Alignment to college degrees and careers in fields of interest
Actionable Takeaways
- Schools and campuses should consider labor market data and student interest in establishing courses that can support students in success in post-secondary and careers.
- Schools and campuses should consider joining programs like FutureReadyNYC which include a sequence of career-connected early college credits in labor market aligned career pathways.
Provide career-connected learning opportunities aligned to labor market and program data.
As schools and campuses consider dual enrollment and dual credit course offerings they should consider building course sequences and opportunities both aligned to student interest and to labor market data. This will allow students to earn credit that can align to their potential future career pathways, including earning credit that can eventually count towards their major.
One way schools and campuses may consider building these opportunities is through establishing a FutureReadyNYC career connected pathway. Currently FutureReadyNYC offers the opportunity for schools to partner with CUNY campuses via FutureReadyNYC College Now course sequences aligned to high growth, high wage occupational titles, including in business, healthcare, tech and education:
Information on the SY23-24 FutureReadyNYC program is available here; additional opportunities to build FutureReadyNYC pathways may be available to schools in the coming years. Specific information on occupations and labor market information for NYC is available here.
Consider how work-based learning and industry experience can reinforce skills and knowledge gained via dual credit.
In designing dual enrollment and credit opportunities, schools and campuses should consider how earning early college credit in career pathways can be enhanced and reinforced by work-based learning experiences. For instance, at International High School for Health Sciences, students have the opportunity to early health-aligned College Now credit via a partnership with Queensborough Community College. Two teachers, Andre Gomes-Machado and Dr. Maria Ramirez (pictured below right), have become adjuncts at Queensborough and now offer courses in public health and first aid in the school building, giving students greater access to courses. Students can then have the chance to participate in paid internship experiences with Northwell Health, allowing them to reinforce the skills gained in the classroom with real world experience.
The Federal Department of Education notes that research has shown the importance of such work experiences reinforcing knowledge and skills gained in the classroom.
