Funding Career Pathways and Career Pathway Bridges ~ A Federal Policy Toolkit for States
Summary
Produced by the CLASP Center on Postsecondary and Economic Success, this toolkit outlines an approach to create a more educated workforce that involves career pathways and career pathway bridge models. As described in the toolkit, career pathways weave together adult education, training, and college programs to help students advance to successively higher levels of education and employment in a given industry or occupational sector. Career pathway bridge programs combine basic academic and English language content with postsecondary occupational content to help students earn credentials that are valued by employers in various industries. The toolkit is geared toward state-level interagency teams engaged in the following: (1) actively discussing resources and policies to support career pathways and bridge programs and (2) discussing resources and policies across workforce development, adult education, postsecondary education, and support service programs. The toolkit aims to assist states in understanding components and tasks involved in creating, implementing, and sustaining career pathways/bridge programs. It will also help states identify how federal resources can support these components and tasks. Finally, the toolkit can assist states in pinpointing state policy changes or other state actions needed to best utilize federal funding opportunities for pathways. The toolkit is divided into two main sections: (1) a funding options worksheet and (2) federal program summaries. In addition to outlining the core components of both models, the toolkit also describes steps that states can take to identify how federal programs can support their career pathway and career pathway bridge efforts. Contributing writers for this toolkit include Allegra Baider, Vickie Choitz, Amy Ellen Duke-Benfield, Marcie W.M. Foster, Linda Harris, Elizabeth Lower-Basch, Neil Ridley, and Julie Strawn. The toolkit was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Joyce Foundation.
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