A recent WestEd study of five US high schools offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) Career-related Programme (CP) found that strong community partnerships, clear postsecondary pathways, and the integration of real-world career learning into instruction are key to preparing students for college, training and the workforce.
The qualitative case study, conducted using Brinkerhoff’s Success Case Method, examined how career-related studies operate in diverse contexts. Career-related studies
focus on applied career learning to prepare students for further education, internships, apprenticeships, or direct employment, while developing theoretical understanding and broad‑based skills through authentic, real‑world experiences.
The report presents case studies from five CP schools, each illustrating a different approach to delivering locally relevant career‑related studies. Researchers describe five distinct school-based models.
- A career technical education (CTE) integrated model
- An IB-for-all model with guaranteed internships
- A CTE integration model with strong industry alignment
- An IB-for-all model with apprenticeship-style learning
- A service-learning model in a college-going culture
Across the cases, researchers identified three factors that can contribute to successful career-related studies.
- Cultivating postsecondary readiness and pathways by building transferable skills and providing structured routes to further education through dual credit, industry certifications, and aligned college programming.
- Building enduring community and workforce partnerships that engage employers, higher education institutions, and community organizations in providing authentic work-based learning aligned with local labor-market needs.
- Integrating career learning into instruction, drawing on industry‑experienced educators to bring real‑world, apprenticeship‑style learning into classrooms, and aligning the CP with existing CTE pathways where possible.
As one CP coordinator explained, sustained collaboration with local partners helps ensure that career-related studies respond to regional workforce needs:
“We’re very connected with the community … we have a model that we have spent the last seven years implementing throughout our district, and because of that, we’ve been able to offer very specific career-related industry needs of our community. … When they leave high school, they’re very much prepared for the needs in [the region].” — School A CP Coordinator
Together, the three factors identified by researchers can support sustainable pathways that connect students to local opportunities, providing authentic work‑based learning and clear routes to further education, training, or employment.
 Career-related Programme (CP) found that strong community partnerships, clear postsecondary pathways, and the integration of real-world career learning into instruction are key to preparing students for college, training and the workforce.){kind=spacer}