The struggle for coherence in emerging US career pathways initiatives

In the last decade, the need to upgrade the skills and credentials for millions of low-skilled youth and adults has become an increasingly urgent focus of US domestic policy. There has been increasing alignment in the US on a set of principles for integrating comprehensive changes in policies, systems, and programs. This framework - commonly known as 'career pathways' - has moved to front stage in US workforce development efforts. This paper assesses the challenges in aligning promising strategies in two important areas of practice with career pathways principles - strengthening post-secondary credential systems and promoting work-based learning. It considers the promise, as well as the limitations, of responses to date in these areas and identifies knowledge needed to develop and scale promising approaches. The last part of the paper argues that attention to more rigorous development of career pathways as an organizing framework could help in accelerating the pace and quality of efforts to achieve systemic change.