Sustaining the Work

Overview

Conditions for Sustainable Pathways Systems, the first publication from the Launch Initiative, synthesizes conditions that must be in place to advance high-quality and sustainable pathways systems. The publication provides a framework for college and career pathways system leaders to follow as they pursue accessible, sustainable, high-quality pathways systems at scale. 

Each section of Conditions for Sustainable Pathways Systems focuses on one of the five key levers undergirding the Launch initiative’s work from 2022-2024: policy, funding, partnerships, data, and access. For each lever, readers will find a description of its importance and common challenges; a list of conditions that must be met to achieve lasting impact; and examples from states advancing ambitious, effective strategies in each domain. 

Below, you can explore a high-level summary of each of the levers, conditions, and examples from states included in the full publication. For purposes of this resource, the five levers are presented individually. However, in reality, they are part of an interconnected ecosystem and must be pursued and supported simultaneously and coherently. For more detailed information on how to achieve the conditions and the examples, read the full publication.

Policy

Definition

The pathways policy landscape is complex, encompassing policies that affect multiple systems, including K–12 and postsecondary education and the public workforce system, as well as both state and local agencies and institutions. Pathways do not exist in a vacuum and must be considered within the context of the larger political environment.

Effective pathways policies must take a systemic approach, build on best practices in the field, and, where possible, be informed by data. Outdated or ineffective policies should be removed to improve coherence. To support local policy implementation, resources and incentives should be provided, as state policy is only as effective as its ability to be adopted at the local level.

Conditions

Key POLICY conditions to build pathways for scale and sustainability include:

A shared vision for college and career pathways provides a “North Star” for policies and programs, establishes a framework for the state system that guides decision-making and action, and leads to more integrated and effective policies and implementation.

Drawing on the shared vision, states are intentional about when and how new policies are adopted, taking into consideration existing laws and programs to remove duplication, avoid confusion, and ensure consistency and cohesiveness for their career pathways systems.

To build buy-in and commitment to the work, states ensure that incentives and priorities are aligned across learners, schools, districts, and the state to support coherence and effective policy implementation. As much as possible, policies must be a “win-win-win” for the state, local districts, and learners.

To achieve scale in addition to sustainability, policies are designed to tackle the root causes of disparities in opportunities and outcomes and built to meet the needs of learners who have the greatest barriers to access and success.

Actionable steps to achieve the listed conditions are available in the full report.

State Examples

Colorado

Colorado is approaching cross-sector priorities and challenges by aiming to build more policy coherence and alignment. Colorado’s Secondary, Postsecondary, and Work-Based Learning Integration Task Force (1215 Task Force), established by legislation in 2022, was charged with developing and recommending policies to expand programs that integrate secondary, postsecondary, and work-based learning opportunities in every region of the state.

Through the work of the 1215 Task Force and the Accountability, Accreditation, Student Performance, and Resource Inequity Task Force, or the 1241 Task Force established through legislation in 2023, the state has released two detailed reports with recommendations on program modernization, access, awareness and value, sustainable funding, partnerships, and improvements to the way Post-secondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR) opportunities in Colorado are measured, recognized, rewarded, and incentivized within the accountability frameworks.

Read the 1215 Task Force Report published in December 2023

Click here

Read the 1241  Task Force Report published in November 2024

Click here

Initiated through legislation in 2015 that called for the development of the Illinois Pathways Interagency Committee to develop a shared statewide strategy for better preparing high school graduates for success in college and career, led to the passage of the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR) Act in 2016.

The PWR Act aims to require and support coordinated efforts among school districts, postsecondary education institutions, employers, and other public and private organizations to implement four aligned strategies to address key barriers to the successful transition of Illinois high school learners into college and careers.

To further institutionalize a key aspect of this law and build more policy cohesion, in 2022, the state adopted a new policy requiring that school districts establish career pathway endorsement programs and adopt either the model Illinois PaCE Framework or a customized version during the coming years.

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future College and Career Readiness pillar establishes a clear, statewide vision for college and career readiness. It promotes rigorous standards to ensure that learners are prepared for success after high school and calls for the expansion of dual enrollment, college and career pathways, and opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials.

The Blueprint has set goals to expand Career Technical Education and credential attainment, for example, aiming for 45% of public high school learners to graduate having completed the high school level of a Registered Apprenticeship or another industry-recognized credential.

