Conditions For Sustainable and Equitable Pathways Systems: Advance CTE has published a resource analyzing progress made by Launch, a national initiative led by five organizations working to ensure all students have access to high-quality and equitable college and career pathways. The partnership identified a framework of five levers critical to driving change and highlights examples from states.
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Policy: Effective policies take a systemic approach, encompassing multiple systems and incorporating best practices and data. For example, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future establishes clear goals ensuring students are prepared for successful careers, such as benchmarks for how many students graduate with an industry-recognized credential.
- Funding: Funding must provide states with the resources they need to build successful pathways to meet labor market demand. For instance, Delaware passed legislation that aligns federal, state, institutional and private funding streams to support Delaware Pathways.
- Partnerships: Partnerships between systems and institutions must not only be built but also sustained and improved over time. Massachusetts’ Connecting Activities program is an example of establishing strong relationships between employers, schools and the state’s workforce boards to develop career training opportunities for students.
- Data: State data systems should span education and workforce to identify outcomes and facilitate collaboration. For instance, created in 2021, the Virginia Office of Education Economics informs education and workforce policy by providing robust data alongside key partners across the state.
- Equity: College and career pathways must be accessible, flexible and made available to all students. For example, Indiana supports credit for prior learning (CPL) by providing a searchable database for CPL options across the state.
Current Term Enrollment Estimates - Fall 2024: The National Student Clearinghouse recently released fall 2024 postsecondary enrollment data. Important takeaways include:
- Total postsecondary enrollment grew by 4.5% from last fall. For the second year in a row, double-digit growth occurred at public two-year institutions with a high vocational program focus, increasing 13.6%.
- Freshman enrollment growth was the strongest at community colleges, increasing 7.1%.
- Enrollment for dual enrollment students increased by 10.2% from last fall. In addition, enrollment of students aged 25 and above grew faster than students aged 18-20 and 21-24.
- For the fourth consecutive year, undergraduate certificate enrollment grew, increasing by 9.9%. In addition, associate degree program enrollment increased by 6.3%.
- Among major fields at two-year institutions, growth was highest for construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, precision production, and health professionals and related clinical sciences.
This data highlights the growing relevance of postsecondary CTE as more students seek programs that prepare them for high-demand, high-paying careers.
The Speed of Skill Change: Lightcast published a report comparing job postings between 2021 to 2024 to identify changes in required skills. Skills for the average job have changed by one-third, while one in four jobs has experienced a 75% change in skills.
The report also details three key industries that are creating major skills disruptions for jobs:
- AI: The demand for AI skills has exploded in recent years, with generative AI postings up 15,625% from 2021 to 2024.
- Green/sustainability skills: Increased action from the federal government, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the emergence of green energy to power AI and other data centers has bolstered the need for workers with green skills.
- Cybersecurity: The cybersecurity workforce has been expanding significantly since 2013 and is in demand across a wide range of sectors.
Finally, the report includes workforce planning tips for organizations seeking to understand more about each of these industries.
A Case for Equity in Experimental Learning: An article by Madhumita Banerjee and Kaila Bingen in the December 2024 edition of Experimental Learning and Teaching in Higher Education explored whether an alternative course could serve as a substitute for internships for students who might not have access to them. The researchers studied a specific course at a small, public four-year Midwestern university that serves a disproportionately high percentage of disadvantaged students.
The course, a standard three-credit college course, was developed in response to the university prioritizing building career success for students after finding that very few students ever complete an internship. The curriculum focuses on career development and preparation for students’ futures, including building resumes, developing interview experience, and increasing students’ confidence to apply for a professional position, graduate school or pursue any other pathway they choose.
Statistical analysis revealed that students taking this course achieved significant improvement in all eight career competencies measured in the study (career and self-development, critical thinking, professionalism, leadership, communication, teamwork, technology, and equity and inclusion). Leadership emerged as the most improved competency, followed by both critical thinking and career and self-development.
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