Creating Pathways to Prosperity:
An Update on the Pathways Project
William C. Symonds
Director, Pathways to Prosperity Project
Harvard Graduate School of Education
NCPN CONFERENCE
Richmond, Virgina
October 19, 2012
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The Pathways Project: A Brief Review
• LAUNCHED: FALL 2008
*Two Key Questions
*The Research Phase
• THE REPORT
* Release: February, 2011
* Response
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RESPONSE to the Pathways Report
• NATIONAL:
*More than 30 states
*Red AND Blue States
• EVERY GEOGRAPY
* New England/ Mid-Atlantic
* Midwest
* West
* Southwest and South
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THE CALIFORNIA RESPONSE
• Pathways Conference: Cisco; January, 2010
• Community Meetings:
**Napa
**Sonoma County/ Santa Rosa
**Palo Alto
• Santa Clara County CTE Conference: 2010-12
• CTA Conference: Los Angeles
• Pathways Network:
**San Bernardino
**Long Beach
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THE WISCONSIN RESPONSE
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Wisconsin Legislature : Family Impact Seminar
sySTEM Now Conference: Milwaukee
Project Lead the Way Conference: Pewaukee
Fond du Lac/ Moraine Park TC
Appleton
Greater Milwaukee Committee
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Manpower
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WHY IS THERE SO MUCH INTEREST?
• The Record of School Reform: Disappointing at
Best
• The American Dream is at Risk:
**Near-record youth unemployment: 53% grad
unemployment/underemployment
**Soaring student debt
**Middle class under pressure: Median
income back to mid-90s
• THE BOTTOM LINE: A HUGE CHALLENGE
AND A BIG OPPORTUNITY
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What is the Pathways Challenge?
The United States is increasingly failing to prepare
young people to lead successful live as adults:
• The Key Role of Education in the American
Century
• We have lost our global leadership in educational
attainment and achievement
• Teen and young adults (20-24) are increasingly
unable to find work
• Mounting social problems: Youth poverty; decline
of the family; huge economic challenges
• THE DANGER: A WASTED GENERATION
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College for All does not mean everyone needs a B.A. Even in this decade
most jobs do not require a B.A.
Source: March CPS data, various years; Center on Education and the Workforce forecast of educational demand to 2018.
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Good Jobs that DON’T require a B.A.
• What is a “Middle-Skill” job?
**Education beyond HS, but less than BA
**Pay Middle-Class Wages: $35,000 to $95,000
• There are 29 Million Middle Jobs
**More than 11 million pay $50,000-plus
• EXAMPLES:
**Healthcare: Radiation Therapists; Dental
Hygienist; EMTs
**Blue-Collar: Commercial and industrial
construction; Power plant operators
**IT: Including IBM
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What is the right goal for the U.S.?
“College for All” needs to be broadened to mean a
meaningful “post-high school credential” for all
A meaningful credential can be earned in many ways:
• Community college/Technical College
• Apprenticeships
• The military/community service
• Four year college
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Stagnant High School Graduation Rates
Despite two decades of reform, H.S. graduation rates
have not changed much since the 1980s
Note: Does not include GED recipients. Unless indicated, does not include recent immigrants. Rates are
for age group of 20-24 or 25-29 dependant on their age at the time of census
Source: Heckman and LaFountaine (2007), U.S. Census data, and other sources
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U.S. “on time” college completion rates are alarmingly low
Note: Two-year schools have a three year graduation window. Four-year schools have a six-year window
Source: Higher Ed info-NCES/IPEDS Graduation Survey.
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The current U.S. reality: only 40% of 27-year olds have earned an A.A. degree
or higher
Note: Represents data collected in surveys between 2006-2008; GED is approximation based on data from GED Testing Program.
Source: Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
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Are our youth Career Ready?
U.S. Employers increasingly complain that young
adults lack “21st Century Skills”:
• “Are They Ready To Work?” Report
• Partnership for 21st Century Skills
• Tony Wagner’s “Seven Survival Skills”
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Shrinking employment opportunities: Teens and Young Adults have been hit
the hardest by the Great Recession
Source: Center for Labor Market Studies; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “CPS Labor Force Statistics”.
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Why Are We Failing To Prepare So Many Youth?
