CLASP: Better Together - Career and Guided Pathways

In recognition of Adult Education and Family Literacy Awareness Week #AEFL, CLASP has released Better Together:  Career and Guided Pathways.  This brief highlights how career pathways and guided pathways are complementary, not duplicative, according to Judy Mortrude.  The following excerpt from the brief highlights the need for linkages at the state level.

When community colleges create clear postsecondary paths for all students, it’s easier to create onramps for people with barriers. However, in many states, the two efforts are on separate tracks. More must be done to ensure they align. Career-pathway work may be relegated to colleges’ workforce or adult education areas, while guided-pathway reform is driven by academia and student services. These divided efforts perpetuate the separate, unequal delivery of short-term education and training for lower-skilled and working adults. State leaders should link career pathways and guided-pathway reform to create authentic educational equity for all young adult and adult learners. 

What are steps that can be taken at the program level to create linkages between career and guided pathways?  What are the obstacles that we need to articulate to state leaders, in order to facilitate these connections in our programs?

Mike Cruse

Career Pathways Moderator

michaelcruse74@gmail.com