SEE THE SYSTEM: Reflections on Career Pathways Implementation in the United States and How We Can Do Better

The moral and economic imperative to prepare students for successful careers has never been more clear.

A growing body of evidence shows that career pathways programs lead to improved outcomes in high school, postsecondary education, and employment. But these programs only succeed when K-12 education, higher education, employers, and other governmental, private, and nonprofit sector stakeholders work together effectively. This is no easy feat.

Drawing on their experience supporting over 100 career pathways initiatives, Delivery Associates has distilled 7 key lessons for U.S. policymakers, funders, and system leaders.

Underlying these lessons is a central realization that “career pathways” is not a policy to be enacted, nor a single program model to be adopted—it represents a fundamental shift in how governments, educators, businesses, and civil society organizations must work together as a single, coherent system.