In Massachusetts, Career/Vocational Technical Education (CVTE) schools provide students access to high-quality career pathways, exposing them to technical instruction, work-based learning experiences, career advisement and postsecondary opportunities. Yet high-quality opportunities are limited in the commonwealth’s comprehensive and academic high schools, and the vocational technical system does not have the capacity to meet demand in the state. With this context in mind, the New Skills for Youth project team approached its work in Phase One with the aim of defining the core components of a high-quality career pathway and developing strategies to scale these career pathways statewide for all students.

Phase One of JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s New Skills for Youth grant extended from May to October 2016. With bold visions for improving career readiness in K-12 education, each Phase One state spent the grant period performing a diagnostic assessment of their career preparation system and preparing for implementation of a new action plan. This snapshot describes Massachusetts’ experience and progress in Phase One, including promising practices and innovations. Additional snapshots from other Phase One New Skills for Youth states are available here.