These slides are from a 12/11/19 talk at the 2019 ACP/Pathways education-business partnerships conference on partnership work, strategies, and lessons learned from a study of the New Skills for Youth project in Wisconsin.

1. Matthew T. Hora & Ross Benbow
Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions
Wisconsin Center for Education Research
University of Wisconsin-Madison
hora@wisc.edu @matt_hora ccwt.wceruw.org www.slideshare.net

2. Review of NSFY Goals & Objectives in WI
Background of Research Literature on Partnerships
Reflection on Your Own Experiences with
Partnerships
Findings from WCER Study of NSFY in WI
Ideas for Next Steps & Partnership Improvement
1

3. Goal
To transform the career readiness system –curriculum, programs, and advising in both K-
12 schools and the postsecondary system – so that all students were informed about
ways to acquire credentials leading to high-wage, high-demand jobs.
Objectives
(1) To develop and roll out new occupation-specific pathways (i.e., sequences of
courses leading to industry-recognized credentials, work-based learning experiences,
and college credit opportunities)
(2) To disseminate these pathways to key stakeholders (e.g., high school career
advisors who can share these pathways with students and families as “ready-made”
academic and career plans for high-skill, high-demand careers), and,
(3) To collect college and career readiness data that will be able to ascertain the
efficacy of these efforts.
2

4. What is a theory of action and why does it matter?
“...a predictive assumption about the relationship between desired changes and the actions
that may produce those changes” (Seymour & Connolly, 2015)
3
The creation and/or continuation of regional, sector-specific partnerships
among K-12 schools, postsecondary institutions, employers, workforce
development boards, regional economic development organizations (REDOs),
and other stakeholders to collaborate in developing cohesive systems to guide
students’ career preparation

5. 4
Gazley, B. (2017) The Current State of Interorganizational Collaboration: Lessons for Human Service Research and Management, Human Service
Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 41:1, 1-5
Collaborative work “involves an extraordinarily complex set of
behaviors” – structural, political, socio-cultural, psychological, spatial1.
2.
3.
Mutual benefits/self-interest, goal alignment, trust, boundary crossers,
and negotiating autonomy are key to partnership success
Cross-sectoral partnerships need to navigate disparate organizational
capacities, turf and autonomy, and unequal power dynamics

6. 6
Different partnership structures exist for different needs:
• Limited (one org in charge)
• Coordinated (horizontal coordination but autonomy), and
• Collaborative (tightly coupled and consensus-based governance).
Effective partnership work begins with careful planning
sessions that involve key stakeholders, where parties
discuss goals/objectives, existing resources and
relationships, best type of organizational structure,
terminology, strategies, governance, and procedures for
conflict resolution.

7. 7
“No football coach would take a playbook designed for one team
and mechanically apply it to a team with different players, skills,
and competitors.”
(Hora & Millar, 2010, p.3)
Source:https://www.pomona.edu/academics/departments/biology Source:http://www.amstmadison.com/photo-archive/

8. 8
What were some important features of EFFECTIVE organizational
partnerships that you’ve been part of?1.
2.
3.
What were some important features of INEFFECTIVE organizational
partnerships that you’ve been part of?
Given what you know about the partnership work involved in
ACP/Pathways efforts, what are some important features for
EFFECTIVE collaborative work in this space?

9. 9
Phase 1: 19 interviews, document analysis, 7 meetings observed
Phase 2: 70 participants in 10 focus groups, 5 interviews, and
document analysis
Focus on: (1) progress towards stated goals, (2) status of partnership
efforts at state- and region-level, (3) potential models for future work

10. 10
Pre-partnership planning and organizational structure: Four
Regional Directors convened stakeholders – esp industry-sector teams
– to inform development of new Pathways. Regional Economic
Development Organizations (REDOs), individual employers, WTCS
campuses, district leaders, CESAs and unions were key players.
Regional councils were formed in an advisory capacity, local industry-
specific collaboratives formed around specific pathways, and state-
level sector meetings were later created to minimize “asks” to industry
partners.

11. 11
Partnerships operations and organizational structure: Analysis of
attendees at key meetings showed that most – but not all –
stakeholders were present and actively involved.
Who is missing?
Consider goal of
disseminating pathways to
career advisors, parents and
students....

12. 12
Challenges
Structural challenges related to working across college-district-
industry boundaries regarding credentialing/credit systems1.
2.
3.
Lack of shared language across unique groups and individuals; also
lack of engagement with underserved students, turf issues, and
questions about pace and efficacy of government
Need for single point of contact – number of parties involved made it
confusing for some stakeholders

13. 13
Accomplishments
11 state-endorsed career pathways offered (nursing, construction,
manufacturing, IT), with 1,000 + partners1.
2.
3.
State data systems updated to include career readiness metrics
Infrastructure for cross-organizational partnerships set in place, esp
synergies with ACP efforts

14. Goal
To transform the career readiness system –curriculum, programs, and advising in both K-
12 schools and the postsecondary system – so that all students were informed about
ways to acquire credentials leading to high-wage, high-demand jobs.
Objectives
(1) To develop and roll out new occupation-specific pathways (i.e., sequences of
courses leading to industry-recognized credentials, work-based learning experiences,
and college credit opportunities)
(2) To disseminate these pathways to key stakeholders (e.g., high school career
advisors who can share these pathways with students and families as “ready-made”
academic and career plans for high-skill, high-demand careers), and,
(3) To collect college and career readiness data that will be able to ascertain the
efficacy of these efforts.
2

15. 15
Recommendations
Engage in a reset of state- and region-level partnership work:
• Are all stakeholders present?
• What cultural/disciplinary boundaries are in play?
• How to synergize with existing initiatives like ACP?
• Do we have the right partnership structure in place? How to coordinate across
agencies? Who has the capacity to lead the work?
1.
2.
3.
Clearly state and communicate goals, objectives, and strategies for the
work to all parties
Engage in “user-based” research to determine how to best reach
career advisors, students and caregivers from ALL backgrounds

16. 16
Matthew T. Hora
Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions
Wisconsin Center for Education Research
University of Wisconsin-Madison
hora@wisc.edu @matt_hora ccwt.wceruw.org