History
Since launching in 2009, the Workforce Board’s public-facing education and career platform, CareerBridge.wa.gov has grown to over 6 million annual page views and is recognized nationally for providing both students and jobseekers with independently evaluated employment and earnings results for thousands of Washington postsecondary education programs. But old site architecture prevents Career Bridge from meeting modern needs, including being mobile friendly, supporting a digital portfolio to save education and career searches, and being more interactive and engaging, especially among younger users.
Initial project begins to move site forward
This nine-month project accomplishes portions of these goals and builds in the development of future site upgrades for FY 23 and 24. The Workforce Board hired a project manager to oversee this project, along with a Quality Assurance (QA) contractor to better assess and mitigate potential risks and keep the project on track through ongoing evaluation. An intense focus on internal processes and external customer requirements will better define the need for an ongoing, dedicated position to make further identified technology improvements. These tech changes are needed to keep the site fresh and user-friendly, and they are likely to take multiple years to effectively reach and engage all Washington students and jobseekers, particularly those from diverse, disadvantaged, and rural communities.
Economic recovery requires accessible career and education tools
Enhancing access to this highly regarded, well-used, education and career planning tool is important for economic recovery. Career Bridge is truly a one-stop resource to make informed education and career plans—both about what to study, but also where to train, and how to pay for it. The site provides an extensive database of the state’s thousands of postsecondary education programs, so users, no matter their background or career goals, can find a pathway—short or long—that gets them where they need to go right here in Washington.
Partnership with RIPL brings together stakeholders in the fall of 2022
The national social-policy nonprofit RIPL (Research Improving People’s Lives) facilitated a workshop in Lacey in September 2022 that gathered a diverse group of state and regional government stakeholders to identify key ideas for improving Career Bridge, while also identifying areas of strength to build on. This hybrid workshop, which drew both in-person and remote participants, resulted in a report (see sidebar) that synthesized these discussions and will help chart a path forward for site improvements. In particular, participants emphasized the need to tailor Career Bridge to meet users where they are, provide confidence that data is current and accurate, and design the site so users can quickly complete tasks and get answers to their questions.
