In January I wrote to you about how our Board adopted a strategic plan in 2025, guiding our decisions and focusing our work through 2031. I attempted to give some definition to what a strategic plan is and the value it holds for our organization.
In February I shared one of our four focus areas, building an early learning system for families with children aged to five. I also shared the evidence proving the importance of our focus, with only 22.8% of our kindergarteners entered kindergarten “demonstrating readiness” by the state’s designation.
Today I am sharing, at a high level, our second area of focus: career pathways and workforce development.
If you are not aware, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce has designated three different “graduation pathways” for students to pursue when they graduate high school. They are:
- Enrollment in some kind of post-secondary learning, from a workforce certification to an apprenticeship program to a 2-year or 4-year college degree.
- Enlistment in a branch of our armed forces.
- Employment in a job.
Barberton Schools refers to these as “The 3 E’s” and spends a lot of time helping our students understand them so they are ready to choose when they graduate.
The goal is for each student to have a pathway in life chosen when they graduate.
You may be thinking, like me, “does every kid REALLY know what they want to do at 18???”
You’re right! Many don’t. But the idea of the pathway is not to know what you’ll do for the next 40 years right away, it’s really to give purpose and focus to the student, knowing they can always adjust their pathway later.
The challenge here is that while enrollment and enlistment are easily understood, employment is less clear.
The commonly understood goal of the employment pathway is to get a job.
But is a job the right goal?
A “JOB” isa position that provides immediate income but with limited growth potential, stability, or advancement opportunities. Characteristics include:
- Entry-level wages that do not change significantly over time
- Unpredictable or unstable hours and schedules
- Limited access to benefits
- No clear path to higher-paying roles
- Minimal investment in worker skill development
As pathways go, a “job” isn’t a long one!
So, the better goal is to pursue a career pathway (not a job pathway).
A “CAREER” is a sequence of intentionally connected job roles and skill development that allows workers to advance to progressively better-paying, more stable positions over time. Characteristics include:
- Clear progression from entry-level to skilled roles (e.g. nursing assistant → licensed practical nurse → registered nurse)
- Wage growth tied to skill advancement and credentials
- Stability and predictability within each role
- Benefits (health insurance, paid leave, retirement)
- Employer and education system alignment (credentials earned lead directly to promotion)
- Worker agency and voice in advancement
- Industry sustainability and job security
The difference between a job and a career is meaningful when it comes to a household’s income.
For example, a workforce study conducted here last year revealed that the highest concentration of employed Barberton residents (about 18%) work in the retail industry, which has a median household income of $31,150. A job to make ends meet, but not a career.
That is not a living wage in our modern economy.
So, this employment pathway must evolve to become a career pathway built for what’s needed, such as specialized skill development opportunities, specific learning programs that are tied to careers at local businesses, job prospects or placement services, wraparound family support services, or a timeframe commitment for when they are going to have a job that leads to a career.
A career requires some post-secondary education but creates the economic mobility someone needs to support themselves and raise a family.
And that is what we want for our friends, kids, neighbors, and families, right?
That is why the second of our four focus areas as a Foundation is to work on developing access to and demand for career pathways!
I look forward to hearing your ideas for how we can do this as a community in the months ahead!
In Community,
Josh Gordon
