Dive Brief:
- More than 150,000 students in California participate in career pathways programs, many of them created since 2014, when a $500 million investment launched the Career Pathways Trust.
- EdSource reports the trust promotes partnerships between schools, community colleges, businesses and institutes, and the career pathways programs give students hands-on learning opportunities, mentorship and internships.
- Aliso Niguel High School student Julia Hopkins says the hands-on experience has helped her understand what biotechnology jobs are really like, and Tim Buzza, vice president of program development at Virgin Galactic, considers pathway programs a critical feeder program for his labor pipeline.
Dive Insight:
Schools and districts across the country are finding ways to get students up and doing instead of passively receiving information from a lecturing teacher. Project-based learning initiatives, makerspaces and the Next Generation Science Standards all emphasize this shift. While career and technical education may have gotten a bad name in the push for college prep, today’s programs prepare students for careers that require advanced degrees in addition to those that require less intensive certificates.
Miami Dade County public schools in Florida is one district that has turned to career academies and career pathways as a strategy for school improvement. The district's high schools are among 716 nationwide that partner with NAF, an academy network supporting schools focused on finance, hospitality and tourism, information technology, engineering and the health sciences.