Engaging industry partners through career pathways in rural regions

Recent reforms demand all students graduate from high school: college and career ready. Career pathways are proposed to meet this challenge; these programs of study aim to make all students, college and career ready, by linking classroom-based learning to work-based learning (WBL). The California legislature put forth a call to action when it awarded $500 million in the California Career Pathways Trust (CPPT) in 2014-2015. Career pathways mandate a deeper level of engagement with industry partners in order to ensure alignment and collaboration. This engagement is accomplished primarily in two ways: WBL activities and advisory committees. Additional challenges and opportunities exist for career pathways in rural settings. A review of the literature is provided for strategies that effectively engage industry and educational entities into mutually beneficial partnerships that will result in meaningful WBL and advisory committees in the context of career pathways in rural regions. Methodology and results are chronicled and a summary of conclusions and recommendations are made for further action. The Guide to Engaging Industry Partners through Career Pathways: Practical Strategies for High Schools in Rural Regions in the Appendix shares some useful advice.