The Convergence of Career and Guided Pathways:

How to Implement Both

Jaime Spaciel

Director, Career Pathways and

Program Effectiveness

Gateway Technical College

• One of 16 colleges in the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS)

• Founded in 1911• Serve

approximately 20,000 students annually

• 3 main campuses• 5 discipline-specific

technology centers

Goals for Today’s Presentation

• Understand similarities and differences between career and guided pathways.

• Identify distinct benefits in starting with career pathways before you implement guided pathways.

• Learn how to align career pathways structures with guided pathways principles to get others on board and plan action steps.

• Obtain information on additional resources.

Guided Pathways Model

Career vs. Guided Pathways

Career Pathways

• Discrete programs of study, based on employer demand / labor market projections

• Involve employers in development of curriculum

• Various entry/exit points to meet student needs

• Embedded support services / strategies, often pathway-specific

Guided Pathways

• Redesign entire community college experience for all students

• Critical focus on equity

• Reform advising and registration policies

• Wide-scale improvements to support services (no pilots or program-specific interventions)

• Clear “maps” to guide students in program selection

• End goals = completion AND employment and/or transfer

The Umbrella Analogy…

Guided Pathways = holistic approach, considers all facets of educational journey, addresses equity gaps, and includes all areas of college.

Career Pathways = specific focus on curriculum and employment components:

Dual CreditCredit for Prior LearningEmbedded CredentialsCurriculum SequenceIndustry CertificationsArticulation AgreementsAligned Levels of Employment

Evolution of Career Pathways at Gateway

• WTCS System introduced career pathway credentials in 2013

• WTCS System awarded federal TAACCCT grant in fall 2014; funding for career pathway liaison at each of the 16 colleges

• Started as Career Pathways Manager (grant funded) in April 2015; grant funding through September 2018

• College committed to permanent position in July 2017

• College elevated position to Director of Career Pathways and Program Effectiveness in January 2018

Career Pathways Components – 2015-2018

• Developed career pathway maps (67 maps total)

• Designed 30+ embedded credentials with employer input

• Redesign of transfer webpage

• Introduction of career pathways information on website

• Significant increase in program-specific CPL opportunities

• Auto-add embedded credentials at application

• Created industry certification inventory

• Collaborative work with K12 and workforce/WIOA

• Career pathways steering committee

Evolution of Guided Pathways at Gateway

• Applied for 2nd American Association of Community College’s (AACC) Pathways cohort in spring 2017

• Awarded spot in cohort in July 2017; project work started in fall 2017

• Three institutes – November 2017, September 2018, September 2019

• Four site visits – March 2018, August 2018, March 2019, July 2019

Who’s Going to Oversee This?

Give it to the girl with pathways in her title!

Seriously, though…

• Long-standing history with faculty and staff

• Experience with large-scale project management and working with AACC

• Several components reside in my department

Best of all…

Career and guided pathways complement and support each other!

A Word of Caution/Advice…

• While you may be the most technically-connected person to lead this work, you may not be in the appropriate position at your institution to do so

• Must partner with President/VP/Provost/etc. to require engagement in wide-scale changes and address procedural, funding, and buy-in issues

• “Boots on the ground supported by the muscle from above”

Introduction of Guided Pathways at Gateway

• Initiative fatigue

• Viewed as competition

• Confused with career pathways

• Terrified of starting from scratch…again

=

Staff were

FRUSTRATED!

Best Strategies to Combat Frustration

• Figure out how to best utilize existing structures (example – transition CP committees to guided pathways work teams)

• Design an initiative-inclusive student success model – there’s room for everyone!

• Link completed career pathways work to guided pathways model – helps contextualize how much of this work you actually have done and highlights priority areas of focus

Gateway’s Road to Student Success

Gateway’s Road to Student Success

Clarify the Paths (2017)

Guided Pathways

• Detailed information on target careers and transfer

• Course sequences, critical courses, embedded credentials, milestone courses

• Math and other coursework aligned to each program of study (in proper sequence)

Career Pathways

We live in this space!!

• Career pathway maps with entry and exit points, transfer options, job titles and wages, etc.

• Scaffolded curriculum

• Embedded credentials

• Integration of appropriate general studies and electives into pathway programs of study

Help Students Get on a Path (2017)

Guided Pathways

• Use multiple measures to assess needs

• First-year experience course

• Full program plans based on career/transfer

• Contextualized, integrated academic supports

• K12 partnerships focused on college/career exploration

Career Pathways

• Program plans aligned with career pathway structures in each program area

• Optional career exploration/ counseling

• Strong partnerships with K12 – dual credit, pathways planning, etc.

• Pathway-specific supports, but not wide-scale

Help Students Stay on their Path (2017)

Guided Pathways

• Ongoing, intrusive advising

• Systems for students to track progress

• Systems/procedures to identify at-risk students and provide supports

• Structure to redirect students who are not progressing to a more viable path

Career Pathways

• Students create academic plans and can track progress at the program and course level

• System alerts advising staff of student success issues and color-codes student based on support needs (red, yellow, green)

Ensure Students are Learning (2017)

Guided Pathways

• Program-specific learning outcomes

• Project-based, collaborative learning

• Applied learning experience

• Inescapable student engagement

• Track mastery of learning outcomes

• Improve teaching practices

Career Pathways

• All programs and pathways have learning outcomes that are assessed and reported annually

• Use assessment data to make improvements to practices

• PBL a focus in all programs

• Almost all programs have applied learning experience

How Did We Determine What to Do Next?

AACC Guided Pathways Institutes:

• Making the case for guided pathways (11/17)

• Onboarding/Advising (9/18)

• Teaching and Learning (9/19)

AACC Guided Pathways Coaching Visits:

• Socialize GP and “Road” model to college (3/18)

• Restructure math and English pathways, remedial courses, and placement in program sequence (7/18)

• Scheduling (3/19)

• Sustainability/action planning (7/19)

How Have We Filled in the Gaps?

• Redesigned curriculum sheets; including part-time schedule for first time in 2020-21

• Streamlined math pathways

• Math and English in first year of program (required!)

• Remedial sequences shortened and co-req’d

• Reengineered pathways information on website

• FYE course – starting 2020-21

• Multiple measures – anticipated 2020-21

• Restructuring advising model

• Modified policies and practices

Getting Others on Board• Paint the picture in realistic but attainable terms

• Identify baseline:

https://www.pathwaysresources.org/pathways-model/planning/preparation-awareness/

• Guided pathways is not an initiative that you can wish away –it becomes a part of the way your organization operates (just like career pathways!)

• Requires leadership at all levels – empower early adopters

• It will take others much longer than you to see where you’re headed – be patient, but do not stop making progress

• Show data – at start and annual update (AACC recommends first-time ever in college fall start cohorts)

Additional Resources

• AACC Pathways Resources website: https://www.pathwaysresources.org/

• Better Together: Career and Guided Pathways Briefing (CLASP): https://www.clasp.org/sites/default/files/publications/2018/09/2018careerandguidedpathways.pdf

Presenter Contact Information

Jaime Spaciel

Director, Career Pathways &

Program Effectiveness

Gateway Technical College

spacielj@gtc.edu

262-564-3080

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-spaciel/