Examining connections to school and work for young adults targeted by career pathways programs

This study aims to examine connections to school and/or work among young adults with low incomes who are often targeted by career pathways programs. A sample of 5,020 individuals aged 18 to 34 at baseline who participated in the (U.S.) federal Pathways to Advancing Careers and Education evaluation study self-reported 12 quarters of retrospective job and school enrolment history by the three-year follow-up. Data were used to construct six semi-annual indicators of months connected to school/work across the three-year period. Latent growth model results showed substantial variation in developmental trajectories of school/work connections, with a seven-class growth mixture model best fitting the data. Differences in starting and ending connection as well as when and how connection dipped lower at certain points suggested nuanced patterns that reflect the realities of these young adults’ lives. Implications include opportunities for research examining predictors and outcomes related to pathways, policies that offer multiple on-ramps to school/work, and practice that calibrates the intensity of supports within programs based on varied pathways.