Selecting the best fit postsecondary education or career training program is a complex task. JobsFirstNYC’s work to build career pathways in schools in the Transfer 2 Career Collaborative uncovered insights about the limited awareness of what postsecondary skills training programs provide, what to look for when selecting a program, and how to differentiate between offerings. Though high school staff are more aware of college options, particularly since the launch of College Access for All in New York City, there remains a significant knowledge gap about the variety of postsecondary options to prepare young adults for career success.

To meet this need, JobsFirstNYC developed an intuitive resource, the Career Training Program Selection Guide, to support young adults and the adults in their lives, as well as counselors, teachers, and school leaders, in understanding more about career training programs—from the application process, to curriculum and pedagogy, wraparound services, and alumni supports. 

Our research indicates that diversifying postsecondary education and training pathways can create a better workforce for New York City. In 2021, we taught a professional learning module, Advising for Career Pathways, for NYC Public Schools, where we initially released this guide. One New York City high school counselor set the following goal for the professional development opportunity:

“I would like to be able to help each one of my students choose the postsecondary option that is best for them. I want them to be aware of all of their options, and I want to guide them through researching those choices without my own biases and ideas impacting them.”