The VCCS is a leader in the development of career pathways in the commonwealth. As defined in the state’s first strategic plan for a career pathways system, Bridging Business and Education for the 21st Century Workforce, career pathways are connected education and training programs and support services that enable individuals to secure employment with a specific occupational sector and to advance over time to successively higher levels of education or employment in that sector.
Virginia’s Community College offer multiple career pathway programs and services including:
Career pathways are targeted to the emerging, unemployed and underemployed, and incumbent workforces. VCCS career pathway programs and services target populations ranging from public school students to incumbent or displaced workers.
Career Pathways deliver success by:
- Providing employers with a connection to a skilled workforce
- Providing Virginia residents with education and training to develop and adapt their skills to a changing economy
Career Pathways include the following elements:
- Connections to employers
- Articulation to higher levels of education and training
- Career planning services and educational advising
- Credentials that count in the workplace such as certifications, licensures, degrees, and certificates
- Experience-based learning including cooperative education, internships, service learning, and business-based projects
More information about the grants can be found by clicking here.
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Career Pathways System Plan
Virginia has released its first state Career Pathways System plan that involves a Governor led, multi-agency approach to improving workforce development, economic development, and education in Virginia. The plan serves as a model for the nation and calls for improved coordination of labor market data, transitions for students at all levels of education, and increasing completion rates. To learn more, read the complete report, Bridging Business and Education for the 21st Century Workforce.
Listen to Wendy Kang, Director of Research for the VCCS, discuss the Career Pathways System plan with Anne Marie Morgan of WVTF Public Radio.
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