Career Pathway Programs

Career Pathway Programs provide students with the ability to participate and complete a career pathway in a high skill, high demand industry before graduating from high school by:

• Taking a sequence of aligned career and technical education courses,
• Earning an industry-recognized credential,
• Enrolling in dual college credit classes,
• Participating in work-based learning experiences, and
• Accessing related career and technical student organizations (CTSOs)

What are the Benefits of Career Pathway Programs?

• For high school students, career pathway programs align education and training with the needs of the local job market, provide a range of postsecondary options, expose students to industry-recognized credentials and work-based learning opportunities, and help students enter or advance within an occupation.
• For schools, career pathway programs provide a specific ACP plan for occupations that are in demand in Wisconsin. This allows schools to focus on student and curriculum activities with input and support from employers and higher education partners from across the state.
• For employers, career pathway programs allow employers to shape the future talent pipeline, foster young talent, and highlight local career opportunities across an entire region.

A New Approach to Connecting Students with Career Pathway Program Opportunities
Wisconsin is transforming how students access career pathway information — making it more personalized, more accessible, and more impactful than ever before.

Regional Career Pathway (RCP) maps have served as a valuable tool for connecting students to high-skill, high-demand careers for the past six years. Wisconsin is now taking a significant step forward through a new partnership with Xello — the Academic and Career Planning platform used by students in every Wisconsin school district. This integration will embed the career pathway program information that is currently included on RCP maps directly into Xello as students explore their future education and career options. Career pathway program information will be organized using the newly modernized career clusters, ensuring students are exploring pathways that reflect the current and future landscape of the workforce.

What this means for students: As students explore careers and career clusters in Xello, they will be able to see the specific career pathway courses, credentials, dual enrollment opportunities, and work-based learning experiences available within their own school district — ensuring that the right information reaches the right student at the right time.

What this means for educators and districts: School districts will have the ability to customize and highlight the career pathway programs they offer right in Xello, providing students with an accurate and up-to-date picture of locally available opportunities. The CTE Education Consultants at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction will continue to collaborate with State Pathway Teams on a regular basis — including employer, workforce development, and postsecondary education partners — to ensure that career pathway information remains current and aligned with the needs of Wisconsin's future workforce.

Career Pathway Programs are not going away — they are more important than ever. We are eager to work closely with school districts to share important information and continue to expand career pathway programs.

What to Expect and When: This new feature will roll out gradually over the 2026–2027 school year, beginning with a single career pathway program profile. Additional pathway profiles will be added throughout the year, with the goal of having all career pathway program information — currently housed in the Regional Career Pathway maps — fully embedded into Xello by the end of the 2026–2027 school year.

Wisconsin remains committed to ensuring that every student has access to the information and resources needed to make informed decisions about their future.