District Workforce Development Newsletter - September 2025

Hosted by Seattle Colleges' JobLink College Navigators, the fall quarter Navigator Meeting on Tuesday, October 29, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. via Zoom, offers a key opportunity for staff and Community-Based Organization (CBO) partners to network, learn about vital programs, and strengthen our collective ability to provide wraparound support for students.

This recurring meeting brings together student-facing staff—such as advisors, specialists, and other navigators—with our valued partners from community-based organizations. The session will feature presentations from different college departments and CBOs, sharing timely updates and information on resources that are crucial for helping our students succeed. The goal is to foster a space for "community building," ensuring we are all well-equipped with the latest information to serve our students effectively. Past meetings have led to tangible benefits for students, connecting them with resources for everything from professional attire to emergency funding.

This informative session is open to all who wish to attend. If you are a Seattle Colleges staff member, a community partner, or a member of the public interested in learning more about the student support ecosystem, you are welcome. To receive the Zoom link for the October 29th meeting, please contact JobLink College Navigators Galila Getahun (at Galila.Getahun@seattlecolleges.edu) or Jessica Alba (at Jessica.Alba@seattlecolleges.edu) to be added to the invitation list.

Furthermore, the organizers are always seeking input to keep the sessions relevant and impactful. If you have a suggestion for a program, department, or community organization that would be a valuable speaker at a future Navigator Meeting, please share your ideas when you connect with the organizers.

A cross-disciplinary team of Seattle Colleges leaders, including Dean Ferdinand Orbino, along with Workforce and I-BEST faculty and the Deans of Traditional Studies, recently toured the Harbor Island Training Center to see the model "Classroom-In-A-Shipyard" partnership between South Seattle College and Vigor in action. The visit provided an opportunity to see firsthand the state-of-the-art training facilities and discuss how the Marine Shipyard Welding program is preparing a skilled workforce to meet urgent industry demand.

This partnership is a direct response to a significant national need. According to the American Welding Society, with many skilled artisans reaching retirement age, the U.S. faces a substantial shortage of qualified welding professionals. The Harbor Island Training Center (HITC) was created in 2012 through the visionary collaboration of Vigor and South Seattle College to address this gap head-on, creating a vital pipeline of talent for the entire Puget Sound maritime industry.¹

The "Classroom-In-A-Shipyard" model is uniquely effective. Students are immersed in an intensive, six-month welding certification program where they learn from industry professionals on-site at Vigor's shipyard. This industry-embedded approach, which also contributes to higher rates of student completion, ensures that graduates are equipped with the complete certifications and highly employable skills needed for immediate employment with Vigor or other employers in the maritime trades.

The tour for Seattle Colleges' diverse leadership team highlighted the strength of this long-standing collaboration and reinforced a shared commitment to expanding access and supporting student success. The Vigor and South Seattle College partnership stands as a powerful example of how education and industry can unite to address critical workforce needs, providing students with direct pathways to high-wage careers and strengthening our regional economy.

¹:Sources:

• Maritime Shipyard Welding Program (South Seattle College) (opens in new tab)
• Vigor Marine Workforce Development (opens in new tab)

The TAC appreciation event, centered on the theme Celebrate, Recharge, and Engage, was a vibrant reminder of the powerful role community plays in advancing student success. Leadership at Seattle Colleges expressed deep appreciation for the tireless efforts of the TAC members, whose dedication continues to bridge industry, faculty, and student experiences in transformative ways. Three success stories highlighted this collaboration: one showcasing how a TAC member partnered with a Dean and faculty to secure paid internships for students in high-demand fields; another demonstrating how faculty, guided by TAC input, redesigned a curriculum to better align with industry standards while increasing student retention; and a third featuring students who, through mentorship from TAC professionals, successfully completed projects that connected classroom learning to real-world challenges. Together, these examples underscored the event’s spirit of celebration, renewal, and engagement—affirming that TAC partnerships are vital catalysts for equity, opportunity, and excellence across Seattle Colleges.

Representing Seattle Colleges at the Alliance for Education's annual "Convening Seattle Community Luncheon" on September 17, Mike Nielsen, Executive Director of Corporate & Continuing Education, and Liz Strongman, Associate Director of Corporate Training, hosted a table to support Seattle Public Schools (SPS) and forge new partnerships for our programs.

The event, held at the Hyatt Regency Seattle, centered on the theme "Staying the Course: Creating Change Through Steadfast Commitment." It brought together community leaders, philanthropists, and educators to raise critical funds for the Alliance's mission of advancing racial equity and educational justice for SPS students. The luncheon fostered vital dialogue around the most pressing issues facing public education today.

A major highlight of the event was a series of inspiring, TED Talk-style presentations from SPS students and a principal. Speakers covered powerful and timely topics, including strategies for recruiting and retaining diverse teachers, rights and accessibility for students with disabilities, support for trans and queer youth, and overcoming racial discrimination in schools.

By hosting a table and actively networking, Mike Nielsen and Liz Strongman were strategically positioned to connect with a diverse group of regional leaders and partners. Their engagement aimed to build new collaborative opportunities for Seattle Colleges' Corporate & Continuing Education programs, reinforcing the critical link between the K-12 system and the postsecondary pathways we provide. Participating in events like these underscores our district's commitment to supporting the entire educational journey and building a stronger, more equitable future for all students in our community.

What does it mean to build a career of purpose at Seattle Colleges? That question was at the heart of the "Siegal Center Services Awards and Academic Year Kick-off" on Friday, September 26, where the service of dedicated staff, including our colleagues Liz Strongman and Rachel Andre, set an inspiring tone for the year ahead. The event, hosted at the GenPride building in Seattle, served as the culmination of a week of President's Day celebrations across the colleges.

The highlight for the Workforce Development team was the celebration of its own dedicated colleagues. Dr. Dalia Sherif, Senior Executive Director of Workforce Development, took the stage to honor Liz Strongman, Associate Director of Corporate Training, for 25 years of service, and Rachel Andre, Director of District Workforce Development, for 10 years.

Dr. Sherif described Liz as a "quiet force for good" who has spent a quarter of a century building classrooms that were more than just rooms—they were "sanctuaries" for marginalized students. "She saw them. She respected them. She believed in their potential even when they weren’t sure they could believe in themselves," Dr. Sherif noted, also sharing stories of Liz's incredible personal commitment. "Liz," she said, "your consistency and generosity ripple far beyond the college walls."

Turning to Rachel, Dr. Sherif highlighted a story of innovation and growth. Starting in a temporary six-month navigator position, Rachel "charted a whole new course." When COVID canceled traditional outreach, she reinvented, creating virtual info sessions and swag bags for high school students—an ingenuity that led directly to the Discover Seattle Colleges program. "Talk about turning barriers into bridges," Dr. Sherif remarked. In collaboration with the district Communications & Strategic Initiatives department, Rachel now co-chairs the planning committee for this major annual event with Barb Childs, a partnership that is crucial to its success.

The event’s celebrations continued with a powerful address from Chancellor Dr. Rosie Rimando-Chareunsap, who was also honored with rapturous applause for her own remarkable milestone: 25 years of service to Seattle Colleges. Reflecting on a journey that began in 2000 as a student success specialist in the TRiO programs at South, the Chancellor’s career is a testament to the growth and opportunity within our district. She concluded her speech with a heartfelt pledge to the entire college community: "You have a Champion in me, an ally, an advocate."