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Delaware Pathways program trains state's future workforce

Delaware Public Media

The National Center on Education and the Economy’s case study on the Delaware Pathways initiative shows the state on track to enroll at least half of all students into the program in the next few years.

The Pathways program allows youth in the state to earn early college credits, get apprenticeships and find good paying jobs.

About 9,000 students are currently enrolled in various pathways tracks. The Delaware Department of Education aims to have 20,000 students in the pathways program by 2020.

Career and Technical Education Director Luke Rhine said the program is designed to put students on the path to fill middle and high skill jobs that pay well.

“What we’re really trying to do is ensure that students have credentials and early college credit to kind of accelerate their participation in the labor market as well as to pursue things like register for an apprenticeship, two year degrees, certificate programs and four year degrees,” he said.

He said middle skill jobs pay on average about $44,000 a year and high skill wages average about double that. But they demand skills beyond the high school level.

“So, middle skill jobs require some type of postsecondary education," Rhine said. "So that can be an industry credential, that can be an apprenticeship, that can be military training, military service. That can also be a certificate or two-year degree.”

But the case study finds a number of Delaware students taking remedial courses because they’re not prepared for college-level courses. It also shows more students of color and low-income youth have to take remedial classes.

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