•  
  •  

ScholarWorks > WMU > JCA > Vol. 10 (2025) > Iss. 3

 

Abstract

The attention on college and career pathways over the last decade has revitalized interest in key activities like early career exploration, work-based learning, and labor market alignment of career and technical education. One essential element of this work, and perhaps among the most critical, has not received as much attention. Research shows that social capital—the relationships and networks an individual has and their ability to build, leverage, and mobilize them— is often how people get access to new information and educational and career opportunities; however, it is not something that most school systems have made an explicit priority for preparing students for postsecondary education and career. Given the continued underrepresentation of certain student groups (BIPOC, first generation, low income) in both postsecondary education and high-wage, high- demand careers, there is an equity imperative to systemically integrate purposeful social capital development into pathways, ensuring that all students are equipped with the knowledge, skills, networks, and access to opportunities to achieve their educational and professional goals. Through two years of direct work with ten communities across the United States, Education Strategy Group (ESG) has developed a three-phase implementation framework for how educational leaders can prioritize and implement social capital development in their college and career pathways, along with key lessons informed by focus groups conducted with each community. We discuss lessons learned through this work, introduce the framework and anchor tools, and outline opportunities for broader adoption and scale.

Download

Share

COinS