.org

CCL Coordinator
Kimberly Hetrick, khetrick@oesd114.org

WA IT & Cybersecurity Sector Strategy

Sector strategies come to life through industry-led, public-private partnerships where collective business priorities are addressed. WA IT & Cybersecurity Sector Strategy has been sponsored by a Sector Intermediary grant from Career Connect Washington (CCW). The strategy embraces a regional, industry-specific approach, operating through WA’s 9 regions.
Importance of Being Industry-Led
Industry-led means that businesses have come together to identify and work on initiatives that they collectively agree are vital to the health and growth of the IT sector. Without business at the table setting the agenda and building and implementing solutions, talent development system becomes fragmented, misaligned to job opportunities, and inefficient. By working together, we can build on strengths, address new challenges, and seize new opportunities that will advance the competitiveness of IT industry in WA and fuel equitable job growth in the region.
Get Involved
Get involved in the WA IT & Cybersecurity Sector Partnerships and develop as well as execute sector strategies through a collaborative approach that bring together industry, educators, intermediaries, and workforce development boards.

Communities of Practice

Communities of practice are convened in a specific area within the talent development network and offer opportunities to collaborate, share information, improve skills, and promote advancement and adoption of best practices within the IT & Cybersecurity sector in WA.
Sector Partnership Community of Practice
Work-based Learning (WBL)
We believe in building industry linkages into the IT programs and offer technical assistance for integrating work-based learning in talent pipeline and workforce development strategies. WBL offers opportunity for reflection, learning, collaboration, and discussion about building and sustaining strong work-based learning programs and thriving work-based learning communities.

Work-based learning is a continuum of activities for learner to gain hands-on, real world experience. It combines skill development with training opportunities and is a key building block of the IT & Cybersecurity strategy in WA for developing talent and preparing students for the workforce and evolving labor market.

Work-based learning (WBL) programs are instrumental in quality career pathways that enable students and job seekers to secure industry-relevant skills, certifications, and credentials and advance to higher levels of education and employment.

The Work-based Learning Continuum includes a variety of work-based learning activities that can be pursued, as well as the dynamics of which activities are housed primarily within educational entities and which are located on a job site. It includes but is not limited to Mentoring, Worksite Tours, Project-based Learning, Internships, and On-the-Job Training.
Thriving Work-based Learning Communities
Successful WBL initiatives require a community working together to address the evolving needs of businesses and create a labor force with a flexible and continuous approach to developing and upgrading skills. Businesses need to partner with educational entities to design and deliver curriculum, workforce centers have a pool of talent ready to connect to opportunities, and economic developers understand what industries need people and how to attract new companies through training programs.

A Thriving Work-based Learning Community understands the problems plaguing their talent pipeline, recognizes the value in business-led work-based learning, and works collaboratively to affect systemic change.