CAREER PATHWAYS An Introductory Overview

DEFINITION  A series of connected education and training programs and support services that enable individuals to get jobs in specific industries, to advance over time to successively higher levels of education and work in that industry, to prepare for the next level of work and education, and to maintain viability in a competitive regional workforce. Workforce Strategy Center

KEY ELEMENTS  A set of connected educational steps that build to the next level  Multiple entry and exit points along a continuum  Aimed at helping participants simultaneously build skills and gain training that promote advancement in a career or employment sector  Wrap-around support services  Specifically targets low-income, low-skilled adults

TARGET POPULATION  Low-income, low-skilled individuals facing multiple barriers, including: financial hardship scarce resources for childcare and transportation underemployment underdeveloped literacy skills limited educational attainment

WHY LOW SKILLED ADULTS?  18 million adults without a high school credential are in the labor force today  90 million adults in the workforce today score at the lower levels on national assessments of functional literacy  85% of today’s jobs require some training beyond secondary school  Over the next decade, as many as 45% to 63% (59% in Maine)* of jobs in the American workplace will require a post-secondary credential or college degree  For the most part, the workforce of the foreseeable future in the U.S. is the workforce of the present  An estimated 65% of the projected American workforce in 2020 is already beyond the reach of our school systems

THE BOTTOM LINE  A Career Pathways approach to education and training is intended not only to increase educational attainment but also to meet the need for a skilled (academically and technically) workforce in high-demand occupations  While Career Pathways promotes a much-needed educational boost to adults trapped in underemployment or low-wage work, it is regarded, first and foremost, as an effective framework for workforce development based on pro-active planning and practical programming

CAREER PATHWAYS: THE IMPETUS AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR ME  The impending retirement of the baby boom generation is projected to create a skilled worker shortage in many high-growth employment areas  By 2018, ME, the oldest state in the nation and marked by slow population growth, will need 136,000 workers with two-year degrees, 128,000 with four-year degrees, and an unspecified number of workers with industry-based certifications aligned to expected jobs in order to have a skilled workforce  In a comprehensive Career Pathways system, education and training at every level is closely aligned with jobs and industries important to local and regional economies  Local efforts are coordinated with local, regional, and state Labor Market Information

TARGETING SECTORS  A state agency, using labor market data, identifies high-demand employment sectors across the state  Local Education Agencies (LEA’s) are then charged with developing pathways that align with these demands  LEA’s can make a case for pursuing other pathways based on input from employer partners, local economic development agencies, and local workforce investment boards

EXAMPLES OF TARGETED SECTORS FROM OTHER STATES  Health Care  Manufacturing  Transportation  Construction  Mechanic and Technician Trades  Information Technology  Professional and Technical Services

MAINE’S PRIORITY TARGET SECTORS  Health Care  Information Technology  Clean Energy  Construction

PRIORITY PIECES IN THE PATHWAYS PUZZLE IN MAINE  Strong, Responsive Adult Education System  College Involvement  Local, Regional, and State Political Support  Employer Support and Engagement  Human and Social Services Support

CHALLENGES  Adopting a shared vision and new framework  Accessing resources to support students  Addressing student needs and promoting persistence  Building and sustaining stakeholder support  Developing a data collection plan

MODELS FOR SUCCESS: OHIO  Ohio Stackable Certificates A framework designed to deliver pre-college academics and for-credit job training for adults whose math, reading, and writing skills fall somewhere between a sixth grade level and a high school credential

THE STACKABLE CERTIFICATES FRAMEWORK  Three components: 1. academic remediation 2. certificated technical skills training 3. college credits  Designed to help adults complete at least one year of college with an advanced technical certificate, which, according to research, is the financial tipping point

ACTION ITEMS FOR IMPLEMENTATION IN THE VALLEY  Convene a local advisory/task group  Develop a common understanding of Career Pathways principles and terminology among all partners  Document current examples of CP-ready practices  Identify industry-based certificates critical to our region  Explore creation of a Career Academy  Develop sector-based programs  Identify funding sources and develop relevant programs