Strengthening Transitions by Encouraging Career Pathways (continued)

Conclusion

Restructuring career and technical education around career pathways is an ambitious reform that many states are beginning to undertake. Though no state has implemented policies addressing all pieces of career pathways, quite a few have made strides in a number of areas. A review of the state policies discussed here raises a number of concerns, however. The continued division between academic and career-technical education does not allow students to flexibly move and transfer coursework between the two. The creation of new pathways between applied and academic coursework, such as applied baccalaureate degrees, is a positive start. But overall, policymakers should pay attention to finding ways to integrate programs and curricula. There is a false assumption that students will pursue education and training in a linear fashion. Some argue that career pathways should contain multiple entry points, as many students, such as workers returning to education and recent immigrants, do not progress from education to work in one direct route. Thus, policymakers should support the creation of multiple pathways to accommodate both traditional and nontraditional students.

Employers seem to be for the most part absent in the policies we examined. Although some employers may play a meaningful role in career pathways in practice, it was difficult to find state policies that encourage or reward them for doing so. This is ironic, since one goal of career pathways is to connect students to the labor market and help them smoothly enter rewarding careers. Alssid et al. (2002) make a strong case that career pathways must be framed as a system for workforce development, with structured roles for a broad group of regional partners to be successful. State policies could encourage stronger employer involvement by providing incentives to those firms offering internships or committed to hiring career pathways graduates. While we have primarily focused on policies that effectively support career pathways, implementing new policy is not always desirable. We encountered a number of individuals who felt that in some areas, such as dual enrollment, less regulation would be more conducive to the development of career pathways. In the absence of state directives, institutions can develop their own creative ways, tailored to local needs, for linking secondary and postsecondary education with the labor market. Finally, it is important for every state to have its own vision for a long-term educational and career pathways system since federal policy tends to shift with different administrations. Each state must determine its own governance of education and workforce development, ideally including career pathways as a system for delivering career and technical education.