1. Montana University System
Montana Career Pathways: New Resources to Help Students Plan for their Future
Amy Williams
Montana University System
Dual Enrollment
Montana Career Pathways
Jan Clinard, Ed.D.
Helena College
Pathways Coordinator

2. Montana Career Pathways
Early Start on College and Career
High School
College
&
Career
Dual Enrollment College Knowledge, Exploration & Participation
Montana Career Pathways
Career Knowledge, Exploration & Participation

3. Connecting Careers and Education
Montana Career Pathways is a vital education and workforce strategy. Too many students don’t understand how education connects to their future, and how to make good decisions that prepare them for college and career. Montana Career Pathways helps students learn about career options that are in demand in Montana, and the types activities they can engage in to prepare for their next step after high school graduation.

4. MCP: Three Levers Public facing website: Informing
Features streamlined information about careers in demand and activities high school students can do to explore and engage.
Strengthening Montana Career Pathways Grants: Collaboration
Annual grant awards that help colleges partner with high schools and business/industry to support MCPs.
MCP Programs of Study: Documentation
OPI is leveraging data already reported in CTE participation reports in TEAMS to determine the existence of a pathway in a high school. This is used for awarding Perkins funding.
MCP: Three Levers

5. Public-Facing Site Informing
The development of a new public- facing career pathways website with statewide labor focus with info targeted at students, parents, counselors, and the public.
MCP developed collaboratively between OPI, Commissioner’s Office, and MT Dept. of Labor and Industry.

8. SMCP Grants Collaboration
Focus on growing access to activities that support and enhance college & career exploration and engagement through partnerships between colleges, schools, business, and industry.

9. SMCP Grants: Work-based learning (WBL)
Increasing availability of opportunities for high school students such as guest speakers/guest teachers, job shadows, internship, pre-apprenticeship opportunities, and teacher externships.
Industry recognized credentials (IRCs)
Increased access to degrees, certificates, and certifications recognized by industry as valued (interview/hiring priority, higher entry wage)
Dual enrollment (DE)
Promoting growth in dual enrollment courses with high value in career exploration and high industry demand. (Health care, Information and Computing Technology, business services, and manufacturing.)

10. SMCP Award Campuses 2017-18 Havre-MSUN Kalispell- FVCC
Pablo-Salish Kootenai
College
Great Falls-
Great Falls College
Glendive-
Dawson CC
Missoula-Missoula
College
Helena-
Helena College
Butte-
Highlands
College
Billings-City College
Bozeman-
Gallatin College

11. Strengthening Montana Career Pathways Grants
Grants competitively awarded to campuses to help increase access to activities that support a high-quality career pathway.
Skill-building technical trainings for secondary staff
Offered by campuses to develop connections, enhance teacher technical proficiency, increase school knowledge of careers.
Career exposure events like TekNoExpo, Women in Gear, Manufacturing Day, L.I.F.E. and Industrial Expo
Development of dual enrollment supporting an MCP

12. MT DE: Slow Start but Gaining Fast
Montana is making large gains in increasing dual enrollment access and engagement for students.
Enrollment topped 5000 students for the first time ( academic year). This is ~2500 per semester unduplicated.
MT is growing DE participation at 21% on average, 3x the last reported national growth rate (~7%).
Approximately 12% of MT high school students engage in dual enrollment.
Comparisons: Iowa 55%, Indiana 50%, Utah 33-50%, Idaho 28%, Washington 47%

13. About 78% of MT students have access to Concurrent Enrollment in their high school.

14. Who is Teaching MT Dual Enrollment?
Dual enrollment courses occur on campus (16%), online (11%), and at the high school (73%). The type of credit students receive varies by the mode and situation.
Who is Teaching MT Dual Enrollment?

16. Why Dual Enrollment?
MUS dual enrollment students outperform non- participating peers in key postsecondary success areas:
16% higher rate of first year retention (84% DE, 68% non-DE)
Higher freshman GPA (3.06 DE, 2.8 non-DE)
Earn more credits in their first year of college
The benefits are independent of high school GPA, and often “B” and “C” students make larger gains than “A” students when compared to non-participating peers.

17. Dual Enrollment Planning
Strategic planning for dual enrollment
using worksheets

18. Dual Enrollment/pathway Planning levels
Statewide Level
Montana Career Pathways
Income & Career Information
High value career and college exploration activities.
Recommended high school and dual enrollment courses
Direct links to colleges working in the pathway
High School-Regional Level
MCP Programs of Study
Possible Careers and Majors at Helena College
Specific high school courses (with DE offered)
Specific college courses
Student Level
General Education and Career Pathways Planning Worksheets
Specific to Dual Enrollment courses taken

19. Two Worksheet Formats General Studies Worksheet
For students who plan to earn an AA or AS for transfer to a four-year university
For students who plan to go directly to a four-year university in Montana
Career Pathways Planning Worksheet
For students who plan to earn a one-year certificate or two-year AAS:
Automotive, Aviation, Computer-Aided Manufacturing, Diesel, Fire & Rescue, Welding
Office Technology
Computer Technology
Accounting or Business
Nursing: LPN or RN

20. General Studies Transfer
30 Credits of General Education courses— in 7 categories—are required in an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree at Helena College
These 30 credits transfer to a four-year university to apply to a Bachelor’s Degree
Use the top half of this form to keep track of progress toward the Gen Ed Core
Use the bottom section for courses that apply to a major (such as Social Science)

21. General Education Core Requirements
Natural Science (6 credits; at least one must have lab) Mathematics (3 credits) Find out which math is required in your major Written Communication (3 credits) WRIT101 College Writing Oral Communication (3 credits), such as COMX111 Intro to Public Speaking Social Science/History (6 credits) such as PSYX100 Intro to Psychology Humanities/Fine Arts (6 credits) such as LIT110 Intro to Literature Cultural Diversity (3 credits) such as NASX105 Intro to Native American Studies

22. Two-year Completion
7-17 general studies credits are required in Career & Technical degrees
These required courses plus courses in the pathway (such as computer technology or welding), result in a two-year degree.
Use the top half to track progress in the general courses
Use the bottom section for Career & Technical courses

23. Be Strategic! Use Planning SheetS!
Counselors can provide the planning sheet(s) that students will need:
General Studies
Career Pathways
Or download from www. Helena College>Programs>Career Pathways
Check the College websites for online and on-campus courses to supplement the Dual Credit earned on high school campus
Keep track of the Dual Enrollment courses that apply to college plans
Encourage students to take the planning sheets to college advisors upon enrollment.

24. Use the Montana Career Pathways resources
Help students explore career options and college programs using Montana Career Pathways
Utilize Career Pathways Coordinators at the Two-Year Colleges
Contact an MCP Coordinator:
Specific Program Guidance (connecting high school programs to college programs)
Dual Enrollment Options
Work-based Learning Opportunities and Career Exposure
Professional Development and Collaboration Opportunities
Provide tools and encouragement for students to plan their own pathways
Montana Career Pathways Site
General Studies Worksheets & Career Planning Worksheets
MCIS, Career Cruising, or other Online Resources
Call or us for help!