On June 10, we were proud to represent Clark College at the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Conference. Our session, titled “Guided Career Pathways: Infusing Career Readiness into the Student Experience,” drew a crowd of approximately 150 higher education professionals and employers from across the country and received overwhelmingly positive feedback.

The presentation tackled a well-documented concern: the perceived disconnect between college preparation and real-world career readiness. We highlighted data from both students and employers, demonstrating the need for stronger alignment between academic learning and workplace expectations.

We outlined Clark College’s dual-track approach to student success, integrating career development alongside onboarding, academic planning, and retention through the Penguin Path model. Our data – from faculty surveys, participation in communities of practice, and student focus group feedback – showcased how Clark faculty are already actively engaged in career-connected teaching strategies.

Career-connected learning is truly a cornerstone of Clark College’s student success strategy, aligning closely with the Guided Pathways framework. This approach emphasizes experiential learning, work-based opportunities, and industry-informed curriculum – critical elements in ensuring that students achieve course and program outcomes that meaningfully prepare them for career advancement. Pillar 4 of the Guided Pathways model states: “Ensure that learning is happening with intentional outcomes,” which includes alignment with successful transfer and career readiness.

One of the session’s key takeaways was the importance of deepening industry engagement, particularly by expanding internship opportunities and weaving career connections into general education coursework – an effort that will be supported with Title III funding.

Clark College continues to lead in developing innovative, career-ready curriculum that bridges the gap between classroom and career. The enthusiastic response to this national presentation confirms that the work happening at Clark resonates with institutions and employers across the country.

Learn More

Learn more about this impactful session by downloading the NACE 2025 conference presentation.

Participation in career-connected learning allows students to gain career-related work experiences, which has been shown to increase student completion and short-term employment/earnings. Learn more about career-connected learning by visiting Clark’s Career Hub.

At the Cascadia Manufacturing Partnership Symposium on May 30, Clark College hosted manufacturing industry leaders from all over the region. The Cascadia Manufacturing Network is focused on identifying opportunities facing the manufacturing sector and developing solutions for talent development, marketing, advocacy, and more.

The cross-agency talent team of the network has identified specific focus areas as part of their goal to build career pathways to high-wage, in-demand jobs. As Clark’s Director of Guided Pathways and Partnerships, I serve as a convener for the team and work with industry partners to develop a talent needs survey, and to identify strategies for fulfilling the workforce needs of manufacturing.

To guide this work, we use the Next Gen Sector Partnership Model, a structured framework for connecting businesses, colleges, workforce development, and other community organizations to meet the needs of industry.

Multiple employees from local community colleges, nonprofit agencies, and workforce development organizations attended the symposium to learn about the project’s goals and to learn how they can support career pathways. The conversation included a mix of ideas including career exploration and preparation, job fairs, and internships. Clark College’s new Career Connected Curriculum Liaison, Stephanie Leeper, was on hand to listen and gather ideas related to the college’s Title III grant and career-connected learning initiative.

This project illuminates the high-level possibilities of working directly with employers to create strategies related to career-connected learning and high-wage, in-demand career pathways for students.

Partnerships with our local workforce board, Workforce SW Washington, allow the college to leverage relationships with businesses and employers, and contribute to the regional Quality Jobs framework.

Learn more

Workforce Southwest Washington Quality Jobs Initiative: https://workforcesw.org/investments/quality-jobs