In Their Own Words: How Career-Connected Learning Is Shaping Learners’ Futures
“This program has helped me figure out what I want to do with my life, and got me started on the road to success.”
At Catalyze, we believe career-connected learning (CCL) is a journey where young people discover who they are, what they care about, and how they want to shape their future. It’s not just about jobs—it’s about building learner agency as they discover what matters to them, make informed decisions, and build confidence in their ability to chart their own path.
Photo Credit: Generation Schools Network
Because learners are at the heart of our work, we prioritize going straight to the source to understand their experiences and hear their perspectives. We recently surveyed more than 1,400 learners across Catalyze-funded programs to better understand how CCL is impacting their lives. Their voices and insights are both inspiring and affirming–powerful reminders of why this work matters and how it’s making a difference.
Read on to hear how CCL is positively impacting learners’ lives and why learners report feeling more prepared and confident as they build toward their futures.
Learners Are Preparing for What’s Ahead
Photo Credit: Chicago Scholars REACH Pathways
Catalyze programs offer real-world career exposure and exploration, enabling learners to begin preparing for their futures as early as middle school. One learner in Chicago Scholars REACH Pathways program shared how game-based learning has been a launchpad for personal growth and their future career: “This program is allowing me to explore and enhance my leadership skills, perfect my resume, and kickstart a plan to reach the future I've envisioned for myself.”
Across the board, learners echoed this sense of readiness. 77% of Catalyze learner respondents affirmed they are learning the skills and knowledge that will help them to be successful in their current or future career. Catalyze programs are indeed helping learners develop the skills and take the steps required to achieve their future career goals.
But CCL isn’t only about knowing where you want to go—it’s also about recognizing what’s not a good fit. As a learner from the National Education Equity Lab reflected after completing a data analytics college-level course, “[This experience] made me realize that I do not want to go into a career related to cloud computing, which is actually very helpful.” This, too, is a win. The ability for learners to explore and refine their interests, rule out paths that don’t align with their values or strengths, and ultimately make more informed decisions about their futures is a powerful form of agency.
Learners are Gaining Confidence
Real-world experiences do more than build resumes–they build confidence. Catalyze programs provide learners the opportunity to explore a wide range of career pathways while building new skillsets. Our survey results reveal that these experiences are helping learners gain both confidence and clarity. As one learner from CAST Schools shared, “CAST has put me in [a] position to explore career paths I never would have otherwise and has made me a more confident person overall.” CAST Schools offer high school apprenticeships that open doors to new opportunities and real-world experiences for their learners.
Similarly, for a learner at Educate Texas—a Catalyze grantee providing high school apprenticeships in healthcare—CCL has boosted their confidence and positively influenced their ability to express themselves as they prepare for the next steps in their education journey: “It has taught me what a professional work environment is like, enhanced my communication skills and extremely raised my confidence.” This sentiment is echoed across our survey results, with 84% of learners reporting that they believe in their ability to achieve goals they set for themselves.
Why This Matters
“I believe this program has given me the opportunity to take the first step towards my future, and I am thankful.”
The results from the Catalyze learner survey make it clear: participants in Catalyze-funded CCL programs are gaining the skills they need to pursue their goals and their futures with intention and optimism. These insights not only reveal what learners value most in CCL programming, but also underscore why this work matters.
Centering Learner Voice in What Comes Next
Photo Credit: Project Success
As we look ahead, learner voice will continue to shape how Catalyze and our grantee community design, refine, and implement programs. Together, we are building a movement where every young person can access high-quality, learner-centered, career-connected learning. When we center learners, we’re not just preparing them for the future—we’re helping them create it.
With more than 65 grantee organizations in our grantee community, Catalyze programs have served over 63,000 learners nationwide. Targeting learners ages 11-22, 100% of Catalyze programs reach low-income learners and are dedicated to community-driven approaches to CCL.
