Actions

Coordinate planning and implementation across education and restoration partner networks. (ID #189)

Key opportunities for 2022-2026 include:

• Assemble a planning team that includes policy and technical representatives from the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), other state agencies, tribal nations, education institutions, employers, labor unions and environmental organizations to develop and implement this strategy;
• Ensure environmental justice principles are embedded in Partnership funded projects that include education, workforce development and career pathway components;
• Develop targeted, strategic communications to recruit participants and gain the support of administrators at each level of hierarchy within organizations;
• Encourage state agencies to incentivize staff in project and educator collaborations;
• Identify targets and intermediate progress measures for actions that increase preK-16, apprenticeship, and ecosystem recovery and green infrastructure partner collaborations;
• Recruit educator liaisons to participate in each of the Strategic Initiative Advisory Teams (SIAT) to identify projects that may be appropriate for youth participation;
• Identify gaps in workforce development needs and develop intermediate progress measures to monitor workforce preparedness as demographics, technology and environmental needs change over time;
• Include educational and workforce components in proposal evaluation criteria of some grant processes, such as those for the Science Panel, Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP), and Strategic Initiative Lead (SIL) solicitations.

Identify funding sources to support collaborations between ecosystem recovery partners and preK-16 educators. (ID #190)

Key opportunities for 2022-2026 include:

• Review and take actions on federal and state funding opportunities;
• Support the open knowledge network through funding and by promoting its use by the restoration and climate resilience communities of practice;
• Hire education coordinators to set up successful collaborations identified by partners in the open knowledge network;
• Compensate student interns to ensure inclusion of students who are unable to afford to participate in unpaid internships and programs like Youth Conservation Corps and encourage partner organizations to do the same;
• Prioritize funding for programs that serve youth and workers who want to obtain additional skills from communities most impacted by environmental disparities.

Expand meaningful education and leadership experiences, internships and mentorships in classroom settings and ‘earn while you learn’ apprenticeships and other paid training opportunities. (ID #191)

Key opportunities for 2022-2026 include:

• Provide students with equitable education, training, experience, and mentoring necessary to gain real- world work experience and become effective and long-term advocates for environmental, regulatory, and policy improvements within their communities, regions and state;
• Provide educators with the opportunity, funding, and capacity necessary to enable equitable student and resident participation in local and meaningful community ecosystem monitoring and recovery projects and programs;
• Identify incentives for municipalities to support design, project implementation, and maintenance of employment opportunities for this locally trained workforce.

Include representatives of youth organizations in regional planning forums to increase youth involvement in planning and implementing projects in local areas. (ID #192)

Key opportunities for 2022-2026 include:

• Create and support opportunities for secondary school level youth to participate in regional planning forums as a means of meeting graduation requirements individually or through organized local groups;
• Build structures for youth to participate in planning forums;
• Expand project opportunities for Youth Conservation Corps and resources to sustain involvement;
• Include youth as one of the underrepresented groups in trainings and actions to address justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Develop clear information on career pathways and the curriculum, training, and program tools needed to grow an equitable green workforce with durable, family wage jobs. (ID #212)

Key opportunities for 2022-2026 include:

• Identify existing and needed career pathway components (such as courses, field experiences, internships, certifications, apprenticeships, etc.) and paid training opportunities aligned with the variety of natural resources, green infrastructure, restoration, and climate preparedness fields in Washington State;
• Create and maintain an open knowledge network to share and find information about new and ongoing projects related to recovery or related fields. Include information about who is doing what, where, why, and how to contact them. Source data from existing databases such as Puget Sound Info, and from publicly funded project grantees. Link to databases that list ecosystem career training opportunities, apprenticeships and job listings;
• Provide educators with the knowledge, skills, capacity, and funding to incorporate climate change and the transition to a clean economy into their standard school curriculum;
• Collaborate with employers, educators, workforce development professionals to develop curriculum, training, or certifications needed to meet the needs of Puget Sound recovery-focused work and the transition to a green economy;
• Collect and review programs and materials that have been successfully used in other locations and disseminate to schools and teachers;
• Coordinate with state and federal agencies implementing workforce programs and assessments related to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Implementation Considerations

What We're Measuring

Current Legislative Actions