Career Pathways are Bunk

I like to start off with a qualifier, when appropriate - especially when the headline is one that can not be taken as anyting other than an attack on a theory, program, or plan. So, here goes.

The theory that people ought to be enabled to pursue a career path that will help them to pursue a profession or vocation that is in their interest spectrum is obviously a great idea. However, and again, the implementation model or pattern is critical. Most current models of career pathways ask students in middle school, ages 12-14, to make astute judgments about their future. You should see the ridiculousness of this already. Yet that provocation or investigation is actually defensible. The error commences when the decision made is so particular that a change of course becomes problematic.

If your own 12 year old chooses a set of courses that is supposed to lead to a career in , let's say, medical support services and related fields, and he or she discovers an aversion to math and science might serve as a bit of a deterrent, can s/he change course without losing credit or status in the replacement program?

To be specific, the young man or woman has entered a course or sequence that leads to trigonometry in 11th grade, and to chemistry in 10th grade. The change of course though, can make a move to a communications program unwieldy. You see, the new program places less emphasis on math and science, so while the completed courses may still carry weight and credit toward graduation, the student has no way to return and to take the classes s/he missed during the enrollment in medical professions investigation. The original course was designed to emphasize science and math, and even though the student completed the required courses, he or she has no way to take the courses that are needed for the current track. The barrier is that all courses cannot be taught at all levels and in all programs. Consequently the number of credits earned may be adequate, but jumping into an upper level course in another arena will cause problems, since the foundation for that particular sequence has not been set.

Some schools solve that problem by making the sequences almost the same, so that Career Pathways exist in name or theory only. They give lip service to career exploration, but the 'training' specific to a chosen course doesn't exist.

The next post will suggest what schools can do to meet the needs for career specific training more effectively.