Career PathwaysA TOOLKIT FOR ADULT EDUCATORS, PART I

MARY A. GASTON & JULIE A. KORNAHRENS

What Do YOU know about Career Pathways?

What Are Adult Career Pathways (ACP) – WIOA Mandates ……

State board must develop strategies to support the use of career pathways

Local board must lead efforts to develop and implement career pathways and include descriptions in local plans

Title II state leadership funds must be used to align adult education activities with core programs, including career pathways

What Are Adult Career Pathways (ACP) – WIOA Definition ……

The term ‘‘career pathway’’ means a combination of rigorous and high-quality education, training, and other services that—

(A) aligns with the skill needs of industries in the economy of the State or regional economy involved;

(B) prepares an individual to be successful in any of a full range of secondary or postsecondary education options, including registered apprenticeships;

(C) includes counseling to support an individual in achieving the individual’s education and career goals;

(D) includes, as appropriate, education offered concurrently with and in the same context as workforce preparation activities and training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster;

(E) organizes education, training, and other services to meet the particular needs of an individual in a manner that accelerates the educational and career advancement of the individual to the extent practicable;

(F) enables an individual to attain a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, and at least 1 recognized postsecondary credential; and

(G) helps an individual enter or advance within a specific occupation or occupational cluster.

What Are Adult Career Pathways (ACP)?

Coherent, articulated sequence Rigorous academic and career/technical courses Leading to industry-related certificate/licensure

or degree Developed, implemented, & maintained as

partnership Contains multiple entrances & exits

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Who is the Target Population for ACP?

High school dropouts

High school completers who did not pursue additional education and training

College non-completers

Returning veterans

Immigrants

Criminal offenders

Adults who need to retool

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Why Retool?

Focus is on career-limited adults who do not have education or training necessary to earn a “living wage”

What is living wage in your area?

www.livingwage.geog.psu.edu

National Vision of ACP: Components

A “prep stage” designed to prepare participants for job entry and college study

Industry-focused curriculum

A multistep career ladder

Partnerships with community and governmental agencies

Part-time employment (usually beginning after prep state)

Personal and academic support services

DESIGNED TO EXPEDITE TRANSITIONS: from unemployment to employment, underemployment to better employment, or from one industry to another

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Key Aspects of ACP

Matching Gamehttps://quizlet.com/_1jmf97

Adult Education: Moving Towards “New Basics”COMPLETE FORM 1: TAKE THE PULSE OF ADULT ED.ARE YOU MOVING TO THE NEW BASICS?

The New Basics

Old Basics New Basics

Customer Student Student and employers

Goal of Curricula Life skills Work readiness skills & prep for postsecondary

Content Focus Applying literacy, numeracy, and English language to everyday life

Literacy, numeracy, English language as well as thinking, reasoning, problem solving, team work & following instructions

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The New BasicsOld Basics New Basics

How Work Readiness is Taught

Might include employment-related tasks (application, resume, etc)

Teaches basic skills in a work context and stresses good work habits such as punctuality, diligence, communication, and appropriate dress & behavior

Program Focus Driven by students’ personal goals, needs, interests

Driven by students’ employment goals, skill needs of family-sustaining jobs & entry for postsecondary

End Goal GED & Post-Secondary (majority of students do not achieve)

Most students achieve high level of basic & workforce skills & are prepared to enter training/post-secondary/family-sustaining job

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Adult Career Ladders/Maps: Key Components

Potential jobs in the pathway industry Progression of education and training Salary information Service providers Partnerships Support Services Linkages between components

Begin with the End in Mind

Adult Career Ladders/Maps Sample

What to Do First Identify an employment sector and suitable target population

(should be done in partnership with business and industry)

You may identify several potential sectors—consider the one that presents the MOST opportunity for growth & development of pathway

Identify the training & educational programs that are available

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Adult Career Pathway System

Build the Framework for the ADULT learner

Do not be afraid to borrow from pathways developed for a conventional 9-14 Career Pathway

Keep in mind that the structure will always differ for the Adult Pathway

For adults, levels are knitted together to ensure students achieve requisite skills, recognized credential(s), and ability to progress further in pipeline

Social P

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Pathway Design

Bridge Programs

Ease transition to post-secondaryIntegrates basic skills or English language

instruction with occupational skills trainingSuitable for adults who have reading/math

skills below 10th grade levelCan reduce/eliminate need for

developmental educationCan be developed for all levelsLowest levels may need “pre-bridge”

program

I-BEST

Traditional & Collaborative I-BEST Model Explained

SC Works OnLine

https://jobs.scworks.org

Click on “Labor Market Home”Scroll to bottom and explore “Job

Journeys”How could these be helpful to

developing Pathways?

SC Works OnLine

https://jobs.scworks.org

Click on “My LMI Dashboard” near top left and explore

Any surprises?

SC Works OnLine

https://jobs.scworks.org

Click on “Labor Market Facts” on leftThen click on “Education Requirements for Occupations in Your Area” then on “What level of education is required?”

Once you enter your area, be sure and click on the jobs that say “no minimum required.” Did you find some surprises?

LINCS resources

http://lincs.ed.gov

Under “Find LINCS Resource Collection,” enter “contextualized instruction” and select “Career Pathways.”

Explore.

Adult Career Pathway ResourcesInnovation & Opportunity Network

The Innovation and Opportunity Network (ION) is your online learning and teaching community, designed to help you connect with peers throughout the public workforce system. ION is a network focused on the dynamic action and innovation called for under WIOA. Here, you can read and share new and exciting strategies and find tools to help your staff stay motivated to create positive change.Career Pathways Toolkit: A Guide for System Development

The primary audience for this Toolkit is staff who work at the state level representing one of the core partners required to develop a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Unified Plan.

Adult Career Pathway Resources

LINCS Resource Collection The LINCS Resource Collection contains high-quality multimedia instructional resources, informed by research, for use by adult educators. The resources in the collection are limited to items that have completed a rigorous internal and external review process conducted by subject matter experts and have been recommended and approved by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), Division of Adult Education and Literacy. The resources have a sound theoretical framework and an application to the adult education field. Can also be accessed via the LINCS homepage: http://lincs.ed.gov/

Adult Career Pathway Resources

Examples of Career Pathways Initiatives

Published by the Department of Labor, this resource briefly describes several Career Pathways already in progress.

PA Adult Education Career Pathways Resources for WIOA

Resources developed by Pennsylvania’s Workforce Development Liaison Project to support Title II adult education providers' career pathways programs. These resources can also be used by workforce development partners with little or no modification. 

NCPN: National Career Pathways Network

The National Career Pathways Network (NCPN) is a membership organization for educators, employers and others involved in the advancement of Career Pathways, career technical education (CTE), and related education reform initiatives.