Multiple Pathways

In listening sessions across the country, commissioners heard that learners “cannot be what they cannot see,” and this observation ultimately speaks to the impact of early exposure to a variety of career fields that learners may not otherwise know exist. Learners consistently reported that their understanding of college, service, and careers is largely limited to the paths pursued by family members, people in their communities, or what they see online, leaving them without a full picture of the steps required to enter those fields. This narrow exposure restricts learners’ sense of what is possible, limits their agency, and makes it difficult to envision future options. In many cases, delayed or inconsistent career awareness means learners miss early opportunities to align coursework and experiences with their evolving strengths, interests, and values. They also lack structured opportunities to explore the wide range of careers that exist within a single field. Teachers emphasized that learners often do not fully understand the economic mobility associated with postsecondary education or training, further compounding these challenges. As a result, learners frequently do not have the guidance, exposure, or mentorship needed to clarify their interests and make informed decisions about future education, training, and career pathways.

To be meaningfully empowered to make choices about their futures, learners need to have actionable information about their options for career fields, colleges, and service opportunities. One of the best ways to learn about these options is through hands-on experiences in a nurturing and developmentally appropriate environment with well-trained and supported advisers and mentors. In recent years, a movement to “blur the lines” between grades 11 and 14 has encouraged education and workforce systems to rethink learners’ experiences in high school and build new connections between high school, college, and workplaces.1

Middle and high school grades are important times for learners to develop their sense of self and explore their interests and aptitudes. Exposure to multiple postsecondary paths needs to start much earlier in most learners’ journeys so that they are positioned to experience and participate in early career, college, and service opportunities in the latter half of their high school years. Participation in multiple postsecondary paths should continue after high school graduation as learners enter the workforce, enroll in college, enlist in the military, and/or participate in service-year programs. Expanding the on-ramps to postsecondary education and training will continue to be necessary as lifelong learning is foundational to helping workers successfully adapt to a quickly evolving economy.