Creating the Missing Link between Career Choice and Guided Pathways

To ensure greater social mobility for minoritized communities, whether high school graduates or displaced workers, colleges must provide relevant information associated with all careers, link academic pathways to all programs of study, with clear connections between learning outcomes and job competencies. Achieving this requires colleges and universities to implement CCA’s Purpose strategies at scale, aligning the work of business and industry professionals with postsecondary institutions across two-year and four-year spaces, all the while ensuring a comprehensive transition from high school to college.

Goals

• Update onboarding process to include assisted career exploration, regional labor/market data, and unbiased advising. 
• Create a database of preferred competencies for careers and high-demand jobs at the regional level. 
• Create or optimize comprehensive academic maps that include potential career outcomes. 
• Collaborate with faculty members to start integrating competencies in curriculum and on syllabi. 
• Elevate understanding for the need of career information and academic/career alignment for all pathways at the institutional and state levels. 

Overview

Evidence suggests that students who earn 30 credits in their first year, complete gateway math and English courses, enter a program of study and enroll in 9 credits in their program are more likely to earn a postsecondary credential. Unfortunately, many students are asked to make uninformed decisions about a course of study aligned with a career choice that often result in them either delaying their choice of a program or changing majors after the first year. As a consequence, these students extend their time to a degree and incur significantly higher direct and opportunity costs. A portion of those who complete college, report lower satisfaction with major choice after graduation and many students, particularly racially minoritized students and students from low-income families, find themselves unable to access programs of study that can lead to higher wages and social mobility. Worst of all, the cost is too high for some students, leading them to drop out entirely with no degree or credential of value. Historically excluded and under resourced students are disproportionately affected by these challenges, which only widens equity gaps.  

The grant from Lumina Foundation will support the implementation of the Purpose First strategy within two- and four-year institutions across Kentucky. Purpose First serves as the missing link in aligning academic major decisions and career choices to outline guided pathways for students to make informed decisions and hit early benchmarks toward on-time graduation.