California is poised to make good on its promise of shared prosperity and career-sustaining jobs for all through the new Master Plan for Career Education. The plan offers a coherent vision to “prepare all learners for the workforce of tomorrow” by strengthening career pathways, prioritizing skills and competencies in hiring and education, and advancing access and affordability. It also calls for establishment of a new statewide planning and coordination body to bring together all the education segments, workforce systems and employers to help make this goal a reality.
The areas of action outlined in the plan build on recent investments. In career pathways, the recommendations underscore the importance of existing efforts including the Golden State Pathways Program and dual enrollment, which is called out as a key acceleration strategy.
The plan would also move the state toward skills-based education in a more systematic way. This would bolster the work of colleges pioneering the implementation of competency-based education, and it promises to further expand access for adult learners through credit for prior learning.