business backgrounder | education & workforce
From left to right, Marissa Bedford from Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Katie Olson from Sumner High School, Bridger Sedwick from SEATech Skills Center, Rhett Warner from Sumner High School and Adam Scroggins from SkillsUSA Washington.
“ The students completed their projects with safety and quality and with the skills they learned in Core Plus Aerospace,” Marissa said.“ These skills connect to real-world advanced manufacturing careers, especially at Boeing.”
connecting school to career
Core Plus Aerospace is a two-year advanced manufacturing high school curriculum that prepares students for in-demand careers through hands-on learning. Students gain real-world skills that open doors to good-paying advanced manufacturing careers and a competitive advantage when applying for apprenticeships, post-high school certificates and college degrees.
Since its initial development a decade ago, Core Plus Aerospace has been instrumental in preparing Washington students for advanced manufacturing careers. During the 2023-24 school year, over 3,500 students across more than 50 Washington state high schools and skills centers participated in Core Plus Aerospace coursework. Notably, more than 125 graduates were hired into full-time roles at Boeing in 2024.
Brayden Terry, a past winner of the SkillsUSA competition, and a Core Plus Aerospace graduate from Sumner High School, sees a direct connection from what students do in the classroom and at the SkillsUSA competition to his job as an in-tank mechanic at Boeing.
“ The students completed their projects with safety and quality and with the skills they learned in Core Plus Aerospace. These skills connect to real-world advanced manufacturing careers, especially at Boeing.”
— Marissa Bedford, director of manufacturing excellence for Boeing Commercial Airplanes
42 association of washington business