Initiative

Our education systems can be drivers of economic opportunity. When done right, college and career pathways provide intentional, career-aligned courses that span secondary and postsecondary education, embed work-based learning experiences and lead to credentials of value — resulting in well-prepared individuals, strong economies and thriving communities.  While college and career pathways strategies have proven effective at improving outcomes for those involved, access and quality remain uneven. Too often historically marginalized learners, particularly Black and Latinx learners and learners experiencing poverty, do not have the same opportunities as their peers. As a result, too few learners are earning credentials of value, perpetuating economic inequity, and our economies often lack the well-prepared talent needed to thrive.

Launch: Equitable & Accelerated Pathways for All is a national college and career pathways initiative that strives for every learner to have access to and succeed in high-quality and equitable pathways.

We will do so by:

  • Driving a national agenda for college and career pathways 
  • Working with state and local partnerships to expand access and equitable outcomes by tackling entrenched inequities in education and workforce systems
  • Advancing pathways policies and strategies that help achieve greater scale and sustainability 
  • Seeding and growing next-generation models that will transform career pathways systems and dismantle entrenched barriers that perpetuate inequities in economic advancement

Launch includes two distinct cohorts, Impact and Innovation, representing leaders from across 14 states, including state education and workforce agencies, K-12 districts, postsecondary institutions, policymakers, and other intermediary partners.

Launch will harness the expertise of the five national partners and participating state and local leaders to elevate the levers that drive systems change — data, policy, funding, partnerships, and equity — and help state and local sites create equitable, sustainable systems that are built to last.