This case study from Jobs for the Future profiles Tennessee’s efforts to strengthen and expand high-quality career pathways through the Pathways to Prosperity initiative. Launched in 2012 in collaboration with the national Pathways to Prosperity Network, the effort has now become an integral piece of Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam’s Drive to 55 campaign.
Through Pathways to Prosperity, Tennessee initiated a rigorous program standard review process, phasing out and consolidating hundreds of CTE programs of study. Simultaneously, the Tennessee Department of Education established nine Pathways Tennessee regions to coordinate the delivery of CTE, work-based learning and other career readiness activities. This framework undergirds pathways alignment within the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) campuses and the implementation of a new statewide approach to work-based learning.
In addition to exploring the design of Pathways Tennessee, this case study highlights stories from the ground and draws relevant lessons for state and regional leaders.
