AMTEC's National Case Study Executive Summary: Career Pathway Programs That Work

This 28-page report, created by the Automotive Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative (AMTEC), provides an executive summary with findings from a national case study of five exemplary career pathway programs that work, as well as a review of existing literature on career pathways within the automotive industry. The report provides a definition and a framework for career pathways, a typology for identifying types of career pathway programs, an identification of types of career pathways activities and best practices for Automotive and Advanced Manufacturing, and an alignment of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and AMTEC models.

The case study, conducted in 2010, aims to increase knowledge of academic experience, industry practice, and knowledge transfer about industry-to-education postsecondary pathways; to describe a set of circumstances from which lessons can be drawn for other organizations; to explore the opportunities and challenges of industry and education partnering with one another, with the aim of developing future partnerships; to be a stand-alone 'learning/earning' case study that generates new insights and perspectives, and inspires innovation that improves the effectiveness of industry-education partnerships; to present practical examples of the AMTEC partnership model and the application of partnership skills for use in creating 16+ career pathways; and to develop an awareness of the potential of using industry-education partnerships. The study notes that career pathways begin in elementary school and progress through college and apprenticeship.

The document as a whole should provide career mapping and related transitions for students pursuing careers in the automotive and manufacturing industries.