The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, with support from the Pathways & Workforce Funder Collaborative, is excited to announce the launch of Pathways with Purpose Through Career‑Connected Learning (Pathways with Purpose), a new initiative that strengthens connections between K–12 education and workforce opportunities through employer leadership. The initiative offers business‑led organizations an opportunity to design and scale new career pathways and work‑based learning for high school students, in collaboration with state and local education leaders (SEAs and LEAs).
This work is particularly important as AI and other technological trends accelerate changes in industry skill needs and how work is performed across sectors. An overwhelming majority of U.S. employers report difficulty in hiring for critical roles. At the same time, too many young people lack access to pathways and work‑based learning experiences that lead to in‑demand careers, economic mobility, and family‑sustaining wages. Our nation’s approaches to career exploration, preparation, and continued learning must evolve to keep pace.
The Case for Industry-Led Pathway Innovation
At the U.S. Chamber Foundation, we believe that when employers lead effectively, education partners and learners benefit significantly, through better alignment with job opportunities, deeper immersion in the evolving world of work, and credentials that carry real value. Learners gain exposure to real career possibilities through hands-on learning, mentorship, and workplace experiences. Employers benefit by engaging more career-minded learners interested in entering critical roles within their industries.
While educators work tirelessly to prepare learners for life after high school, creating consistent and meaningful opportunities to engage industry requires time and capacity that school systems and staffing structures do not always support. Business-led organizations—such as chambers of commerce, industry associations, and employer coalitions—are uniquely positioned to leverage their credibility with employers to drive relevant education and work-based learning opportunities and serve as catalysts for system-level change.
Pathways with Purpose helps remove funding and capacity barriers to employer-led, student-focused efforts. These efforts aim to better align curriculum, credentials, career exploration and on-the-job learning—and to advance employer-led career pathway development. This initiative will ultimately help young people make more confident and informed decisions, gain hands-on experience, earn valued credentials, and pursue education or careers that offer economic opportunity. When learners succeed, families are strengthened, employers grow, and communities prosper.
An Opportunity to Innovate, Scale, Learn, and Inform
Through this initiative, the U.S. Chamber Foundation will fund and support approximately four to five employer-ed consortia. These groups will convene regional or statewide partnerships that unite employers and education leaders to design, scale, and sustain high-impact career pathways and work-based learning for high school students.
Selected consortia will participate in a cohort-based learning community supported by dedicated coaching, peer learning, and access to national experts and resources. Participants will share challenges, pilot solutions, and elevate best practices, ensuring lessons learned strengthen both the cohort and the broader field.
Call to Action
If you are a business-led organization committed to building a stronger, more equitable talent pipeline, this is your opportunity to be part of the solution.
- Review the RFP to explore eligibility and expectations.
- Applications are due by 5 p.m. ET on Monday, April 20, 2026.
Together, we can build career pathways with purpose—and deliver real opportunity for learners, businesses, and communities.
About the Pathways & Workforce Funder Collaborative
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.
