In summer 2018, the California legislature introduced the K12 Strong Workforce Program (K12 SWP) as an ongoing statewide funding opportunity. It is designed to support K–12 local education agencies (LEAs) in creating, improving, and expanding career technical education (CTE) courses, course sequences, programs of study, and pathways for students transitioning from secondary education to postsecondary education to living-wage employment.

The primary objectives of K12 SWP are the following:

• To support essential collaboration across education systems between the K–12 sector and community colleges, or intersegmental partnerships, with involvement from industry businesses and organizations in strengthening CTE programs and pathways aligned with regional workforce needs

• To support LEAs in developing and implementing high-quality, K–14 CTE course sequences, programs, and pathways that:

  • Facilitate K–12 student exploration and selection of learning opportunities leading to career paths

  • Build foundational career path skills and knowledge essential to subsequent success in college and early career exploration

  • Enable a seamless and successful transition from secondary to postsecondary education within the same or related career paths

  • Lead to completion of industry-valued certificates, degrees, or transfers to four-year university or college

  • Prepare students upon completion of education to enter into employment in occupations for which there is documented demand and which pay a livable wage

  • Contribute toward meeting the projected need for one million completers of CTE programs aligned with the state’s labor markets