“Hyperlocal” Career Pathway Programs in New Hampshire - Collaborating to Support Youth at the Secondary/Postsecondary Transition

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys

“Hyperlocal” Career Pathway Programs in New Hampshire examines how cross-sector partnerships can strengthen youth transitions from secondary education to postsecondary education and work. The study emphasizes that partnerships are most effective when they combine collaboration and flexibility with clear exposure to career roles and hands-on practice with key skills. Outcomes improve where local actors commit to collaboration, sustained effort, and barrier reduction, though broader statewide coordination and leadership are still needed.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background and Context: Demographic Conditions in New Hampshire

Project Background

Key Findings

“Hyperlocal” Career Pathway Programs in New Hampshire: Collaborating to Support Youth atthe Secondary/Postsecondary Transition Jayson Seaman Carsey School of Public Policy 2 C A R S E Y SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY | 􀃎 | Key Findings | | --- | --- | | | Cross-sector partnerships are playing a critical role in helping New Hampshire youth transition into postsecondary education and work. | | | The partnerships work best when they involve collaboration and flexibility and provide exposure to career roles and hands-on practice with key skills. | | | Efforts are succeeding due to a willingness to collaborate, work hard, and reduce barriers at the local level, but greater statewide coordination, leadership, and support are needed to maximize outcomes at a wider scale. | Introduction College costs and persistent workforce shortages have prompted educators, policymakers, and employers to shift the conversation on the transition from school from a narrow “college for all”emphasis to a broader “postsecondary education”and “career pathways” perspective.1 The timing of this shift coincides with current and anticipated workforce needs; by 2032, New Hampshire will have 197,000 positions available across its top 80 occupations, with labor force growth projected to fill only 6,100 of those jobs.2 Even for college-bound individuals, greater scrutiny is being applied to the value of different degree choices relative to lifetime earnings,3 with powerful online tools and calculators now available to help weigh options.4 Industry has also gotten involved by designing apprenticeship and training programs that meet their own workforce needs while also moving trainees into valuable credentialing pathways.5 With public debates about the value of college escalating6 and demographic forecasts threatening to reshape higher education,7 K–12 institutions are adapting by engaging youth more deliberately in “learning for careers” as they approach graduation.8 Some commentators argue that broadening options to include career and technical education (CTE), certificates, and 2-year degrees—while recognizing the earnings still afforded by a college degree—is essential for realizing equity gains across racial and socioeconomic groups.9 Successfully building such pathways cannot be accomplished by educational institutions alone; it requires collaboration across public, nonprofit, and private sectors, as well as financial and policy incentives that reduce barriers and risks. This paper describes an innovative effort to address these challenges in New Hampshire, focusing on a set of programs that follow a“hyperlocal” approach to career pathway development. Seeking to expose participants to careers in high-demand areas, the programs simultaneously address specific, local industry, community, and individual needs. Their purpose is to increase the likelihood of social mobility by using career exposure and hands-on involvement to spur interest and motivation toward additional education and training in promising fields. The research reported here focused on programs that target youth approaching the secondary-postsecondary transition. The paper begins by briefly describing New Hampshire’s unique demographic characteristics as they relate to the state’s approach to education and workforce development. The characteristics help us understand the challenges involved in helping individuals make the transition from secondary education to postsecondary roles. The study’s main findings focus on key elements of career pathway programs that align with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s (NHCF) hyperlocal model. Excerpts from participant interviews across six programs help to show what works in different career pathway sites, in terms of realizing effective collaboration among partners and providing learners with a positive experience. The paper concludes with a discussion about areas of ongoing need both within and outside of individual pathway programs. C A

FAQs

What problem do the hyperlocal career pathway programs target in New Hampshire?

They focus on improving youth transitions from secondary education into postsecondary education and work, especially by addressing local industry and community needs alongside individual goals.

What makes partnerships effective in these programs?

Partnerships work best when they emphasize collaboration and flexibility and provide learners with exposure to real career roles plus hands-on practice using key skills.

What is needed to scale results beyond individual program sites?

Local success is supported by willingness to collaborate and reduce barriers, but the paper calls for greater statewide coordination, leadership, and support to maximize outcomes at a wider scale.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys