Career Pathways

The federal Workforce Investment and Innovation Act (WIOA) has changed the landscape of adult education, focusing the field squarely on workforce development outcomes and programming that supports the integration of education and training (IET) and career pathways. This guide emerged from efforts to learn how eight adult education programs around the country have been integrating education and training. Many of these programs are making adjustments to conform to WIOA requirements and activities; others are using WIOA as an opportunity to forge new workforce collaborations. Across the board, there is much to learn from what they are doing effectively, what hasn’t worked well, and what they are thinking about going forward. Despite their wide range of contexts, all IET programs face some common realities. One is that the world of work is constantly evolving. New jobs require updated technological skills and a comfort with digital tools; employers are modernizing with green technologies and practices; and industries may rise, fall, or relocate. IET programs need to be nimble in responding to these realities. Illustrated in this guide are programs that continue to revamp their services, employ sectoral approaches that focus on technical skills that transfer across job categories, or rotate their job trainings so that they don’t over-saturate the market with workers who are then left without strong employment options. Another universal reality for IET programs is that this integration of services requires building relationships with and engaging new partners, and collaborating in new ways. The expanded team involved in such a collaboration needs to figure out how to work together and best utilize the strengths of each partner. The profiles in this guide offer a wide array of approaches both in who the adult education programs partner with (e.g. career and technical education (CTE) departments within a college or technical high school, WIOA-authorized training providers, or in-house technical training instructors) and how they collaborate in those partnerships to develop an integrated curriculum. The programs profiled are:

• Asian-American Civic Association (Boston, MA)
• Community Action, Inc. of Central Texas (Austin, TX)
• Eastern Aroostook Adult and Community Education (Caribou, ME)
• Genesis Center (Providence, RI)
• Johnson County Community College (Johnson County, KS)
• LaGuardia Community College (Queens, NY)
• Northeast Mississippi Community College (Booneville, MS)
• Southwest Regional Adult and Continuing Education (Southwest VA)

The Florida Literacy Coalition Health Careers Guide is a targeted resource for adult learners interested in exploring the wide range of career opportunities in health care. Written in plain language, the guide is suitable for learners at a 5th grade reading level or higher as well as for English language learners at an intermediate level or higher. The guide focuses on careers requiring two years or less of training. Providing beneficial information about preparing for a health career, it can be used as a curriculum or a stand-alone resource for students. In addition to providing job skill and training resources, the guide highlights 30 health occupations in four areas: 1) patient care, 2) imaging and diagnostics, 3) administration and support services, and 4) health information and records.

This article overviews four open access online articles that address teaching digital literacy and digital problem solving to adult learners. The four authors--Harris, Quann, Rosen, Vanek--of the articles reviewed, emphasize the need for adult digital literacy instruction that moves beyond teaching adults basic literacy skills so that they leaner skills that are relevant to college and career settings.  Furthering this idea, each article reviewed identifies the need for adult learners to learn how to apply digital skills across a wider set of experiences than testing, drill and practice activities. They also all agree that tasks for teaching digital problem solving should be relevant to learners’ needs and contexts for use outside of the classroom. The reviewers identify key ideas, tips, and strategies for providing adult learners a more robust digital literacy learning experience.  They highlight that basic digital literacy skills can be learned in the context of digital problem solving rather than as gatekeeping skills for more advanced skills, including four categories in the English language learner classroom: basic skills, creating and communicating digitally, finding and evaluating information online, and problem solving in technology rich environments. The reviewers also touch on the role of the teacher, and which tools to use when teaching digital literacy skills. The reviewers propose that transformative learning is more likely to occur when basic skills are are situated in authentic digital problem solving activities, such as locating resources, navigating, creating, and communicating while completing real world learner-centered activities.

Integrated Education and Training (IET) has become a useful strategy to help adult education students and others improve their basic and occupational skills while meeting local workforce development requirements and needs. The resource provides templates, guidance, and tools that will help practitioners plan, design, and implement the basic skills component of an IET curriculum. The resource is designed to enable Title II providers and their training partners to adapt existing curriculum and/or develop new basic skills curriculum to help adult education students successfully complete occupational skills training and move forward on a career path. The focus of this guide is on basic skills rather than occupational skills training curriculum.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was enacted on July 22, 2014. WIOA calls for cross-system alignment; education and training that is focused on the needs of high-demand industry sectors and occupations; regional collaboration focused on the skill needs of regional economies; and the establishment of career pathways systems that make it easier for all Americans to attain the skills and credentials needed for family-supporting jobs and careers. Within these systems, career pathways programs offer a clear sequence, or pathway, of education coursework and/or training credentials aligned with employer-validated work readiness standards and competencies. This checklist is designed as a work aid to help determine the extent to which a newly developed or existing program meets the requirements for career pathways in section (3)(7) of WIOA.

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) and The City University of New York (CUNY) co-developed the NYSED/CUNY CareerKit. It is a comprehensive career preparation resource for teachers and counselors to equip students with the skills necessary to make informed choices about their career paths in ten industry sectors. CareerKit activities are written at the high school equivalency (HSE)/Upper English as a second language (ESL) level, with adaptations possible for Pre-HSE and intermediate ESL levels, and integrates reading, writing, research and math skills. The sectors are Healthcare, Technology, Community & Social Services, Education & Childcare, Manufacturing, Hospitality, Recreation, & the Arts, Food Production, Retail, Construction, and Transportation & Warehousing. There is also a foundational, multisector CareerKit, Career Fundamentals, which introduces students to key questions related to career decision-making.

This planning guide is designed as an interactive tool for initiating or expanding the alignment between existing CTE and apprenticeship programs. It provides a blueprint for state, regional, and local administrators leading efforts to transform CTE and apprenticeship linkages across a state or community. The blueprint begins with defining the potential impact that CTE and apprenticeship alignment will have for students, employers, and communities. The process then moves to developing a plan of action tailored to the needs and readiness of state or local programs. Once a plan is in place, partnerships are developed with institutions, employers, and agencies who then help in defining and designing the program. Customizable tools and templates are provided that allow users to adjust each resource to fit their unique needs. While the steps, tools, and resources in this guide are valuable to anyone interested in strengthening the potential intersection between CTE and apprenticeship programs, this resource is targeted at two distinct groups of users. The first includes state leaders of education and workforce training systems seeking to improve the alignment of secondary CTE and apprenticeship programs. The second includes education and training providers who are interested in working with regional or local employers or industry groups to expand the role of CTE in preparing high school students for apprenticeships.