Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma NSFY team worked through a regional model to align career pathways with high-demand industries. The state also launched the Individual Career and Academic Planning (ICAP) program, with the aim of providing students better guidance to improve their participation and outcomes in career readiness initiatives.
In 2018, priority strategies for the Oklahoma NSFY team were:
- Implementing and scaling ICAP: Following a 2017-18 school year pilot, the Oklahoma NSFY team rolled out a newly developed ICAP protocol to 134 sites in 74 districts.
- Developing the Oklahoma Edge website and learning community online platform: Oklahoma launched a new website providing a one-stop shop for resources and information about career pathways opportunities, including an online platform that promotes engagement among students, teachers and local business leaders.
- Establishing goals to expand internships and apprenticeships: Supported by new legislation, Oklahoma implemented a statewide system to deliver work-based learning, with the goal of engaging 20,000 learners in internships and apprenticeships by December 2020.
To read more about the 10 New Skills for Youth states, visit the 2018 NSFY Snapshots series page.
