Wednesday, March 18, 2020
In Wisconsin, our vision—“Every child a graduate, college and career ready”—has come with a flurry of career readiness initiatives. Although exciting, it can also sometimes be perplexing as educators, students, families, and employer partners struggle to understand how all of these initiatives fit together. In this article, we highlight the connections between Academic and Career Planning, Career Pathways, and Career and Technical Education.
Academic and Career Planning (ACP)
To ensure all students are college- and career-ready, all public schools in Wisconsin are required to design an Academic and Career Planning (ACP) process for all of their students in grades 6-12. This process begins with knowing one’s personal interests and strengths as well as understanding the labor market information that helps inform sound career decisions. Then students explore various careers, including the postsecondary options needed to reach them. Finally, they identify one or more career areas that may be a good match for their interests.
To learn more about academic and career planning, go to https://dpi.wi.gov/acp.
K12 Career Pathways
For many students, the ACP process leads naturally to a career pathway. In K12 education, a career pathway is a series of connected career and technical education and training opportunities that move seamlessly into a postsecondary option for a specific career area.
A career pathway includes:
- Sequence of career and technical education courses;
- Industry-recognized credential;
- Work-based learning experience;
- Dual enrollment opportunity; and
- Related career and technical student organization activities.
School districts can offer a local career pathway or align to a regional career pathway. A local pathway is created by an individual district or a CTE consortium of districts. A regional career pathway is created by employers, educators, and other partners for school districts within one of the nine regional economic development areas of the state.
To learn more about Regional Career Pathways, go to https://dpi.wi.gov/pathways-wisconsin.
Career and Technical Education (CTE)
CTE provides academic, technical, and employability skills training for middle and high school students in specific career areas. It encompasses all of the career pathway components mentioned above. In addition, many students will explore careers through CTE classes that are not necessarily part of a career pathway.
To learn more about CTE, go to https://dpi.wi.gov/cte.
When school districts help their educators, students, families, and employer partners understand the connections among Academic and Career Planning, Career Pathways, and Career and Technical Education, it is much more likely that students will graduate college and career ready. Start now by sharing this article!
—Karin Smith, Education Consultant, Dual Enrollment, Academic and Career Planning, CTE Team, Wisconsin Department of Public Administration