2023 was a breakout year for Gladeo—and we’re thrilled to share these updates from our last quarter with you!
Gladeo Wins the US Department of Education’s Future Finder Challenge
The biggest news since our previous roundup report is Gladeo’s selection as the grand prize winner of the US Department of Education’s Future Finder Challenge!
The competition was stiff, with over 76 teams from around the nation submitting prototypes of their digital career navigation tools designed for adult learners. After making the finals, we presented at the Demo Day in September and learned the results on December 1st, when DOE issued its press release.
Gladeo will receive $500,000 in funding along with ongoing support from the US Department of Education as we deploy our digital career navigation platform across the adult education ecosystem.
Introducing the FutureReady K12 Career Development Program
To help K-12 educators effectively prepare today’s students for tomorrow's careers, Gladeo recently launched our new FutureReady K12 Career Development Program!
FutureReady is a comprehensive, step-by-step program designed mainly for K-12 schools—in particular middle and high school students and teachers. It can also be configured to benefit adult schools, community colleges, nonprofits, and other institutions.
CEO Michelle Cho explains the program's features and benefits in our in-depth interview!
We’ve also made some exciting additions to our course offerings: the new Foundations of Postsecondary Readiness Course and our National CTE Career Clusters Framework Modules!
1. Foundations of Postsecondary Readiness Course
After the popularity of our previous courses (such as The Importance Of Developing Skills And Engaging in Lifelong Learning, AI and Its Effect on the Working World, and How To Use AI For Career Readiness & Development), we’ve created a new program just in time for 2024!
Gladeo’s Foundations of Postsecondary Readiness is a comprehensive curriculum featuring eight descriptive modules that cover the most common postsecondary education options students have, so they can make informed decisions and start planning ahead!
The Foundations of Postsecondary Readiness course modules are:
Introduction
Opportunities In High School
Choosing Your Path After High School
Intro to Apprenticeships
Intro to Community College
Intro to Four-Year Colleges & Universities
Understanding College Finances
Importance of Building Skills & Continuous Learning
2. National CTE Career Clusters Framework Modules
To add to last quarter’s California CTE Sector Overview videos, we’ve also created in-depth videos covering the below 16 career areas within the National Career Clusters Framework.
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
Architecture & Construction
Arts, A/V Technology & Communications
Business Management & Administration
Education & Training
Finance
Government & Public Administration
Health Science
Hospitality & Tourism
Human Services
Information Technology
Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
Manufacturing
Marketing
Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
Each video features:
An Overview
Why Is This Sector Important
Types of People Who Enjoy Working In This Sector
Top Skills Needed
Different Pathways In The Sector
Industry Trends
A Sector Quiz
New Career Profiles
As always, we’ve added several new in-demand career profiles to our career platform this past quarter.
Our profiles are created through extensive research, informational interviews, and/or contributions from our partnerships with trade or professional associations and employers to ensure they reflect modern-day workforce demands.
New profiles include:
Botanical Specialist
Cabinet Maker
Certified Nursing Assistant
Climatologist
Community Outreach Director
Credit Counselor
Crop Consultant
Customs Inspector
Energy Engineer
Environmental Health and Safety Officer
Export Sales Representative
Florist/Floral Designer
Home Health Aide
Hydroponics Grower
Independent Field Landmen
Independent Land Consultants
In-House (Company) Landmen
International Market Researcher
Licensed Vocational Nurse
Logging Operations Inspector
Nursery/Greenhouse Manager
Office Manager
Pest Control Advisor
Registered Nurse
Restorative Nursing Assistant
Soil Conservationist
Stage Manager/Production Manager
Teaming Up with the National Rural Education Association
Our dynamic partnership with the National Rural Education Association (NREA) started in September, but the news didn’t make it into our previous quarterly roundup.
The NREA chose Tennessee’s Hardeman County as the pilot locale for our K-12 FutureReady program, which we developed to effectively address the unique needs of our nation’s rural communities. During this pilot launch, we’ll initially implement it in one district, make necessary adjustments and enhancements as needed, and then gradually expand it nationwide.
Gladeo’s mission complements the NREA’s goal to be the national voice for rural education. As a public benefit corporation, we’re dedicated to fostering a more inclusive, equitable, and future-ready workforce.
This exciting new collaboration underscores our dual commitments to address the needs of diverse learners throughout the country, as well as the institutions and communities that support them!
Working Together at the CA Economic Summit
Gladeo was honored to participate in the California Economic Summit in Coachella and Imperial Valleys this past Fall!
During the lively “Working Together to Build a Stronger and More Equitable Education and Workforce System” panel, Michelle joined fellow industry leaders from ARKEN, Futuro Health, and Linked Learning Alliance. During the session, she had an opportunity to explain the benefits of our regional workforce partnerships with the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, Bay Area Community College Consortium, and the LA Opportunity Youth Collaborative.
“Gladeo’s focus on future-ready content specifically aligns with California’s objective to strengthen career pathways, as the state seeks to create ‘a system that empowers all Californians to obtain the skills and experience necessary to pursue a good-paying career and easily connect with employers hiring for those skills’ by integrating user-centered tools like Gladeo,’” Michelle notes.
Gladeo’s Regional Approach To Career & Workforce Development
Our regional approach aligns with vital aspects of California Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-11-23, regarding the creation of a master plan for career education. As California Competes cites, the primary objectives of the executive order are to “strengthen career pathways,” “prioritize hands-on learning and real-life skills,” and “streamline benefits access and reduce college costs.”
Gladeo connects the dots with our e-curriculum and platform content covering all phases of the career development continuum—self-awareness, career awareness, career exploration, and career preparation. To learn more about our unique regional approach, check out our insightful interview with Michelle Cho.
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