Pathways

This brief uses a model by Jobs for the Future to discuss strategies to get learners on-track to effective educational pathways. The “Back on Track Through College” model indicates three overarching pathway benchmarks: Enriched Preparation, Postsecondary Bridging, and First Year Support. Using these points of entry to organize recommendations, this brief suggests using technology as a tool at all stages so that schools, youth programs, colleges and other organizations may leverage it for off-track students.

The College and Career Transitions Initiative (CCTI), administered by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education, aims to strengthen the role of community and technical colleges in a student’s transition to postsecondary education and improve their academic performance. The purpose of this toolkit is to share information from 15 CCTI sites, information such as: brief summaries of projects taking place at the sites, site partners, and contact information.

Bridge programs aim to close the gap between the basic, initial skills individuals possess and the skills needed to enter and succeed in postsecondary education and careers. This guide provides an overview of the bridge program design in Illinois and serves as a resource for those who want to develop or strengthen an existing bridge program. The guidebook also includes strategies, tips, examples, worksheets, and additional resources to assist with the implementation process.

This report profiles 17 career pathways programs throughout the U.S. by providing information on the programs' partners, target populations and eligibility, challenges, strategies, funding, business engagement, results, and lessons learned. This publication also provides an overview of career pathways, a career pathways checklist that can be used to provide a snapshot of implementation, and a glossary.

This manual provides guidance to adult basic education providers who want to integrate their programming and services into career pathways. This manual also offers an overview of career pathways, describes implementation efforts at four Adult Basic Education Career Connections sites to create partnerships and connect basic skills training with career pathways, and presents challenges and solutions associated with integrating adult basic education into career pathways.

This report provides a model for competency-based programming aligned to rigorous standards--specifically targeted at off-track youth. The brief outlines the process of developing competencies for struggling students while adhering to the Common Core State Standards and producing college-ready graduates. To contextualize these steps, the report refers to the example of the Boston Day and Evening Academy (BDEA). Tools and resources are integrated throughout the brief to provide a glossary of terms and thorough explanations of key concepts to assist practitioners with the material.

The recent emergence of geen jobs supporting environmental sustainability across a broad range of industries is creating employment opportunities and new career pathways. This report discusses how green jobs may provide options for low-income youth to overcome poverty. In doing so, it offers guidance to youth programs on how to connect disadvantaged youth to the educational and professional development opportunities necessary for a green career.