HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Today’s workforce is in the midst of a drastic shift. A recent Pew Research Center survey revealed that there was a 68 percent increase in the number of workers in occupations requiring “average to above-average education, training and experience” over the past 25 years. Of the ways to achieve this level of qualification, 78 percent of the United States’ adults surveyed said industry-recognized certifications prepared them “somewhat well” to “very well” for the field. Fuel Education™ (FuelEd™) created Career Readiness Pathways™ to help districts provide a clear learning path for students interested in pursuing industry-recognized certifications in high-demand careers. Since its launch in February 2016, 73 schools, districts, or education organizations in 23 states have signed on with FuelEd to provide students Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs including Career Readiness Pathways.
“When developing Career Readiness Pathways, Fuel Education analyzed the economy’s needs related to a future workforce and then created comprehensive learning paths that would help students learn the skills and prepare to earn the industry-recognized certifications needed for these occupations – all before high school graduation,” said Gregg Levin, Fuel Education’s General Manager.
Career Readiness Pathways’ online and blended learning format enables high schools to establish or expand CTE offerings quickly and affordably regardless of existing staff capacity. Career Readiness Pathways has four high-demand Career Clusters® – business management and administration, health science, information technology, and manufacturing – and each contains three career pathways, thus allowing schools to offer up to 12 CTE pathways. Each comprehensive pathway includes exploration opportunities, rigorous courses to learn industry-specific skills, and other support services such as certification exam preparation, business skill development, and access to CTE student organizations. The program’s flexible implementation options help districts address different student needs. Districts can implement the comprehensive pathway to certification model starting in 9th grade, an accelerated model targeting students in 11th grade or students at-risk of dropping out, or simply provide students with extensive elective offerings.
Districts around the country are embracing Career Readiness Pathways to increase offerings for students. For example, Mahoning County Education Service Center (ESC) has implemented Career Readiness Pathways with high school students at seven of its 20 member districts, as well as at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center (MCCTC).
“We have a local demand for highly skilled workers in the Ohio Valley,” said Dr. Ron Iarussi, Superintendent of Mahoning County ESC and MCCTC. “Fuel Education’s Career Readiness Pathways is giving students in the MCCTC academies a path to follow. Students learn the skills and prepare for the professional certification exams so they can be more marketable upon graduation and hopefully fill those vacancies.”
To learn more about FuelEd’s Career Readiness Pathways, click here to watch a video or visit getfueled.com/careerpathways.
About Fuel Education
Fuel Education™ partners with school districts to fuel personalized learning and transform the education experience inside and outside the classroom. The company provides innovative solutions for pre-K through 12th grade that empower districts to implement successful online and blended learning programs. Its open, easy-to-use Personalized Learning Platform, PEAK™, enables teachers to customize courses using their own content, FuelEd courses and titles, third-party content, and open educational resources. Fuel Education has served more than 2,000 school districts, offering one of the industry’s largest catalogs of K–12 digital curriculum, certified instruction, professional development, and educational services. To learn more, visit getfueled.com and Twitter.
©2017 Fuel Education LLC. All rights reserved. Fuel Education, FuelEd, and Career Readiness Pathways are trademarks of Fuel Education LLC or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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