Program spotlight: Ready to Work opens new career pathways in aviation and construction

ACRS’s Ready to Work program is helping job seekers explore new possibilities through a new partnership with Literacy Source and the Port of Seattle.

Together, the partners are offering two 10-week career pathway cohorts designed to introduce limited-English-proficient clients to port-related careers, specifically in aviation and construction, and help spark interest in these fields.

The classes — one focused on aviation and one on construction — are designed to introduce limited-English-proficient clients to careers in these industries and help them take practical steps toward those jobs.

The classes cover industry-specific vocabulary, what kinds of jobs are available, how to apply, and, for the aviation cohort, how to prepare for the badging test required for many airport positions. In the construction cohort, students are introduced to pre-apprenticeship programs that can help them embark on a lifelong career in construction.

Classes meet online for three hours each week, with about two hours of homework, and also include a field trip and guest speakers from the industry. The first aviation cohort included about 20 participants, with clients from both ACRS and Literacy Source. The construction cohort has about 23 students and began in early April.

The program is overseen by ACRS’s Ready to Work team. While most participants come from Ready to Work classes, it is open to any community members or ACRS clients interested in the careers.

For ACRS, the partnership is about more than job training. It is about helping people build confidence, expand their options, and move toward greater stability for themselves and their families by pursuing in-demand jobs and careers at the Port of Seattle.

“The more of these career pathways we can offer clients, the more we are able to help people move from jobs to careers, which can be life-changing. We hope to build on this partnership and continue working with the Port of Seattle to offer these cohorts in the future,” said Alex Olins, Employment and Citizenship Director.

This is the first time ACRS has partnered with the Port of Seattle in this way, creating a promising new opportunity for clients and a model the organization hopes to build on in the future.

For more information about ACRS’s Ready to Work program, please contact Getu Hunde at getuh@acrs.org or (206) 805-8950. New classes begin quarterly in January, April, July, and October. New students must complete an assessment and meet program qualifications.