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Building Pathways of Educational and Career Advancement

“Career pathways” is a strategy that has demonstrated success both locally and nationally in closing skills gaps in targeted industries. Career pathways is a partnership that connects education and training programs and support services that enable individuals to secure employment within a specific industry, and to advance over time to successively higher levels of education and employment in that industry.

 The dual goal of career pathways is to create both:

1. Avenues of advancement for current workers, jobseekers and future labor market entrants; and

2. A supply of qualified workers for local employers.

 Key Features

• Target Priority Sectors and Occupations
  Career pathways target industries that are important to the regional economy, projected to grow and add jobs in the near future, provide opportunities for advancement, and have significant shortages in key skilled occupations.

• Led by Employers
  Employers provide the formal leadership and set the stage for the career pathway process to meet their projected demand for qualified workers.

• Reduce Barriers to Employment and Advancement
  Career pathways integrate “wrap-around” support services, including career assessment and counseling, case management, child care, transportation, financial aid, soft skills training, and job placement.

• Seamless Educational Pathways
  Career pathways develop clear linkages between developmental education, certificate and training programs, and academic degree programs, and easy articulation of credits across institutions and “stackable” certificates to enable students to progress seamlessly from one level to the next.

• Focus on Institutional and Systemic Change
  The career pathways process aims to transform institutions involved in education, workforce preparation and social services in ways that improve their capacity individually and collectively to respond to the needs of local residents and employers.

Partners & Roles

• Employers
  Identify occupational shortages; articulate training needs; recruit incumbent employees; hire newly trained un/under-employed individuals; provide financial support and policy changes if needed; and lead the overall process.

  

• Educational Institutions (Including Adult Basic & Literacy Education, K-12 Education, Tech Prep, Career & Technical Education, Community Colleges, and Universities)      Conduct student assessment; provide developmental education, GED training, certificate and degree programs; provide academic advising; manage the student cohort; participate in employee recruitment and selection; design innovative curriculum with employer input; provide financial support and policy changes if needed; and align core aspects of the institution to support education and career mobility for students.

• Community Based Organizations
  Provide “wrap-around” support services to students to reduce barriers to employment and advancement; refer clients into the pathway; assist with recruitment of un/under-employed individuals in the community; provide assessment and remediation services; offer tutoring and mentoring programs; and provide job readiness and soft skills training.

• Workforce Investment Boards
  Assist with recruitment of un/under-employed individuals through One Stop Centers; and provide financial support for worker training.

• Public and Private Funders
  Provide flexible funding to support career pathways planning, management, and technical assistance.

Benefits

• For Employers: Access to qualified workers; improved retention; reduced turnover and vacancy rates; increased productivity; increased diversity; and assistance with managing workforce and training resources that are available.    

• For Workers: Access to job opportunities; assistance with career and educational advancement; increased wages; and increased educational attainment.

• For Educational Institutions: Increased enrollment; improved retention and completion rates; increased academic performance and job placement outcomes; and curriculum that responds to employer needs.

• For Community Based Organizations: Help clients access education and career opportunities.

• For the Community: Increased educational attainment; increased socio-economic self-sufficiency; increased employment rates; improved ability to attract and retain employers.

For more information on the Career Pathways model: 

KnowledgeWorks Foundation

Career Pathways Explored: Stories from Ohio

Workforce Strategy Center