HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

According to the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), 81 percent of students who did not finish high school say relevant, real-world learning opportunities would have kept them in school. To provide schools with even more ways to engage students in these relevant learning experiences, Fuel Education^® (FuelEd^®) has expanded its Career Readiness Pathways™ online and blended learning program. Students can choose to follow one of 24 distinct Career Pathways in six Career Clusters®, now including Agriculture and Hospitality, which provide a comprehensive, end-to-end approach to career and technical education (CTE).

“There is a shift in what defines success for today’s diverse student body. More and more, career opportunities require highly skilled candidates and students are looking for ways to earn certifications to begin a career directly out of high school,” said Gregg Levin, Fuel Education’s General Manager. “Career Readiness Pathways is helping students explore their career interests, develop the necessary skills and, in many cases, prepare to take industry-recognized certifications. This experience makes students more marketable, and gives them a choice to start a career immediately after graduation or to attend college – or do both.”

Career Readiness Pathways has expanded to include the following six Career Clusters: manufacturing, agriculture, business management and administration, health science, hospitality and tourism, and information technology. Each of the distinct 24 pathways within the Career Clusters contain a progression of high-quality, rigorous courses that help students build a foundation of knowledge in their field of choice. Career Readiness Pathways also offers supporting services, including a career exploration platform, workforce readiness and pathway certification exam preparation, business skill development opportunities, and referrals to set up career and technical student organizations for added extracurricular involvement and support.

Since its launch one year ago, 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.

“Career Readiness Pathways helps districts support both students who want to go to college and those who want to start fulfilling careers,” said Levin. “Providing more educational options helps students feel invested in their future, which in turn motivates them to earn their diploma and pursue additional achievements after high school.”

Career Readiness Pathways can be implemented in a variety of ways, thus making it possible to serve districts’ various CTE needs. Some of the more popular implementation models include a comprehensive “exploration to certification” four-year model ideal for freshmen, a modified two-year accelerated pathway ideal for incoming juniors, a one- to two-semester shortened pathway ideal for students at-risk of dropping out, and expanded CTE elective offerings for all interested students. Districts also have the option to enroll students in FuelEd’s world language offerings and Microsoft training courses – all to help students become more marketable upon graduation.

To learn more about FuelEd’s Career Readiness Pathways, visit fueleducation.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 serves 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 fueleducation.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.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170221005905/en/