Image: Tyton Partners
A new paper highlights how innovative education-to-employment programs can accelerate employment prospects for low-income adults. The two-part report by Tyton Partners and The James Irvine Foundation, "Path to Employment: Maximizing the Impact of Alternative Pathways Programs," examines how Alternative Pathways Programs can prepare participants for validated, in-demand workforce opportunities.
Alternative Pathways Programs (APPs) are generally non-accredited, employment-oriented education and training initiatives that promise a pathway into the workforce for opportunity youth and adults. According to the report, APPs have three characteristics:
- They focus on education and training for specific jobs and careers
- They maintain tight relationships with employers and industries to help facilitate job placement for participants
- They usually don't offer a degree or certificate
In the first part, the report defines the concept of APPs and explores the rapidly expanding segment of non-traditional programs and how these programs are connecting low-income students to “meaningful entry-level jobs and new career pathways.”
Moreover, the first part provides the characteristics of successful APPs by identifying the six “pillars” of APPs:
- Enrollment Policies
- Participant Support
- Labor Market Alignment
- Connections
- Training Mix
- Financial Mode
These pillars provide a blueprint for existing and new APPs to audit their model, infrastructure, and support services to reach more participants and improve outcomes.
The second part of the report takes a closer look at how a group of Alternative Pathway program organizations are driving success through well-designed models. Including the profiles of nine organizations and a broad list of innovative providers in the space.
For more information visit the Tyton Partners website.