Back in 2019, Cheryl Fambles explained why it made sense for Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council (PacMtn) to support and fund PEI. “They are an important intermediary,” she said. “PEI is a translator and an advocate in that space between industry and employer and the schools. They have credibility in that space.” Fambles was Executive Director of PacMtn at the time, so she was in a position to know.
Recently, that credibility led to PEI becoming the Career Connect Washington’s (CCW) Sector Lead for Agriculture and Natural Resources. Sector leaders scale career-connected learning in high-priority industry sectors. PEI will be working with other sector leaders and regional networks to identify workforce and training needs that inform program development. PEI is building upon work completed by the previous ANR sector lead at Walla Walla’s ANR Center for Excellence.
PEI’s Associate Director of Green Jobs Heather Spalding will be guiding sector lead efforts and plans to highlight and scale regional examples of best practices in career pathway programming across the state while sharing best practices with partners. “We are working with CCW regional networks, K-12 education and OSPI, Tribes, employers and post-secondary institutions like community and technical colleges,” she says.
“PEI has a long history working with education as well as agriculture and natural resource (ANR) industry partners. ANR jobs are expected to increase in coming years, yet employers are struggling to find applicants who have the job skills for their entry-level positions. PEI understands both the industry needs and barriers, as well as how to build effective career pathways within the education system.”
– PEI Associate Director of Green Jobs Heather Spalding
CCW is a statewide network of people and organizations who create and promote career-connected learning programs for young people to explore, prepare, and launch into college and careers. CCW has repeatedly funded PEI’s green jobs work, from Youth Engaged in Sustainable Systems (YESS) programming to the development of new statewide Career and Technical Education (CTE) frameworks. That work has positioned PEI well to take on this new role.
“PEI has a long history working with education as well as agriculture and natural resource (ANR) industry partners,” Spalding explains. “ANR jobs are expected to increase in coming years, yet employers are struggling to find applicants who have the job skills for their entry-level positions. PEI understands both the industry needs and barriers, as well as how to build effective career pathways within the education system.”
PEI will focus on locally relevant, hands-on programs that connect students with employers. Through these experiences, the next generation learns about agriculture and natural resource jobs while gaining skills and getting the credits they need to graduate.
“We’re working with regional partners to develop a strategy for scaling up programs and pilots across Washington, so employers and educators can work together to support each other,” says Spalding. “There are incredible programs and partners across the state, and they have experience to share with others who want to build career pathways to ANR.”
