Last year, Education Forward Arizona set forth a goal that 60% of Arizona adults attain a postsecondary degree, certificate or credential by 2030, called the Achieve60AZ goal. To help achieve that objective, educators, employers and career development leaders (like Pipeline AZ) have come together to form the Arizona Coalition for Career Readiness (ACCR).
This breakthrough organization provides exceptional career development opportunities for students across the state, through educational and employer partnerships that help K-12 students and adults pursue their career dreams. In addition to Pipeline AZ, other founding ACCR members include:
- Arizona Business & Education Coalition (ABEC)
- Junior Achievement of Arizona (JA)
- Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA)
- Valley of the Sun United Way
Pipeline AZ will serve as the coalition’s digital hub for job seekers and employers who want to post jobs. In addition to job opportunities, students and job seekers can use the Pipeline AZ platform to take a free career assessment, find local educational opportunities, and learn more about in-demand career pathways in Arizona.
Educators can use Pipeline AZ to find career explorer resources, including personalized career hubs for students, college job seeker support platforms and more.
ACCR Supports Arizona Career Awareness Month
ACCR is proud to support Arizona Career Awareness Month this September. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed a proclamation for the month, which specifically states, “Whereas, Arizona Coalition for Career Readiness exists to ensure students at all levels have opportunity for career readiness opportunities that are meaningful and relevant.”
To celebrate the month, events include a Junior Achievement of Arizona open house on Thursday, September 28, from 5-7 p.m. The event takes place at the JAAZ office at 636 W. Southern Ave. in Tempe and includes talks from JA Young Ambassadors, games, activities, a raffle, light food and drinks, and networking opportunities for professionals, educators and community influencers.
With the Governor’s support, ACCR and the debut of Arizona Career Awareness Month serve to expand career exploration opportunities for all Arizona students. The proclamation promotes:
- The creation of education plans in high school and postsecondary education that aligns with career goals
- Career awareness activities that foster a deeper understanding of the connection between education and career goals
- More opportunities for meaningful career exploration, skills and training
As the proclamation points out, while 68% of Arizona jobs require some type of postsecondary education, only 48% of Arizonans have a degree or credential. ACCR and Arizona Career Awareness Month seek to shift that trend.
Governor Hobbs said, “Arizona can be the best place in the country to live, work and raise a family. This starts with making sure our students have access to career awareness and exploration activities to prepare for higher education and career opportunities.
“Career Awareness Month is an opportunity for Arizona industry, education and community leaders, along with Arizona families, to advance Arizona students’ quality of life and help meet the state’s workforce needs.”
ACCR Looks Forward to a Bright Future for Employers & Job Seekers
With the creation of ACCR and Arizona Career Awareness Month, more students will be aware of the career potential available to them and the educational pathways to take to get there.
“Meaningful career exploration and development starting in middle and continuing through high school and college results in more successful employees, because students are fulfilling their own goals and pathway choices,” Katherine Pappas Adams, senior vice president of Pipeline AZ, said. “Not all Arizona students have access to local career information and the knowledge of how to connect to learning opportunities to help them get there, and we are dedicated to changing that.”
To learn more about the ACCR and sign up to get updates, visit https://arizonaccr.org/.
