Career Pathways for Education, Training, and Employment

This brief focuses on the importance of the career pathway initiative designed to nurture low-income, low-educated adults so that they can acquire a job and maintain a steady salary. A strong relationship between the state and local interagency groups is a crucial element to the success of the career pathway program. Interagency groups, consisting of partners in career education, economic development, and employment support, can spread the vision of the state’s career pathway initiative and use the career pathway initiative in their services. They can implement WIOA’s training and can help fund those services. Communication is highlighted as a necessity for success in career pathway integration. States must have a constant voice in the efforts of their local interagency groups so that they can uphold and maintain the program’s steps in their education and employment programs.

As part of WIOA’s Title ll, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, state adult education staff are encouraged to participate in the career pathway program. WIOA’s clientele is low-skilled adults who are below a secondary education level. The career pathway program emphasizes education as one of its missions so that its clients can enter the workforce with experience and educational literacy. Implementing this program and maintaining a constant hand in the efforts of the state adult education staff participating in this program is imperative to the success of the career pathway policy. Collecting data regarding the setbacks and achievements of the program within the state adult education staff will benefit WIOA’s growth.

This eight-page brief, written by Abt Associates, covers research conducted from 2011 to 2016.

This brief defines the vision of the career pathway program as follows:

• Align with the skill needs of the state/local economy.
• Prepare individuals for success through education.
• Provide opportunities for apprenticeships and counseling.
• Accelerate educational and career advancement.

WIOA’s Title ll, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, encourages state adult education staff to enforce the career pathway policy into local education services. This would result in:

• Strong interagency partnerships.
• Provision of services to a diverse group of adults.
• An adopted career pathway approach in advising, instruction, and transition services.
• Encouragement for community resource entities to address the needs of adults in these services.

Continuous improvement within Title ll is mandatory for the growth of the career pathway program and data collecting within the program. Therefore, monitoring adult education providers’ progress within the program is essential. This can be done through:

• State staff observations of providers’ services;
• Reviews of annual program reports;
• Surveys; and
• One-on-one staff interviews with open-ended questions.

Through these techniques, practitioners can achieve success and identify promising practices for career pathways.

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2016
• Author(s): J. A. Alamprese
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies