Early College as a Scalable Solution to the Looming Workforce Crisis
Previous MassINC research shows Massachusetts’s relatively young Early College programs are demonstrating impressive performance increasing college access and persistence. This discussion paper looks at the potential to build on this success, leveraging Early College as a strategy to meet our growing need for skilled workers.
We explore this opportunity through the lenses of developmental psychology and career development theory. In so doing, we gain a deeper understanding of why this model is so impactful. We also show how weaving more robust career pathways into Early College will encourage many more students to participate in these programs and produce even stronger long-term outcomes.
To demonstrate what this approach might look like in practical terms, MassINC partnered with the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education to sketch a blueprint for Early College health pathways. We encourage readers to also review this companion paper.
