When the pandemic shut down the store where Bronwyn Sprague worked, she started building furniture at home – and her future. After working retail jobs, she decided to pursue her passion and enrolled in the Carpenter's Apprenticeship at Renton Technical College.
"It's hard, but it's been so worth it," she told a crowd of federal, state, and local officials at the Unlocking Pathways Summit at RTC on July 25. "I want to expand my knowledge – and maybe build my own house one day."
Amy Loyd, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, at left, met with RTC students, from left: Abubacar Kanteh, Bronwyn Sprague, and Mason Dalzell. RTC president Yoshiko Harden is second from right.
The Summit was developed by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Jobs for the Future. The first of four across the country, the Summit is part of a Department of Education initiative called Raise the Bar: Unlocking Career Success. Supported by the Departments of Commerce and Labor, the initiative aims to empower state and local for career-connected learning that engages and supports youth and adult learners to meet workforce needs.
The Summit drew federal, state, and local officials from 10 states across different sectors.
"Today's focus on working across educational, workforce, and industry sectors to ensure young people have smooth transitions and real opportunity aligns with the college's goals to ensure we prepare students for in-demand careers that benefit the workforce and our surrounding communities," RTC President Yoshiko Harden said. "We believe that educational access and success is the way to build a more equitable and just society."
Fellow Apprentice Mason Dalzell told the audience that even though woodshop was his favorite class, no one suggested he pursue it. Counselors instead directed him to a four-year college. He tried it, but sitting in a classroom wasn't for him.
"A lot of high school mentors don't know about the trades," he said. "I want to work with my hands. I have had great mentors in my apprenticeship.”
The Department of Education and RTC work to highlight these options, including high school and college dual credit opportunities that fast-track a diverse group of students for lifelong careers.
Abubacar Kanteh, a 2023 graduate of RTC’s Automotive Technology Program, said the college supports students from day one and them for the future.
“The future of this country is technology, infrastructure, and construction,” he said.
Cindy Marten, deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Education, said equity and inclusion are a core part of the initiative that aims to create more pathways from K-12 to career training.
"What that means to us is that every student gets what they need, where they need it, and when they need it," she said. "We're about making dreams come true."
She praised the RTC's commitment to equity and its track record of student success.
"We show up to bright spots," Marten said. "RTC is a great example of how the local college understands workforce needs."
RTC Apprentice Bronwyn Sprague talks about being a woman in the trades during a panel discussion at the Summit.