Career Connect Washington funding will spur growth of CWU’s construction management, allied construction degree programs

The College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS) at Central Washington University is looking to make an even greater impact on the state’s construction industry with the help of $160,000 in Career Launch enrollment funding from Career Connect Washington, administered by the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC). 

The one-year funding package, approved last month, will support CWU’s Allied Construction Degrees, which align with Career Connect Washington’s (CCW) goal to ensure that 60% of young adults in the state’s class of 2030 participate in a Career Launch program — programs that combine high-quality, paid on-the-job experience, such as internships and registered apprenticeships, with classroom learning. Career Launch programs also help employers connect with young adults and students in the K-12 system, community and technical colleges, and at four-year institutions.

Due to a growing need for skilled labor in Washington’s construction industry, CWU chose to focus its application on the construction industry, anchored around construction management and allied construction degrees. CWU was approved for the Career Launch Endorsement in April 2024, making the program eligible for Career Launch enrollment funding through WSAC.

As CEPS Dean Sathy Rajendran explained, the field currently has a wide range of high-wage occupations that employers are unable to fill on a consistent basis.

“We want to see even more students gain real-world, paid working experience before they graduate,” he said. “With our expert faculty and the strong relationships we have built with our industry partners, we will be able to train more workforce-ready students than our competitors. Our goal is to be the top choice for allied construction degree graduates, including construction management, in the entire state — especially in Eastern Washington.”

Rajendran said CWU plans to anchor the program around the emerging needs of the construction industry, seeking to attract students from related programs in occupational safety and health, information technology management, engineering technologies, business administration, public health, and others.

He and his team have coined the phrases “Allied Construction Degrees” and “Allied Construction Careers” for their marketing and recruitment campaign. They will be doing more intentional outreach to specific students with a goal of increasing diversity in the profession. 

Allied construction careers encompass a wide range of professions and occupations in the construction industry. These include occupational safety and health professionals, engineers, risk managers, claims managers, financial officers, accountants, human resource professionals, IT professionals, administrative professionals, project managers, and many others who work collaboratively with construction managers to deliver comprehensive construction services and complete construction projects.

“Instead of being just one program, we plan to use the construction industry as a way to tie all of these different areas together,” Rajendran said.

Dr. Warren Plugge, Program Coordinator for the BS in Construction Management program, added that CWU is also meeting a crucial need in the industry.

“Allied construction degrees are essential to provide top construction managers and constructors key personnel with specified construction skills to solve daily construction applications and problems,” he said. “These professionals keep projects and companies within budget and on schedule to meet the clients' specifications and needs while expanding the capabilities of the construction industry.”

Building Partnerships

In addition to providing experiential learning opportunities for students, the Career Launch funding will also help build a pipeline from high schools, community colleges, and technical colleges to Central by exposing teens and young adults to the various career pathways that are available in the industry. 

Rajendran and Plugge noted that companies are looking to hire workers with a broad range of specialties, and CWU is looking to expand the pool of students who choose to major in construction management and allied construction degrees.

“CWU's Construction Management program prides itself on being the leader to provide high-quality, applied, activity-based construction education,” Plugge said. “We place students in top positions with some of the most well-known construction companies in the world, and we also serve the construction industry at large.”

CEPS also plans to leverage existing programs like College in High School (CiHS) and partnerships with Yakima Valley Technical Skills Center (YV-Tech) and Educational Service District 105 to create a pipeline from CWU to the construction industry. The program has been endorsed by all three, along with the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Washington.

The AGC reported that in the first quarter of 2023, there were 28,700 construction companies in Washington that contribute $30 billion (4%) to the state’s annual Gross Domestic Product of $761 billion. Total statewide employment in the construction industry last year was 237,200, but employers continue to struggle to fill positions, which is hindering the industry’s ability to expand — or even meet current demands.

A model created by the Associated Builders and Contractors shows that the Washington construction industry will need to attract an estimated 501,000 additional workers, on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2024, to meet the labor demand.

CWU and WSAC plan to work closely together in the coming years to help close this yawning gap.

