Career Pathways

  • Pathways to Results Project Profile Compendium

    Found In: Publications

    This publication examines Illinois’ Pathways to Results project, implemented in 2009 to improve the state’s existing Programs of Study initiative. Illinois’ Programs of Study is a key component of the state’s efforts to increase college and career readiness through integrating and aligning curriculum and instruction. Pathways to Results engages secondary schools, community colleges, four-year universities, adult education providers, businesses and industries, and other organizations to further improve the Programs of Study efforts. Pathways to Results is designed as a five-phased process for local practitioners and partners to engage in systematic problem-solving that identifies solutions to improve student outcomes. <more>

  • ABE to Credentials: A Breaking Through Initiative

    Found In: Transition Initiatives

    ABE to Credentials is a four-year community college initiative launched in 2011 that seeks to increase credential attainment through scaling up the successes of the Breaking Through Initiative and Washington State’s Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST). <more>

  • Guide to Adult Education for Work: Transforming Adult Education to Grow a Skilled Workforce

    Found In: Tools

    Based on research from the One Step Forward Initiative and recommendations from the National Commission on Adult Literacy, this Guide outlines specific steps for transforming adult education programs by stepping up service delivery to individuals who lack the fundamental literacy, English language, and work readiness skills needed for family sustaining employment and career advancement. <more>

  • Charting a Path: An Exploration of the Statewide Career Pathway Efforts in Arkansas, Kentucky, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin

    Found In: Publications

    The principal question set forth by the Seattle Jobs Initiative (SJI) and The Working Poor Families Project was what role could a state play in instituting career pathways? Also examined were what strategies a state could employ to bring colleges, workforce and economic development agencies, community organizations, and employers to the table to accomplish this. To answer these questions, the author explored the statewide career pathway efforts underway in Arkansas, Kentucky, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. <more>

  • Changing the Odds: Informing Policy with Research on How Adult Learners Succeed

    Found In: Publications

    This paper deepens the discussion started during the symposium Changing the Odds: Informing Policy with Research on How Adult Learners Succeed, hosted by the American Institutes for Research on September 16, 2009. The symposium panelists and participants discussed new approaches to support today’s low-skilled adult learners. Topics included national challenges to improving adult education and workforce development outcomes. <more>

  • Building a Higher Skilled Workforce: Results and Implications from the BridgeConnect National Survey

    Found In: Publications

    Bridge programs, defined in this report as programs designed to help prepare low-skilled individuals for jobs that require more education, are growing in number across the country. Bridge programs aim to assist students in obtaining the academic and technical skills needed to enter and succeed in postsecondary education and training programs and career track employment. [...] <more>

  • Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements Through 2018

    Found In: Publications

    This paper offers a projection of jobs and their associated education requirements to provide guidance in aligning postsecondary educational choices with careers. The authors also lay out a case for why postsecondary education and training is critical. The goal of the report is to help individuals successfully navigate transitions by outlining connections between education, training, and occupations. <more>

  • Building Effective Green Energy Programs in Community Colleges

    Found In: Publications

    In this paper, Workforce Strategy Center (WSC) examines how community colleges are leading the field in green energy education by developing green workforce development programs geared toward low-income and low-skilled adults. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for training anticipates widely forecasted growth in green jobs; Booz Allen Hamilton, a leading government consulting firm, reports that green building will support as many as 7.9 million U.S. jobs between 2009 and 2013. <more>

  • O*Net Online

    Found In: Tools

    O*NET serves as a leading source for U.S. occupational information. As an online interactive tool for career exploration and job analysis, O*NET lists educational qualifications needed for occupations, has the latest employment and wage data, identifies occupations projected to grow rapidly, and provides important industry information. <more>

  • Moving Beyond the GED: Low-Skilled Adult Transition to Occupational Pathways at Community Colleges Leading to Family-Supporting Careers (Research Synthesis)

    Found In: Publications

    This literature review is part of a broader study which focuses on the role of community colleges in providing education, specifically occupational training. Exemplary community college programs that employ innovative curriculum and instructional practices in order to help low-skilled adults attain a family sustainable wage were identified through this work. <more>