Funding

Definition

Delivering high-quality, equitable pathways requires consistent, longterm funding that can adapt to the fast-changing demands of industry and the varied needs of learners. Because college and career pathways span multiple systems, state and local leaders frequently braid a variety of state and federal funding streams, a necessary but complex process that requires creativity, expertise, and a shared commitment to aligned outcomes.

For pathways to exist at scale and be sustainable, a strategic approach to funding that aligns and optimizes funding across K–12, postsecondary, and workforce systems—including a diversified mix of funding types— must be in place.

Conditions

Key FUNDING conditions to build pathways for scale and sustainability include:

Having clearly defined and committed funding streams that support college and career pathways is paramount. States provide categorical funding to ensure that districts, institutions, and intermediaries have the resources they need to support pathways, prioritizing those that align with labor market demand and rewarding programs based on learner outcomes.

To maximize the full range of potential dollars available to support the shared vision and goals for career pathways, states strategically draw on a wide range of resources (whether state, federal, or private) through braiding and blending strategies. Resource alignment mirrors and facilitates the established vision for cross-system cooperation.

Faced with finite resources, states leverage existing federal and state education and workforce resources for career pathways and integrate new resources into existing systems to fill gaps, rather than duplicate efforts.

Given pathways systems cannot be sustained without dedicated capacity to administer them, the state provides the necessary funding for state agencies,  local institutions, and intermediaries to implement and support career pathways systems with fidelity.

To increase access and success for learners universally, funding models are designed and revised to direct funding to where it is needed most.

Actionable steps to achieve the listed conditions are available in the full report.

State Examples

Delaware

Delaware intentionally leverages and aligns federal, state, institutional, and private funding streams to support Delaware Pathways, officially created by executive order in 2016. The Delaware Pathways program is a statewide system of career pathways for youth, as well as training opportunities for educators and community-based partners. The state identified and implemented three major strategies to optimize and coordinate financial support for career pathways: developing a structure for philanthropic contributions and investment, coordinating state and federal supports to leverage additional resources, and developing a catalog of additional funding. 

In 2021 the governor announced Delaware Pathways 2.0, a $15.8 million expansion of the state initiative that has enabled the program to reach 6,000 middle school learners and more than 12,000 additional secondary learners.

Starting in 2016, Kentucky began a multiyear effort to align 100% of career pathways offerings with high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand occupations, with the goal of being more strategic with its funding dedicated to state-approved career pathways. The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) first released a comprehensive list of career pathways programs aligned with the commonwealth’s five priority industries and top occupations to help local leaders identify those programs in need of transformation.

After taking an inventory of existing career pathways and leveraging enrollment and labor market data from the Kentucky Center for Statistics  (KY STATS), KDE in 2017 began phasing out and transforming career pathways that did not meet alignment criteria. 

To ensure buy-in at all levels of the education system, members of KDE met with school administrators across the commonwealth to discuss the need for labor market alignment in educational programs. Plans to phase out and transform career pathways were met largely with approval by local school staff. By the end of 2020, KDE had phased out, adjusted, or realigned all of its career pathways that did not meet the state’s expectations.

Through the Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative, Texas is prioritizing a coordinated approach  to pathways funding across the state’s K–12, higher education, and workforce development agencies to invest in statewide initiatives. Additionally, Texas is supporting regional pathways partnerships and building the capacity of regional intermediaries in 17 areas across the state in the Texas Regional Pathways Network through funding, technical assistance, and peer-learning opportunities. 

The Texas Regional Pathways Network currently includes two initiatives. First, Tri-Agency Regional  Convener grantees, funded through H.B. 1525, are developing regional pathways infrastructure and have goals to create systems that support scalable and sustainable pathways aligned with industry demand.

Second, Regional Pathway Teams, funded by federal Perkins CTE reserve funds, are focused on implementing pathways aligned to a specific industry and developing goals around learner outcomes. These efforts are complemented by outcomes-based funding that incentivizes postsecondary institutions to offer credentials of value and rewards school districts for improving learners’ college, career, and military readiness (CCMR).

TPRN priorities

Partnerships

Definition

A unique aspect of career pathways systems is the number and diversity of actors and stakeholders involved in the design and delivery of the programs and related experiences.  To grow and withstand economic and political change, pathways systems require shared goals; clear roles and responsibilities across these partners; and systems and processes that facilitate new kinds of engagement and leadership,  especially from the private sector.

