Yakima TV station highlights CWU Construction Management program

The Central Washington University Construction Management program was featured on KIMA-TV in Yakima during Tuesday evening’s newscast.

Reporter John Franklin visited campus earlier in the day to interview three CWU faculty and staff members and get a closer look at the program’s classroom and lab space in the Hogue Technology Building.

The focus of the news story was on the program’s recent announcement that it had received $160,000 in Career Launch enrollment funding from Career Connect Washington (CCW) to build and implement a new initiative around what CWU is calling "Allied Construction Careers" and "Allied Construction Degrees."

The KIMA-TV story featured interviews with Selena Castro, Associate Dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies; Katrina Whitney, Director of Career Services; and Warren Plugge, program coordinator for the BS in Construction Management program.

CCW’s goal is to ensure that 60% of young adults in the state’s class of 2030 participate in a Career Launch program, which 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.

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.