In Part 1 of our spotlight series on state implementation of high school work-based learning, we took a look at the origins of Delaware’s Pathways initiative and how state legislation helped lay the groundwork. In Part 2, Luke Rhine, Director, Career & Technical Education and STEM Initiatives for the Delaware Department of Education, and Paul Herdman, President and CEO of Rodel, discuss the integration of work-based learning opportunities into career and technical education paths, what a statewide intermediary can (and can’t) do to support stakeholders, and why state agency leadership is so vital.

In order to reduce gaps in educational and professional opportunities for today’s young people, it’s imperative that we look beyond skill sets alone and strategically invest in student networks. A student can have the strongest skills in a particular area, but without the proper support system, might not be able to access the same resources and opportunities as peers who are more well-connected.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen a number of unprecedented challenges in the classroom as the country’s schools had to take on remote learning and adapt to the needs of students in an entirely new way. Educators grappled with drops in engagement among students as they navigated learning from home amidst a time period filled with uncertainty. So, how do educators weave career exploration into the curriculum in this environment when teaching even the fundamental subjects, like math, has become decidedly difficult?