“There’s a huge need in this industry, and there are so many directions you can go with a construction management and allied degrees,” said CEPS Associate Dean Selena Castro, who is leading the project, in collaboration with CWU Career Services. “Our plan is to recruit a more diverse group of students so even more people can take advantage of the opportunities that are out there.”

Initial Plans

The initial $160,000 funding package will be used to hire a part-time program coordinator and a full-time advisor/outreach specialist. The funding will also help CEPS develop curricula for the Allied Construction Careers readiness program and expand its outreach, advising, and career counseling efforts. Additionally, CEPS will rely on its existing steering committee to consult with industry partners on how to market and promote the programs.

“This year is going to be a building block for both employers and students,” Castro said. “We’re going to work closely with our construction management industry advisory committee and employers to help us shape the program.”

Castro explained that, like every new program at CWU, student success is at the forefront of the Allied Construction Careers initiative. She believes the Career Launch funding provides CWU with another opportunity to live into our vision to be a model learning community of equity and belonging.

“The most important thing we need to do is start removing barriers that hinder access to the job market,” Castro said. “I’m really big on the idea that the more we understand the concept of intergenerational poverty, we can give our students a way to reverse that trend for their families. By not perpetuating the same challenges their parents and grandparents faced, we can give them an opportunity to get out of poverty and into a secure, living-wage job.”

Meanwhile, CWU will also tap the expertise of human resources professionals in the construction industry to ensure the program is meeting industry needs with career ready students who are prepared to be successful. The annual Engineering, Technology, Safety, and Construction (ETSC) Career Fair on October 3 is expected to attract upwards of 100 companies. 

Castro said the career fair is a great opportunity for our students to connect with employers about internships and job opportunities.

“It’s also a chance for our new students to do informational interviews in a low-pressure environment,” she said. “They get to see what’s out there, and they also get some valuable interview experience that will help them later on.”

Plugge explained that the ETSC Career Fair is intended to be a one-stop shop for construction, engineering, and architectural companies to engage with prospective professionals and discuss possible career opportunities.

“Our career fair not only serves construction managers, but it also has the expanded need to provide opportunities for specialized construction professionals in safety, information technology, business development, technology applications, supply chain management, and other construction-oriented disciplines,” he said. “This helps the construction industry remain at the forefront of application-based STEM-related careers — an approach that has also been successful in other career disciplines, including the medical and legal fields.” 

Career Readiness

Employer outreach is one of the crucial pillars of the Allied Construction Careers initiative, and CEPS understands it will take time for the program to achieve its full potential.

However, having an on-campus partner like CWU Career Services gives the college a valuable head start as it looks to expand the program’s reach.

“We know what employers want in their future employees, and this partnership allows us to share those resources with CEPS and build something together,” Career Services Director Katrina Whitney said. “We bring the career readiness side of the equation, and by pairing that with the academic side, we will be able to enhance our students’ strengths as they prepare to enter the workforce.”

Whitney explained that the Allied Construction Careers program will not only prepare students for their careers; it will help them identify their own interests and strengths so they can enjoy their work.

“Programs like this increase the chances of them finding a job that meets their needs and where they can be successful,” she said. “Students need to feel like they can connect their future with their values — a career where they can be successful and also proud of the work they are doing.”

Whitney commended the CEPS leadership team for their proactive approach in developing the framework for the new program. She said their willingness to build relationships and new partnerships on campus could become a model that is replicated elsewhere at CWU.

“I love this partnership because we’re working together to create a foundational structure where our students can thrive,” Whitney said. “By combining our resources and expertise, we are going to create environment that ultimately leads to student success.”

Once the word gets around that CWU is the place to go for allied construction degrees in Washington, the program will only continue to grow. And, with any luck, the construction industry will soon become stocked with well-trained, career-ready Wildcats.

“This program has amazing potential,” Whitney said. “If we can build a system where our students can be successful — by enhancing their career readiness and combining it with academics — that’s going to make CWU the marquee place for construction management in the entire state.”