Recently Abt Associates held a webinar titled, Career Pathways Strategies: Early Impacts on Education & Training and Insights from PACE Programs. You can view the recorded webinar here.
This webinar shared early findings on the effectiveness of career pathways strategies and shared practitioner insights from the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) study, a major rigorous evaluation of programs using a career pathways framework. Career pathways strategies offer connected education and training steps between occupations in an industry sector, along with career and academic advising and other supports. The rapid rise of career pathways strategies nationally, including their emphasis in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, creates an urgent need for more evidence on this approach.
Webinar participants learned what the nine PACE programs offered to students and the programs’ early impacts on education, training, and career pathways employment. Participants also heard from three PACE programs—run by a community college, a community-based organization, and a local workforce board respectively— about program services, partnerships, and recruitment strategies, and what each program has learned about how to operate an effective career pathways program.
Speakers:
- Nicole Constance, Senior Social Science Research Analyst, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Karen Gardiner, Principal Associate, Social & Economic Policy, Abt Associates
- Brian Stewart, Dean of Education and Biomedical Sciences, Pima Community College, Tucson, Arizona
- Seanna Melchior Ruvkun, Project Manager, Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council, Washington
- Yvonne Lau, Dean of Academic Affairs and Career Pathways, and Ian Sharping, Director of Institutional Effectiveness, Instruction, and Curriculum, Instituto del Progreso Latino, Chicago, Illinois
Click here for a PDF of the PACE Webinar slides
I'm curious what surprised you about these PACE programs? What resonated with the work you're doing in your own program? If it has an impact on your thinking about career pathways, you're invited to share it here.
Best,
Mike Cruse
Career Pathways Moderator
michaelcruse74@gmail.com