Purpose of the Grant
To increase the number of students in Wisconsin who successfully complete career pathways that begin in secondary school and culminate into postsecondary degrees and/or industry credentials with labor market value. Wisconsin is one of 24 states and the District of Columbia awarded a Phase I grant for the purposes of conducting a needs assessment and beginning to implement the plan articulated in the application.
Six key grant objectives:
- Demand-Driven Employer Led Process
- Rigor & Quality in Career Pathways for ALL
- Career-focused Accountability Systems
- Scaled Pathways that Culminate in Credentials
- Align State and Federal Funding Streams
- Ensure Cross-Institutional Alignment
New Skills for Youth Phase One Snapshot: Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s accomplishment during Phase One of the New Skills for Youth grant was developing a “shovel-ready” action plan that would build upon existing efforts and deliver quality career pathways within each of the state’s 16 technical college regions.
The framework for this plan, called the Regional Career Pathways Project, draws on CEO champions within each region to determine workforce-relevant education and training aligned to local industry needs. The vision for this plan was driven by Wisconsin’s goal of leveraging career readiness strategies to reduce gender, racial, and socioeconomic achievement gaps. Click here for more information on the New Skills for Youth Phase One Snapshot of Wisconsin