Conditions

Key PARTNERSHIPS conditions to build pathways for scale and sustainability include:

Given the complexity of career pathways systems, well-defined governance structures, roles, and responsibilities exist for all partners to ensure consistent leadership with decision-making authority.

The ultimate success of a career pathways system cannot rest on the shoulders of one agency or stakeholder. All system actors feel both individual and collective responsibility for progress toward a shared goal and align resources in support of its pursuit.

At the local level, multiple agencies, institutions, and stakeholders are also responsible for the success of career pathways programs. As such, K–12, postsecondary, workforce, and private sector partners at the state and local levels have clear roles and expectations in the design and delivery of high-quality pathways.

Business and workforce communities are actively engaged and have multiple ways to contribute to the development and growth of the career pathways system and feel co-ownership of its success.

College and career pathways systems are not immune from turnover. To mitigate the impact of political and economic change, system leaders take steps to prevent disruption, with an eye toward maintaining progress and sustaining effective partnerships and programs.

Partnerships are grounded in a shared understanding of equal access and the partners’ roles and responsibilities for promoting greater access to and outcomes from pathways opportunities.

Actionable steps to achieve the listed conditions are available in the full report.

State Examples

Massachusetts

Massachusetts’ Connecting Activities (CA) is a Department of Elementary and Secondary Education initiative that leverages a statewide infrastructure to support college and career readiness for all learners by advancing cross-sector ownership for the locally delivered program. The CA line item has been in the state budget since 1998, first incubated during the school-to-work era. 

A self-described “state-funded intermediary system,” CA enables the 16 local MassHire workforce boards to recruit employers, prepare and place learners in brokered work-based learning (WBL) opportunities, and structure those experiences through the use of the Massachusetts Work-Based Learning Plan. In 2023, more than 4,000 Massachusetts employers provided WBL experiences for more than 12,000 learners through the CA initiative.

The return on investment from CA is very high: All told, employer-paid wages for placements with WBL plans and/or classroom and workshop instruction represented an investment of approximately $18,935,000 in WBL, more than two-and-a-half times the state’s most recent investment in the program.

In 2017, Rhode Island launched PrepareRI, an umbrella organization uniting multiple state and local agencies for career pathways systems, including the Governor’s Office, Rhode Island Department of Education, Governor’s Workforce Board, Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner, and Rhode Island Commerce Corporation. This effort stands as a very strong example of clear governance and roles supporting shared accountability. During their planning, the convening authority, partners, and cross-sector agencies identified their roles and responsibilities for service delivery to expand access for learners.

In 2022, the PrepareRI 2.0 Action Plan was adopted by the Rhode Island Board of Education as the state’s preK–20 strategic plan for education. Rhode Island is now once again in the process of updating its state PrepareRI plan to align to the governor’s 2030 plan.

A key initiative of PrepareRI is the PrepareRI Internship Program, which places 300–500 high school juniors into paid internships each summer. The program is funded by both the Governor’s Workforce Board and the Partnership for Rhode Island (a nonprofit CEO roundtable) and is managed by Skills for Rhode Island’s Future (a statewide workforce intermediary organization), demonstrating the role of industry champions. The number of interns participating in a PrepareRI summer high school internship program has increased from 162 in 2018 to 348 in 2023. 

Career Connect Washington (CCW) was established in 2019 through the state’s Workforce  Education Investment Act. Since its launch, CCW has developed partnerships to increase coordination among the public and private sectors, creating an equitable career-connected learning system that benefits Washington’s learners and employers. Key to CCW’s success has been its unique and multilayered public-private partnership model. At the state level, CCW is led by a team of four public and private entities: Washington’s Employment and Security Department; the Washington Roundtable; the Washington STEM Association; and the lead implementation partner,  the Washington Student Achievement Council. 

Across the state, nine regional networks serve as convening points for leaders from K–12 systems,  apprenticeship programs, higher education institutions, and private sector partners to cooperate to scale career-connected learning and meet regional workforce demand. Each of these nine areas also has a career-connected learning coordinator, funded through CCW, to provide additional capacity to support implementation of career-connected learning activities. 

