Giving Compass' Take:

• Career pathways are an opportunity for low-skilled workers to engage in talent pipelines that will prepare them for the incoming automated workforce. 

• How can donors support career pathways and talent pipelines?

• Read more about the biggest takeaways from career pathways. 

Ordering a meal in 2019 can feel quite futuristic. At some establishments, food servers or cashiers have been replaced by tablets or kiosks. At Eatsa, an “automated restaurant” in the Bay Area, customers may see only a single employee.

Technology and automation’s deployment in the labor market is bringing deep changes to the nature of work. The full utilization of automation and artificial intelligence is still to come, and workforce development programs must be aware of potential challenges and seize on opportunities.

The impact of automation on low-wage workers isn’t completely clear, and forecasting these disruptions is difficult. Recent analyses have characterized how susceptible varying jobs are to automation. For example, the food server’s task of taking orders is at high risk of automation, but we still need servers to deliver the food from the kitchen to the table.

Previous Urban Wire posts have explored the impact of automation on education and training, how local workforce systems can prepare workers, and the importance of engaging those most likely to be affected. Common among all of this commentary is that automation will inevitably and significantly change the skills workers need to succeed in the labor market.

"Career pathways” rethinks jobs as parts of structured career ladders, each with opportunities for advancement through additional training, experience, and credentialing. Career pathways have the potential to lead low-skill workers to higher-quality jobs over time.

But how will career ladders be weakened or eliminated by automation, and how can career pathways programs respond?

Career pathways programs are designed to help job-seekers without traditional postsecondary education and training succeed in the workforce. They do so by providing credentials, supportive services, and guidance to help job seekers move into fields with opportunities for advancement along career ladders.

Read the full article about career pathways by Ian Hecker, Daniel Kuehn, and Demetra Smith Nightingale at Urban Institute.