Adult Career Pathways

Preparing learners for family-sustaining work is a big part of adult education! We teach transitions or “soft” skills, digital literacy, and of course basic skills such as reading, writing, math and language. All of these key skills are defined in our content standards documents, and they are further detailed in our CCR Standards and the ACES resource libraries. In addition, in ABE programs throughout the state, these skills are often embedded in a specific career pathway, building students’ skills while preparing them for specific career advancement at the same time.

To address the many challenges in designing, implementing and sustaining effective adult career pathway (ACP) programs and partnerships, ATLAS provides professional development and resources for ABE managers and practitioners who are developing or strengthening career pathways for their students.

Adult Career Pathways Resource Library

The cornerstone of our ACP offerings is the ACP resource library, providing over 50 (and growing!) vetted ACP curricula as well as a multitude of ACP program development tools. If you are teaching students in preparation for careers in healthcare, manufacturing, etc. – don’t recreate the wheel!  You can start with an ACP curriculum from this collection and tweak for your context.

Additional Opportunities

Professional development activities for Adult Career Pathways includes webinars and workshops at regional and statewide events on a variety of topics. Keep up with all things ACP-related by joining the ACP Networking group; details are below.

Webinar Series

Adult Career Pathways Webinar Series

Based on input from the Adult Career Pathways Advisory Team, ATLAS offers a webinar series throughout the year to promote and support Adult Career Pathways (ACP) and Integrated Education and Training (IET) in Minnesota Adult Ed. Topics vary and are determined by the Advisory Team.

Online Groups

Adult Career Pathways Online Group

This online networking community of practice was established to connect administrators and instructors working on adult career pathways, and it serves as a forum for discussion among those working with ACPs statewide, as well as a hub announcements, resources, and webinar and in-person event information.

Advisory Teams

ACP PD Advisory Team

The ACP Professional Development (PD) Advisory Team is an ATLAS-sponsored team designed to strengthen Adult Career Pathways (ACP) work in Minnesota ABE through relevant, meaningful, and effective professional development for ABE teachers and managers.

The Team is responsible for visioning and implementing a long-term strategic plan for Adult Career Pathways PD in Minnesota, as well as specific tasks yearly to support current and forthcoming PD efforts such as offerings around establishing partnerships with local colleges and employers, reaching out to Local Workforce Development Boards, and recruiting ACP students.

New Adult Career Pathways Resources

Employer Engagement Toolkit – Partnerships

The Employer Engagement Toolkit features flyers designed to help Adult Education programs connect with local employers regarding workplace education programs or more generalized collaboration strategies. All flyers describe the short and long term return on investment (ROI) that is possible through collaborations with ABE. Customize each flyer with your ABE program’s contact information, logo, and preferred wording. A free Canva account is required to copy and edit the view-only files. New to Canva? A brief tutorial is included.

Employer Engagement Toolkit – Workplace

This Employer Engagement Toolkit contains flyers designed to assist Adult Education programs in connecting with local employers regarding workplace education programs or more generalized collaboration strategies. All flyers describe the short and long term return on investment (ROI) that is possible through collaborations with ABE. Customize each flyer with your ABE program’s contact information, logo, and preferred wording. A free Canva account is required to copy and edit the view-only files. New to Canva? A brief tutorial is included.

Employer Engagement Toolkit

The Employer Engagement Toolkit contains flyers created to assist Adult Education programs in connecting with local employers regarding workplace education programs or more generalized collaboration strategies. All flyers describe the short and long term return on investment (ROI) that is possible through collaborations with ABE. Customize each flyer with your ABE program’s contact information, logo, and preferred wording. A free Canva account is required to copy and edit the view-only files. New to Canva? A brief tutorial is included.
Adult Career Pathways

Adult Career Pathways Resource Library »

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Latest Adult Career Pathways Articles

Adult Education Makes Steady Progress in Partnerships with Minnesota State

In 2023, Minnesota State initiated a statewide effort to replace existing Dev Ed non-credit courses with a corequisite course format that, upon completion, would award students with college credit. Get the latest updates from the Minnesota State-ABE Corequisite Affinity Group, which meets virtually in the fall, winter, and spring to stay connected and apprised of developments in the corequisite movement to ensure that student needs remain at the center of the work. Read More

Ready, Set, IET! Recap and Overview of IET Coaching

Ready, Set, IET! took place on September 30, 2025. If you couldn’t join us, don’t worry! You can still access the slides, recordings, and shared resources, and discover how IET Coaching can help take your program to the next level. Read More

Upcoming ABE Events

December 15, 2025 6:30 pm–8:30 pm
Literacy Minnesota
Online

Comprehension Strategies for Intermediate-Level Readers

Online

Registration Deadline: MON. 12/15/25 Venue: Online (see details below) Research shows that explicitly teaching a set of comprehension strategies is a great way to help intermediate-level readers maximize their understanding of texts. Come learn a handful of great comprehension tools that will help students develop critical thinking skills… Learn More

Online
December 18, 2025 6:30 pm–8:30 pm
Literacy Minnesota
Online

How Adult Brains Learn Languages – Presented by Andrea Echelberger

Online

Registration Deadline: THU. 12/18/25 Venue: Online (see details below) Learn what research has to say about how adult brains learn a new language, how trauma and stress impact learning, and how this influences the teaching practices that we use in the language classroom. Participants will leave the webinar… Learn More

Online
January 9, 2026 1:00 pm–3:00 pm
Literacy Minnesota
Online

Teaching Reading Vocabulary

Online

Registration Deadline: FRI. 1/9/26 Venue: Online (see details below) Vocabulary is everyone’s favorite reading component! And helping students master reading vocabulary is a key to helping them master comprehension. But how many words should you teach? And which words are the most important? What strategies are best for… Learn More

Online