By Nisanur Gül — Co-author Katarina Webb
In many schools, career exploration shows up as a set of disconnected activities: a survey in middle school, a career day in high school, maybe a single workplace visit. Career+ Pathways™ is structured to be different. It offers a connected journey that starts in kindergarten and intensifies from grade 8 through grade 12 linking curriculum, coaching, and work-based learning.
In the 2024–25 school year, Career+ Pathways™ served over 31,000 students in grades k-12 and supported more than 61,500 career-connected interactions across assessments, coaching, microcredentials, and employer experiences. Students use this structure to explore local industries, build employability skills, and move toward enrollment, employment, or enlistment after graduation.
A Five-Step Journey From Early Exploration to Graduation
Career+ Pathways™ is structured as a five-step progression that begins with early, hands-on career exploration in the elementary and middle grades (K–7), such as robotics camps, and becomes more programmatic in grades 8–12, emphasizing deeper skill building, advanced work-based learning, and preparation for graduation.
8th and 9th grade: Discovering strengths and setting a plan
In 8th and 9th grade, students focus on understanding themselves and what high school will look like.
- They complete the Go For Growth career interest assessment.
- They begin building a four-year high school plan aligned with Indiana’s graduation requirements.
- They participate in early Career+™ Experiences such as employer chats and workplace tours.
The emphasis is on uncovering strengths, clarifying interests, and establishing a first version of a plan rather than asking students to choose a single career.
9th and 10th grade: Communication and deeper exploration
In 9th and 10th grade, the focus shifts to communication and more intensive exploration through the Workplace Communication Microcredential.
- Students take part in additional experiences, including Career+™ Tours and Chats and other activities at employer sites.
- They refine their academic plans and consider credential-bearing courses that align with emerging interests.
- They revisit their Go For Growth results so plans stay current as interests change.
This stage is where students routinely practice communication, collaboration, and professionalism in real or simulated workplace settings.
11th and 12th grade: Leadership and work-based learning
In 11th and 12th grade, students move into advanced experiences through the Workplace Leadership Microcredential.
- They take part in job shadows and work-based learning opportunities.
- They join intensive bootcamps designed with employers.
- Many attend career fairs where they can secure job or internship offers.
- They work on resumes, interview preparation, and key postsecondary tasks such as financial aid steps.
By the end of this stage, students develop a postsecondary plan that blends dual credit, career and technical education coursework, and industry-recognized credentials.
Graduation: Clear next steps
By graduation, Career+ Pathways™ students are expected to be ready for their next phase—enrollment, employment, or enlistment. The model is built so that readiness reflects four to five years of exploration, coursework, and experience, not a last-minute effort in 12th grade.
How Many Students Are Involved?
In the Greater Lafayette region alone, over 12,000 students actively participated in Career+ Pathways™ programming. Those students can be broken down by grade level:
- Eighth grade: 2,213 students
- Ninth grade: 2,636 students
- Tenth grade: 2,623 students
- Eleventh grade: 2,477 students
- Twelfth grade: 2,274 students
This spread indicates that students are engaging with the pathway throughout their secondary years, not just at the end.
Go For Growth: Annual Interest Assessment With Follow-Up
Go For Growth is the assessment backbone of Career+ Pathways™. It is administered every year and tailored by grade so that results stay aligned with students’ development.
In 2024–25, the number of students completing Go For Growth by grade was:
- Grade 8: 340
- Grade 9: 2,294
- Grade 10: 1,942
- Grade 11: 2,843
- Grade 12: 2,886
The assessment is used to:
- Identify interests and perceived barriers such as transportation, finances, personal or family concerns, attendance, and health.
- Allow students to request one-on-one meetings with a Career Coach.
- Connect students directly to Career+™ Experiences that match their interests.
Because students complete Go For Growth annually, exploration is treated as an ongoing process rather than a one-time decision.
Microcredentials: Curriculum Connected to Local Careers
Career+ Pathways™ incorporates employer-informed microcredentials that live inside existing courses instead of as separate electives. Every microcredential requires students complete one chat and one tour, creating opportunities for ongoing career exploration, either in their own region, or even across the state. Three core microcredentials structure the secondary progression:
- Next Level Microcredential (grade 8)
- Introduces local career pathways.
- Guides students through the creation of a four-year high school plan.
- Enrolled 2,419 students in 2024–25.
- Workplace Communication Microcredential (grades 9–10)
- Requires at least one Career+™ Tour and one Chat plus additional employer-connected activities.
- Encourages students to update their high school plans and connect to advanced work-based learning.
- Enrolled 865 students.
- Workplace Leadership Microcredential (grade 12)
- Focuses on leadership, workplace readiness, and postsecondary planning.
- Often aligned with regional hiring events and other capstone activities.
- Enrolled 744 students.
Across all employer co-developed microcredentials, 4,028 students completed 30,947 lessons in 2024–25.
Career+™ Experiences: Real Contact With Workplaces
Career+ Pathways™ organizes employer-connected activities into a set of structured experiences:
- Career+™ Chats – live or virtual sessions where professionals describe their roles and answer student questions.
- Career+™ Tours – on-site visits where students see multiple roles and processes in a workplace.
- Bootcamps – short, intensive experiences built with employers.
- Internships and other work-based learning – longer placements that align with graduation requirements and regional labor needs.
In the 2024–25 school year, students in the Greater Lafayette region participated in:
- 1,177 Career+™ Chats
- 5,310 Career+™ Tours
- Over 100 Career+™ Bootcamp Participants
Student feedback and impact
After each Career+™ Experience, students complete a short survey. Over the past year, those responses show that:
- 1,600 students rated their experience 5 out of 5.
- 1,666 students rated it 4 out of 5.
- Overall, 77% of students rated Career+™ Experiences 4 or 5 out of 5.
- 3,339 students (79%) indicated they wanted a next step, such as learning more about the industry, exploring jobs or internships, enrolling in related courses or credentials, or meeting with a career advisor.
For Bootcamps specifically, 93% of participants reported increased skills confidence, and 84% rated the bootcamp 4 or higher on a 5-point scale.
What “Career-Connected Pathways” Means in Practice
Taken together, these elements show what career-connected pathways look like for grades 8–12 in Career+ Pathways™:
- A four-step sequence from early exploration to graduation that runs through every secondary grade.
- Annual interest assessments linked to coaching and concrete next actions.
- Microcredentials embedded in existing courses that connect academic work with local industries and credentials.
- A steady flow of Career+™ Experiences that move from introductory exposure to intensive bootcamps and work-based learning.
- Ongoing support so that students graduate with a clear, documented plan and real experience in local career fields.
Instead of a one-time survey or occasional event, Career+ Pathways™ gives students a structured pathway that combines curriculum, coaching, and workplace experiences throughout grades 8–12.
Bio
Nisanur Gül is a Social Media Manager and Virtual Assistant at Skyepack, where she supports content creation, blog writing, and digital engagement for the Career+ Pathways™ program. She works closely with the team to transform ideas into polished, audience-ready pieces. Outside of work, she enjoys designing, painting, and spending time with friends in cozy, creative settings.
Katarina Webb, School Success Manager at Career+ Pathways™! Starting as a Career Advisor through a partnership with Ivy Tech, Katarina now leads a team supporting schools across the GLC region. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, the creative arts and spending time with her family and fur babies.