• Our focus has been too narrow
• We need a broader, more holistic system of
Pathways to Prosperity
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Lessons from Abroad
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In many European countries over half of upper secondary students are in
vocational educational and training
Source: OECD (2008), Education at a Glance 2008, OECD indicators, Table C1.1, OECD, Paris.
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The Case for Vocational Education Training
Pedagogical
• Best way for many young people to learn
• Apprenticeships support developmental needs of
young people
Higher attainment
• Many countries with best VET systems surpass the
U.S.
Finding work
• Facilitates transition to labor market
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The Bottom Line
• Foreign systems are far from perfect, and cannot
be imported directly to the U.S.
• BUT: The U.S. is increasingly an outlier on
vocational education
• We can use the principles and practices of the best
VET systems to develop an improved American
approach
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THE ROAD TO A PATHWAYS SYSTEM
1. Multiple Pathways
2. An Expanded Role for Employers
3. A new Social Compact with Young People
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Multiple Pathways
Key Elements:
• Elevate career education to world-class levels
• Provide high-quality career counseling
• Greatly expand and improve opportunities for
work-based learning
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Expanded Role for Employers
Goal: Businesses need to become full partners in the
Pathways system.
Key roles for business/employers:
• Career guidance
• Designing/developing Programs of Study
• Providing Opportunities for Work-based learning
and Work
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The Payoff from a Better Pathways System:
• FOR STUDENTS: more options; easier transition
to work; higher engagement/attainment
• FOR PARENTS: less financial stress/debt
• FOR EMPLOYERS: A strengthened pipeline;
better-prepared workers; new ways to give back
• FOR COMMUNITIES: A stronger social fabric; a
more vibrant economy; fewer social problems
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STATES TAKING THE LEAD
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The Goal: World-Class CTE
• “The Massachusetts Model:” Public School Choice
**How It Works
**The Pay-Off
**Boston: Can it work in Urban America?
• Oklahoma Technology Centers: Providing
excellence despite a Red State philosophy
• Tennessee Technology Centers: Who says 2-year
colleges can’t have high graduation rates?
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The Illinois Pathways Initiative
• ORIGINS: A Direct Response to Pathways
• The Framework:
**Learning Exchanges: true business-education
partnerships
**Focused on high-demand careers:
Manufacturing; IT; Health Science; R&D; Ag
**Funding: RTT plus Industry Match
• TIMELINE:
**Formal Launch: February, 2012
**Exchanges selected: September
**Three-year rollout
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The Policy Response:
• WASHINGTON: Career Pathways Act
**Key provisions:
--Promotes Career Exploration; encourages
students to select Career Majors
--Promotes work-based learning
--Encourages multiple Pathways
• NEW YORK REGENTS:
**The question: How do we define College and
Career Readiness
**The answer: Alter existing assessments
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FORGING A SOCIAL COMPACT
• BUILDING AWARENESS/ WILL THROUGH
PATHWAYS CONFERENCES:
**Nebraska/ Minnesota/ Wisconsin
**NH/ Rhode Island/ Hawaii
• THE PATHWAYS TO PROSPERITY
NETWORK
**6 STATES PLUS SOME CALIFORNIA
**MAPPING EXERCISE
**THE NEXT CHALLENGE
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EXEMPLARS FROM ABROAD
• CHAMPIONS OF THE “DUAL SYSTEM:”
SWITZERLAND-GERMANY:
**VAST CHOICE OF CAREERS
**EXTENSIVE EMPLOYER INVOLVEMENT
**INTEGRATION OF
ACADEMIC/VOCATIONAL
• GROWING INTEREST IN FAST-GROWING
COUNTRIES:
BRAZIL:
**DOUBLING ENROLLMENT
**RAISING STANDARDS
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NEXT STEPS FOR PATHWAYS
• “CREATING PATHWAYS TO PROSPERITY:”
* National conference: At Harvard :March 18-19
*Who Will Attend
--Teams from Many States
--Partner organizations
--Business and Gov’t Leaders
*Goals
• EXPAND THE PATHWAYS NETWORK
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
• How Can we Build a National Movement?
**Overcoming the Cultural Barriers
**Instilling “Pathways” Thinking into schools
and colleges
• How Can We Engage Business?
**In Career Advising
**In POS Development
**In providing Work-based learning
• What Can You do in Your Region
• How can you get involved Nationally?
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