The state’s Washington Student Achievement Council, in collaboration with Career Connect Washington, was among 32 grant recipients selected from a pool of 509 applicants. The Good Jobs Challenge grant will help CCW and its partners immediately serve 5,000 workers whose jobs were impacted by COVID-19 and fill a minimum of 3,000 jobs. The Washington Jobs Initiative also includes a detailed focus on equity and diversity. Through targeted outreach in partnership with 200 community based organizations, the Washington Jobs Initiative hopes to achieve more equitable outcomes for workers of color, Indigenous workers, low-income workers, rural workers, workers experiencing homelessness, English language learners, and workers with disabilities. State leaders estimate more than 70 percent of jobs created in Washington state require some kind of post-secondary credential, but only about 40 percent of young people have one.