Delaware was one of the 10 states selected to participate in New Skills for Youth (NSFY). NSFY, launched by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in 2016, is a $75 million, five-year initiative, aimed at strengthening and expanding high-quality career pathways for youth. As part of this initiative, the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group worked with states to improve their career readiness systems.
This snapshot profiles the work Delaware did to enhance its career readiness system across the entire NSFY initiative. Between 2016 and 2019, Delaware:
- Grew the Delaware Pathways program: Delaware expanded the Delaware Pathways program, the statewide system of career pathways for youth, as well as training opportunities for educators and community-based partners to ensure the success of career pathway implementation.
- Scaled and operationalized work-based learning across the state: To provide more options for career readiness, Delaware prioritized the expansion of work-based learning and pre-apprenticeship opportunities for K-12 students.
- Supported students with disabilities to increase enrollment and success in career pathways: Delaware developed a new framework to strengthen supports for learners with disabilities, who make up 14 percent of the high school population in the state, to ensure that they can access and succeed in career pathways.
- Established statewide industry councils: To deepen the connections already formed between education and industry, Delaware began convening statewide industry councils in 2018.
To learn more about the history of the New Skills for Youth Delaware initiative, visit any of the following resources:
To learn more about 10 New Skills for Youth states, visit the New Skills for Youth Impact Snapshots series page.
