How one state gives foster kids a better path to jobs

Working on a construction job in the Seattle area, Da’Sean Harrison marvels at the skills of a coworker and mentor he calls a “wizard.” He himself wants to be a general contractor, a master of all trades – a wizard.

“You would be hard to fire because you know so much,” the 22-year-old says with a slight chuckle. “My goal is to learn a lot about everything.”

The path to a trade became easier this year for Mr. Harrison and other young people connected with foster care or homelessness in Washington State, where a new law provides funding for apprenticeships. Considered the first of its kind, the legislation – which became effective in July – aligns with a national trend to reinvigorate the trades and meet the demands of rebuilding infrastructure in the United States. Washington is still sorting out how much