Resource Library
The Pathways Resource Library is a central hub of research and tools designed to drive innovation in education-to-workforce pathways. It contains a wide selection of resources organized by topic, audience, region, and type, allowing you to easily locate materials that fit your needs.
Research Report
Hispanic STARs: Smart Employers Aim for Hispanic STARs
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This report highlights the significant presence of Hispanic workers who are skilled through alternative routes (STARs) in the workforce and their overrepresentation in lower-wage occupations. It discusses the barriers these workers face due to degree requirements and suggests that employers prioritize skills over formal education to improve economic mobility for Hispanic STARs.
Blog Post
Telling the Right Stories: How Narratives Can Change Community College
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
The post highlights the gap between community college students' aspirations to earn four-year degrees and the reality that only a small percentage achieve this goal. It criticizes current narratives and policies that hinder successful transfers, particularly for low-income and minority students, and advocates for a shift towards focusing on credit mobility and recognition. By changing the narrative to value students' prior achievements and creating more flexible, student-centered pathways, the aim is to foster equitable educational and economic outcomes.
Research Report
Question the Status Quo: Gen Z Teens Have Changed Their Priorities for Education and Work
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
Research Report
MAKING THE CASE FOR SKILLS-FIRST HIRING WITH HIRING PROFESSIONALS
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
In 2023, SHRM Foundation commissioned Topos Foundation to investigate the effectiveness of various framing, language, and argumentation deployed in an ongoing effort, by SHRM Foundation and many other partners, to promote hiring that puts less emphasis on academic degrees and considers all the ways job candidates may be qualified for a position. This report contains valuable insights into effectively communicating the case for skills-first hiring with the broadest audience.
Toolkit
Roadtrip Nation Storytelling Toolkit
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This storytelling toolkit outlined the fundamentals of Road Trip Nation's storytelling approach, developed over two decades of co-creating these stories with young people, so that other nonprofits and impact-minded organizations can amplify young people’s voices and stories in their own work.
Toolkit
Skills-Based Hiring Toolkit
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource includes a set of skills-based hiring toolkits that include a skills-based job-posting, interview questions, and onboarding plans. Each Skills-Based Hiring Toolkit is packed with valuable resources that will help you transform your hiring strategy.
Playbook or Guidebook
Making the Case
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This playbook gives people in the learn-and-work ecosystem key information they can use to make the case for incremental credentialing. Case-making requires different information for various audiences, including the campus community, employers and industry partners, funders, learners, and policymakers. The playbook covers: How to define incremental credentialing and incremental credentials, the benefits of incremental credentialing to various constituencies, and the four factors driving the case for incremental credentialing.
Article
What it will take to change the narrative about career education
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
The article discusses the growing issue of young Americans aged 18-24 not engaging in college or work, exacerbated by the pandemic. Despite high job vacancies, there's skepticism toward non-college education and job-training programs. The article highlights policy recommendations to integrate workforce training and higher education, stressing that both traditional and non-degree credentials are essential for economic mobility. The purpose is to advocate for a broader, more inclusive approach to postsecondary education and workforce training, aiming to enhance economic opportunities for all.
Toolkit
What does it take to engage in narrative change
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This website captures insights and lessons learned from the Pathways Narrative Project and shares tools and resources for organizations interested in engaging in narrative change as part of their mission and work. The Pathways Narrative Project is a two-year collaborative initiative, led by Wonder: Strategies for Good and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation and others, that convened nine organizations to improve education and career pathways for young people. Together the cohort explored how to leverage the power of narrative to advance programs and systems change in the pathways space.
Filters
Research Report
Hispanic STARs: Smart Employers Aim for Hispanic STARs
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This report highlights the significant presence of Hispanic workers who are skilled through alternative routes (STARs) in the workforce and their overrepresentation in lower-wage occupations. It discusses the barriers these workers face due to degree requirements and suggests that employers prioritize skills over formal education to improve economic mobility for Hispanic STARs.
Blog Post
Telling the Right Stories: How Narratives Can Change Community College
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
The post highlights the gap between community college students' aspirations to earn four-year degrees and the reality that only a small percentage achieve this goal. It criticizes current narratives and policies that hinder successful transfers, particularly for low-income and minority students, and advocates for a shift towards focusing on credit mobility and recognition. By changing the narrative to value students' prior achievements and creating more flexible, student-centered pathways, the aim is to foster equitable educational and economic outcomes.
Research Report
Question the Status Quo: Gen Z Teens Have Changed Their Priorities for Education and Work
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
Research Report
MAKING THE CASE FOR SKILLS-FIRST HIRING WITH HIRING PROFESSIONALS
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
In 2023, SHRM Foundation commissioned Topos Foundation to investigate the effectiveness of various framing, language, and argumentation deployed in an ongoing effort, by SHRM Foundation and many other partners, to promote hiring that puts less emphasis on academic degrees and considers all the ways job candidates may be qualified for a position. This report contains valuable insights into effectively communicating the case for skills-first hiring with the broadest audience.
Toolkit
Roadtrip Nation Storytelling Toolkit
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This storytelling toolkit outlined the fundamentals of Road Trip Nation's storytelling approach, developed over two decades of co-creating these stories with young people, so that other nonprofits and impact-minded organizations can amplify young people’s voices and stories in their own work.
Toolkit
Skills-Based Hiring Toolkit
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource includes a set of skills-based hiring toolkits that include a skills-based job-posting, interview questions, and onboarding plans. Each Skills-Based Hiring Toolkit is packed with valuable resources that will help you transform your hiring strategy.
Playbook or Guidebook
Making the Case
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This playbook gives people in the learn-and-work ecosystem key information they can use to make the case for incremental credentialing. Case-making requires different information for various audiences, including the campus community, employers and industry partners, funders, learners, and policymakers. The playbook covers: How to define incremental credentialing and incremental credentials, the benefits of incremental credentialing to various constituencies, and the four factors driving the case for incremental credentialing.
Article
What it will take to change the narrative about career education
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
The article discusses the growing issue of young Americans aged 18-24 not engaging in college or work, exacerbated by the pandemic. Despite high job vacancies, there's skepticism toward non-college education and job-training programs. The article highlights policy recommendations to integrate workforce training and higher education, stressing that both traditional and non-degree credentials are essential for economic mobility. The purpose is to advocate for a broader, more inclusive approach to postsecondary education and workforce training, aiming to enhance economic opportunities for all.
Toolkit
What does it take to engage in narrative change
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This website captures insights and lessons learned from the Pathways Narrative Project and shares tools and resources for organizations interested in engaging in narrative change as part of their mission and work. The Pathways Narrative Project is a two-year collaborative initiative, led by Wonder: Strategies for Good and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation and others, that convened nine organizations to improve education and career pathways for young people. Together the cohort explored how to leverage the power of narrative to advance programs and systems change in the pathways space.