Delaware is one of the 10 states selected to participate in New Skills for Youth (NSFY), an initiative enhancing state efforts to increase the number of learners across the country who are prepared for success in both college and career. NSFY is a $75 million national initiative developed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in collaboration with the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group.
In the first two years of the initiative, the Delaware NSFY team expanded Delaware Pathways, a regional strategy to scale high-quality career pathways, and improved connections between K-12 educational institutions and local employers to roll out new work-based learning opportunities. The state has also emphasized student equity to ensure that career pathways and other opportunities are available to all youth.
In 2018, the Delaware NSFY team focused on:
- Establishing statewide industry councils in energy, engineering and manufacturing as well as health care: As part of its newly developed model for employer and community engagement, Delaware launched new statewide industry-based councils, which focus on the alignment of education and training programs, education around labor market trends, and opportunities for employers and educators to network.
- Supporting students with disabilities to increase enrollment and success in career pathways: Under the PIPEline to Career Success program, Delaware is braiding resources across the Departments of Education, Labor and Health and Social Services to create pre-employment transition services and supports to help students with disabilities enroll and succeed in career pathways.
- Scaling and operationalizing work-based learning across the state: As part of a partnership led by Delaware Technical Community College (Del Tech) to connect schools and local employers, the NSFY team has developed a model to scale work-based learning coursework and employer engagement tools, which is being piloted in seven school districts.
To read more about the 10 New Skills for Youth states, visit the 2018 NSFY Snapshots series page.
