Evidence-based Practice: Career pathway programs Home Evidence-based Practices Career Pathway Programs Definition Across settings, intentionally designed career pathway programs provide a clear sequence that connects academic and technical learning, education and training opportunities, credentials, work-based learning, and employment in ways that help individuals understand and progress toward their education and career goals. The design and implementation of career pathways can vary across secondary, postsecondary, and workforce settings and depending on the target industries and occupations.1 In secondary schools, career pathway programs have three main features: (1) they are organized as small learning communities, or schools within schools; (2) their curriculum centers on one career, occupation, or industry and combines academic and technical aspects relevant to that career; and (3) they provide work-based learning experiences, often through partnerships with local employers to offer students exposure to jobs in demand. Career pathway programs in high school produce strong and sustained increases in students’ post-high school earnings, especially for young men.2, 3Youth apprenticeship is another example of a structured work-based learning model within career pathway programs. Youth apprenticeships combine academic and related technical instruction with paid work-based learning and on-the-job training to help young people build skills in a specific occupation or industry. Programs may also connect secondary and postsecondary education and provide pathways to continued education, full-time employment, or both.4In postsecondary and workforce settings, effective career pathways provide a clear blueprint for educational and employment advancement that meets industry needs. This blueprint should include multiple entry and exit points that learners with different needs can access. Pathways should offer stackable credentials that allow learners to build on prior education and training as they advance.5 Programs may also incorporate features such as placement assessments, contextualized basic skills instruction, support services (including advising, financial assistance, and social supports), and connections to work-based learning (like Registered Apprenticeships) and employment.6Developing and scaling career pathways requires a systems-level approach in which K–12 and postsecondary institutions, employers, workforce agencies, community-based organizations, policymakers, and intermediaries coordinate career navigation, work-based learning, program transitions, and alignment with regional labor-market needs.7, 8 Related indicators Outcomes & Milestones High school graduation Minimum economic return Employment in a quality job Successful career transition after high school CTE pathway concentration Participation in work-based learning Postsecondary certificate or degree completion Industry-recognized credential E-W System Conditions Access to in-demand CTE pathways and workforce programs Access to college and career advising Expenditures on workforce development programs Access to ongoing career skills development Related essential questions Do students have access to quality school environments, including quality curricula and instruction, experienced teachers, effective leaders, and adequate funding? Are students graduating from high school on time and successfully transitioning into further education, training, or employment? Are there quality pathways for students who engage in career-connected learning that lead to employment in quality jobs? Are individuals completing credentials of value that set them up for success? Are students gaining access to quality jobs that offer economic mobility and security after high school or postsecondary training and education? Are students matriculating to well-matched postsecondary institutions that successfully graduate their students with credentials of value? Are students experiencing sufficient early momentum in postsecondary education to be on track for on-time completion? References 1What Works Clearinghouse (WWC). (2021). Designing and delivering career pathways at community colleges. Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide/272Kemple, J. (2008). Career academies: Long-term impacts on work, education, and transitions to adulthood. Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC). https://www.mdrc.org/publication/career-academies-impacts-work-and-educational-attainment 3Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research (CLEAR). (2014a). Evidence on the effectiveness of career academies for high school students. U.S. Department of Labor, CLEAR. https://clear.dol.gov/synthesis-report/evidence-effectiveness-career-academies-high-school-students 4Payne, J., Kuehn, D., Trutko, A., & Trutko, J. (2023). Youth apprenticeship in the United States: Apprenticeship evidence-building portfolio. Urban Institute. U.S. Department of Labor, Chief Evaluation Office. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/research/publications/youth-apprenticeship-united-states-apprenticeship-evidence 5WWC, 2021.6Engstrom, W., Gardiner, K., & Mitukiewicz, O. (2013). Pathways for advancing courses and education career pathways program profile: Pima community college pathways to healthcare HPOG program. OPRE report # 2013-31. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/pace-career-pathways-program-profile-pima-community-college-pathways-healthcare-hpog7Jobs for the Future. 2021. “Pathways to Prosperity Framework.” October 15, 2021. https://www.jff.org/idea/framework/ 8Genz, Francie. 2026. “Leveraging Intermediaries to Strengthen Workforce and Economic Development Systems.” New America, March 27, 2026. https://www.newamerica.org/insights/leveraging-intermediaries-to-strengthen-workforce-and-economic-development-systems/