In CCW’s first five years, its dynamic partnerships have led to the creation of more than 115 Career Launch programs, enabled nearly 10,000 young people to complete earn-and-learn programs, and attracted more than $30 million in federal grants to further scale and build a statewide system of career pathways. 

Data

Definition

Building, refining, and continuously improving college and career pathways systems requires data systems that connect K–12, higher education, and workforce data, including learner outcomes, employer feedback, and program data. Siloed data systems make tracking outcomes and knowing whether policies and programs are having their intended effects difficult. Even in cases in which states have the right data, local leaders sometimes do not have access to or know how to use the information effectively for improvement.

Sustainable career pathways systems rely on a set of shared, readily available metrics identified across education systems and workforce and economic development agencies, including labor market data. Leaders use these metrics to support both real-time and long-term decisions.

Conditions

Key DATA conditions to build pathways for scale and sustainability include:

Given that career pathways span multiple systems, states use integrated data systems to track shared metrics, including employment and wage records, to identify outcomes, and support coordination across K–12, postsecondary, and the workforce.

States have established and defined roles and responsibilities for collecting, evaluating, and using data to ensure consistency and accountability, effectively measure outcomes, and reduce duplication.

A mix of short-term and long-term data points are critical to making real-time and reflective decisions about funding, policies, and interventions. As such, states collect and provide timely data for both long-term and/or immediate decision-making.

Key stakeholders must have the ability to access and make sense of the data improved systems collect and generate. Local leaders, policymakers, and the public understand and leverage education and workforce data to assess performance, track progress, and continuously improve career pathways programs.

Beyond learner-level data, decisions about college and career pathways also rely on economic and labor market data. States provide access to and ensure integration of economic development and labor market data to inform decision-making.

State and local leaders consistently leverage the power of data to identify access and outcomes gaps, set ambitious goals for improving access and outcomes, and track progress toward reaching them.

Actionable steps to achieve the listed conditions are available in the full report.

State Examples

Tennessee

The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) partnered with the Tennessee Department of  Labor and Workforce Development to launch a new Careers Start Here dashboard that shows trends in employment for graduates of the state’s community and technical colleges.

The dashboard aims to arm users with accessible data to inform decision-making. It allows TBR  colleges, including Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology, to deepen their understanding of employment patterns and wage outcomes for their learners. Colleges can track outcomes for graduates and nongraduates of TBR colleges between 2013 and 2023 and examine employment in Tennessee, average wages, and industry trends.

The dashboard is meant to be user-friendly and enables users to explore the data based on region of residence, award type, industry, career cluster,  program of study, race/ethnicity, gender, year of exit, and graduation status. All data can be disaggregated by learner demographics, and the data are updated quarterly. 

The Virginia Office of Education Economics (VOEE), created by legislation and established in 2021, informs policy and practice at the intersection of education and workforce development. VOEE data and analyses inform a diverse group of stakeholders as they make data-driven decisions for programs and policy related to workforce education and training, leveraging economic, labor market, and learner-level data.

These stakeholders include the governor and members of the General Assembly, who look to VOEE as a guide as they make strategic investments in current and future education and workforce training programs.

The office works closely with key partners across the state, including the Virginia Department of Labor, the Virginia Secretary of Commerce & Trade, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Virginia Community College System, higher education institutions, the Virginia Department of Education, the Virginia Employment Commission, GO Virginia, the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, and other workforce partners. 

North Carolina has made the attainment of industry-recognized credentials for high school graduates a statewide priority, with a focus on ensuring that learners earn true credentials of value. However, despite supportive policy and investments, the state identified that many more learners could and should be earning credentials, or what the state is calling their “credential potential.” This concept aims to close the gap between the number of learners eligible to earn a credential and those who do, using data to drive equitable outcomes. 

The state’s Board of Education and Department of Public Instruction deliver an annual Credential  Report to the North Carolina General Assembly. The report analyzes data in many robust ways, including credential tier, equity and access, and trends over time. CTE learners achieved a 41% credential attainment rate for the 2022–23 school year, a substantial increase from 28% in 2021–22.

Additionally, there was a 44% increase in attainment of credentials that align with the North Carolina Workforce Credentials partners list created in partnership with employers and workforce development organizations. North Carolina will develop a CTE dashboard to assist district and school leaders with data analysis to identify gaps and missed opportunities to credential learners, particularly for those who are from underrepresented populations. 

