The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, with support from the Pathways & Workforce Funder Collaborative, is leading Pathways with Purpose Through Career-Connected Learning, a national initiative that supports employer-led partnerships working to strengthen alignment between K–12 education and workforce needs. The initiative invests in regional and statewide collaborations that bring employers, State Education Agencies (SEAs), Local Education Agencies (LEAs), and other education and workforce partners together to design and implement career pathways that prepare learners for in-demand careers.
Through funding, technical assistance, coaching, peer learning, and access to national expertise, Pathways with Purpose supports employer-led consortia that are building scalable solutions to connect students with meaningful career exploration, industry-aligned learning, work-based learning opportunities, and credentials that have real value in the labor market. Selected communities are implementing projects that reflect local workforce needs while contributing lessons and promising practices that can inform employer-led career pathway development nationwide.
Why Pathways with Purpose Matters
Across the country, employers report ongoing challenges finding workers with the skills needed for today's jobs. At the same time, many students graduate without a clear understanding of available career pathways, the credentials those careers require, or how classroom learning connects to future employment opportunities.
The U.S. Chamber Foundation believes employers should not simply participate in workforce development efforts. They should help lead them. When employers are authentic co-design partners, career pathways are aligned to real hiring needs, credentials carry labor market value, and work-based learning experiences provide students with meaningful exposure to careers and industries.
Pathways with Purpose was designed around this premise. By supporting employer-led partnerships and strengthening collaboration between business and education, the initiative seeks to create more effective pathways that help learners explore careers, build relevant skills, earn valuable credentials, and successfully transition into education, training, and employment opportunities that lead to economic mobility.
Focus Areas
All participating communities are advancing work in two core areas:
Aligning Curriculum and Credentials to Labor Market Needs
Using data-driven, industry-led approaches to align career pathway programming with in-demand jobs, employer needs, and credentials of value.
Experiencing the World of Work
Expanding access to high-quality work-based learning opportunities such as internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing, career-connected projects, mentoring, and other career immersion experiences co-designed with employers.
The Five Pathways with Purpose Communities
Chosen from nearly 200 applicants nationwide, five employer-led organizations were selected to participate in the inaugural Pathways with Purpose cohort. Together, they represent a diverse set of industries, geographies, and approaches while sharing a commitment to employer leadership and stronger connections between learning and work.
Colorado Succeeds (Colorado)
Colorado Succeeds is focused on construction and skilled trades in the Denver metro area. Through Project SCALE, the organization is working to strengthen employer and workforce partner collaboration while helping students earn industry-recognized credentials and college credit through hands-on learning experiences connected to real hiring needs. The project aims to increase student awareness of skilled trade careers while building stronger talent pipelines for regional employers.
NC Chamber Foundation (North Carolina)
Working alongside the North Carolina Business Committee for Education, the NC Chamber Foundation is expanding opportunities for students to explore and prepare for careers in the electrical industry. The effort builds upon Careers Electric™ initiatives across targeted regions of the state and brings employers, educators, and workforce partners together to align career awareness, skills development, work-based learning, and workforce goals for the electrical sector.
Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation (Ohio)
The Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation is deepening employer engagement in advanced manufacturing and health sciences career pathways across Montgomery and Warren Counties. Through stronger employer participation in student learning, career exploration, and pathway design, the initiative seeks to improve student preparedness while creating a model that can be replicated and scaled across Ohio.
San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (California)
The San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation is leading an innovative effort focused on artificial intelligence (AI) workforce readiness. The project convenes employers and education partners to identify the AI-related skills increasingly needed in entry-level positions and develop a new credential that helps learners demonstrate those competencies to employers. Particular attention is being given to expanding access and opportunity for historically underrepresented populations.
Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce (Virginia)
The Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce is strengthening pathways into maritime and shipbuilding careers for young people ages 12 to 24. The initiative provides industry-informed career exploration, credentials, job readiness training, mentoring, and workforce preparation activities that help learners connect with one of the region's most important industries while addressing long-term employer workforce needs.
Expected Outcomes
While each community is pursuing strategies tailored to local labor market needs, across the initiative, participating communities are working toward three core outputs:
1. New Employer- or Industry-Aligned Programs, Courses, and Curricula
Development and implementation of new or enhanced learning experiences that reflect employer demand and labor market needs.
2. Expanded Access to Career-Connected Learning and Work-Based Learning
Growth in opportunities for learners to participate in career awareness, work-based learning, project-based learning, internships, job shadowing, mentoring, and other career-connected experiences.
3. Increased Attainment of Credentials of Value
Expansion of opportunities for learners to earn industry-recognized certifications, certificates, digital badges, micro-credentials, and other credentials that signal workforce readiness.
Project Timeline
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Consortia launch meeting (Virtual) | June 8, 2026 |
| Planning, partner alignment, baseline data collection, and development of detailed implementation plans | June – September 2026 |
| Consortia "Show and Tell" convening to discuss implementation plans | Late July 2026 |
| Implementation of core activities, regular cohort convenings, technical assistance, and documentation of progress and outcomes | September 2026 – June 2027 |
| End of year review meeting | June 2027 |
| Final reports due | August 2027 |
Building Knowledge for the Field
One of the central goals of Pathways with Purpose is not only to support strong local projects, but also to generate knowledge that can help other communities create stronger employer-led career pathways.
Throughout the grant period, participating communities are documenting their progress, sharing promising practices with peers, and testing strategies that can be replicated and adapted in other regions. The U.S. Chamber Foundation will work with grantees to capture lessons learned, highlight successful approaches, and share resources, insights, and tools that can advance employer-led career-connected learning efforts across the country.
By investing in these five communities, Pathways with Purpose serves as a laboratory for innovation in employer-led workforce development. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation hopes the experiences of this cohort will inform future efforts to strengthen connections between education and employment, expand high-quality work-based learning, and create more pathways that lead to meaningful careers and economic opportunity.
Explore Partnership Opportunities
The future of workforce development depends on stronger partnerships between employers, educators, and communities.
If you would like to learn more about Pathways with Purpose Through Career-Connected Learning, explore collaboration opportunities, or discuss potential partnerships, contact pathways@uschamber.org.
The Pathways & Workforce Funder Collaborative is coalition of over 50 K-12, postsecondary, and workforce funders working to expand access to high-quality career pathways for youth.
