Bridging the Gaps in Evidence for Career Pathways
Career pathways — an approach to connecting individuals to opportunities for education, training, and employment in high-demand occupations — is gaining traction nationwide as a strategy to boost economic mobility.
But are we truly investing in the kinds of evidence that can help practitioners scale and sustain pathways for meaningful outcomes?
In partnership with the Pathways and Workforce Funders Collaborative, Project Evident set out to answer that question. Our new report, Building Career Pathways For Young People: An Assessment of Evidence and Opportunity, takes stock of what we know — and what we don’t — about building effective, equitable pathways for young people under 25 in the United States.
The assessment combines an extensive review of research evidence with insights from over 40 researchers and practitioners in the field. The evidence review includes programs and models that target career-related outcomes for young people in K-12, postsecondary education, and workforce programs.
The findings are clear: while promising models exist, significant gaps remain in our understanding of what works for whom in creating pathways to mobility and wellbeing for young people. The report also identifies high-leverage opportunities for funders to take action — from building field alignment around goals and incentives, to testing innovations in career navigation and advancement.
Finally, the assessment highlighted the need for a more holistic approach to the way we fund, build, and share evidence — one that is centered on meeting the needs of young people and practitioners who serve them.
Check out the full report or an executive summary in our Resources section.