KYSTATS is a state office housed within the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. It is tasked with collecting and linking learner-level data across the commonwealth in an integrated data system to evaluate education and workforce programs. This work includes developing reports and data dashboards, responding to research requests, and providing statistical analysis to help policymakers, practitioners, and the general public make data-informed decisions.

Tools such as the Kentucky CTE Employer Connector help employers and educators find the CTE programs closest to them. Reports such as the CTE Feedback Report examine high school CTE trends and their association with employment and postsecondary outcomes later in life. They also display training locations and future demand for employment. The 2023–25  Research Agenda focuses on expanding data usage to inform policy, programs, and equity in the evolving commonwealth. 

Access

Definition

College and career pathways strategies have proven effective at improving learner outcomes, but access to high-quality programs remains uneven for many learners.

Too often, learners lack awareness about what professional opportunities exist and what those opportunities require and offer in terms of career advancement. Pathways systems must be deliberately designed to provide access and outcomes, and barriers to doing so should be attended to from the outset of system design efforts.

Conditions

Key ACCESS conditions to build pathways for scale and sustainability include:

To maximize opportunity for learners and respond to rapidly evolving labor market needs, pathways have multiple entry and exit points. These multiple points allow learners to pursue a range of career options in a given pathway and provide them with options to return to education in the future, building on prior learning and experience.

States have clear and ongoing mechanisms for uncovering and addressing barriers to access and success, ensuring access to positive outcomes for all learners.

Effective college and career pathways systems actively seek and capture input from learners, families, communities, and educational institutions to continuously inform and improve implementation, creating time and space for meaningful dialogue. 

State and local agencies and institutions provide necessary supports early and often, ensuring that programs are culturally relevant and designed to serve individuals facing the greatest barriers to success, while ultimately benefiting all learners.

Clear processes, routines, and reporting protocols and designated personnel exist to monitor progress toward state and local targets for closing access and outcomes gaps, ensuring that access remains a priority throughout implementation.

Actionable steps to achieve the listed conditions are available in the full report.

State Examples

Delaware

The Delaware Department of Education has made learner voice a priority in the design and delivery of its career pathways system. Starting in 2023, Delaware worked to formalize a number of processes and programs to center learners in the state’s decision-making processes, as well as develop learner-led professional development to build learner leadership skills. The state began by establishing a Student Leadership Advisory Committee, a diverse group of 16 learners from across the state and program areas. These learners guided the statewide plan and activities for identifying the best ways to systematize learner voice. 

The state also expanded work-based learning opportunities by requiring vendors on CTE projects to provide immersive experiences for learners, giving them real-world career exposure. Additionally, Delaware involves learners in contracted—and paid—employment, such as learner-led catering for CTE/Career Technical Student Organization events, enhancing learner agency, and supporting local businesses that hire learner workers.

Indiana has a robust credit for prior learning (CPL) infrastructure to support learners as they come in and out of formal education pathways, enabling flexible on- and off-ramps. CPL refers to the various processes for recognizing and awarding credit for college-level learning gained outside the classroom and may often be referred to as prior learning assessment. The state’s CPL Clearinghouse provides a searchable database of all CPL options ,including Advanced Placement and College-Level Examination Program exams, early postsecondary opportunities, and every public and independent postsecondary institution in the state’s individual policies and CPL offerings.

With awareness of CPL growing and more options for awarding prior credit, the state saw a need to provide more consistent support and guidance. In 2024, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education released statewide policy guidance for CPL to support more consistent use of CPL across Indiana’s higher education institutions. The model policy guidance offers minimum program standards and was developed within input from higher education, workforce development, and community partners.

In Ohio, the Office of Career-Technical Education has made ensuring high-quality education for each learner a priority. Every local education agency that receives Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V) funding must participate in a state-facilitated workshop every two years. This requirement aligns with the Perkins-required Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment, which guides key stakeholders through a process of identifying gaps in access to or success in CTE programs using data provided in reports from the state. Specifically, local districts review and analyze data organized in three major categories: meaningful access, engagement and enrollment, and learner outcomes. 

Through these state-facilitated workshops, local leaders identify the largest or most pressing gap to be addressed and perform a root cause analysis, while clearly articulating a commitment to advancing access with a plan to specifically address and continually make meaningful progress toward improving the performance of special populations. 

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