• First Apprenticeship Specialist contracted with DESE

    First Missouri Apprenticeship Coordinator for Youth in three Career Technical Centers

    Coached Apprenticeship Programs: Sikeston CTC, Ft. Zumwalt HS, Bolivar HS, Four Rivers CC (piloted and expanded), Eugene High School, Cape Girardeau CTC, Special School District SLC, Grand River Tech CTC, Kick Start, LLC, Meridian Corp., World Wide Technology, Ignite Fitness, Springfield School District, Hillyard Technical Center, Lee Summit School District, North Central CTC, UniTec CTC.

    Partnered with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to pioneer the RYA Bootcamp Trainings and Ready Aim Launch webinars

    Recognized by the state of Missouri’s Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD) as an Apprenticeship Champion

    Coached and produced over 300 youth apprentices in three years through registered RYA programs

    Started one of the nation's first Career Technical Education RYA programs

  • Instructor for State Fair Community College

    Missouri-certified teacher in Adult Education Supervision and Career Services

  • Two decades of life-coaching experience with high school and college-aged individuals

    Consultant to high-profile US DOL Intermediaries:
    -IWSI America - Senior Consultant on Urban Institute’s Youth Apprenticeship Initiative Grant
    -Consulted Safal Partners Center of Excellence and IT Expansion Grant

At Career WayZ, we are passionate about helping sixteen to thirty-year-olds find their career path.

Career WayZ Founder Cynthia Walker is a pivotal leader in expanding Registered Youth Apprenticeship (RYA) programs through the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL). Cynthia is deeply committed to motivating and empowering the next generation of workers. Her extensive experience spans training, career services, and Generation Z mentoring, making her a key figure in developing and accelerating RYA programs. Her team of consultants offers personal coaching and technical support, working diligently to represent employers and industry credentials. As a registered USDOL Sponsor, she has worked closely with her ATRs, Jeanna Caldwell and Wade Johnson, and employers to develop the Apprenticeship Coordinator occupation. The intensive, year-long training based on Missouri’s Ft. Zumwalt School district’s model has a proven record of expediting the implementation of an active and robust initiative that changes the workforce landscape by selecting skilled youth for multiple industries. Currently, she coaches ten active coordinator apprentices in Missouri and Colorado who represent some of the nation’s top-performing high school programs. Walker’s influence extends across the country. She has collaborated and consulted on national projects and provided training with high-profile USDOL intermediaries, employers, government agencies, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations. She has played a crucial role in placing thousands of youth apprentices with employers nationwide. Her contributions include serving as the first Missouri Apprenticeship Specialist for the Department of Education, a National USDOL Apprenticeship Ambassador, a National Workforce Development Hero(NAWDP), and a current Apprenticeship Trailblazer. The Youth Apprenticeship Initiative, led by The Urban Institute and IWSI America, is her favorite and most satisfying career contribution.

Academically, Cynthia holds a Business Administration degree from William Jewell College and an MBA with an emphasis on Leadership Development from Trinity Seminary. Despite her professional achievements, her family remains her greatest joy. She lives in the Missouri countryside with her husband of twenty-nine years, a retired U.S. Air Force aviator now a high school principal in his alumni high school. Their two sons are both on active duty in the Air Force. Cynthia is a devoted patriot who lives by her motto: “Equipping tomorrow’s workforce today!”