The five-year initiative New Skills for Youth (NSFY) aimed to transform career readiness education and bridge the skills gap by supporting innovative strategies in 10 states across the United States. NSFY was one of the earliest and most impactful philanthropic investments in career pathways and career readiness in recent history and helped spark future investments and energy in the career pathways space.
Shortly after the NSFY grant ended, the world experienced the coronavirus pandemic which hindered the momentum participating states had gained throughout the initiative. However, states were able to sustain and continue to make progress on many key initiatives started during NSFY that are still present today.
Moving Career Pathways Forward: Learning From the New Skills for Youth Initiative, supported by JPMorgan Chase, shares the successes and challenges of sustaining the work beyond the conclusion of the NSFY initiative, and through a global pandemic, in Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. From the experiences of these states, the report presents specific recommendations and action steps for state and local leaders on how to sustain career pathways work for long-term success.
