Readiness is not a checklist—it is a developmental pathway. Pathways Forward defines college and career readiness as a developmental process through which individuals build the knowledge, skills, agency, navigation capacity, and connections needed to understand their options, make informed decisions, transition successfully, and persist or adapt within education, training, career, and workforce pathways.
Readiness Develops Over Time
KNOWLEDGE — What do I know?
SKILLS — What can I do?
AGENCY — Can I act on what I know?
NAVIGATION — Can I turn an aspiration into a pathway?
CONNECTION — Who and what supports my pathway?
The goal is not simply admission, enrollment, or completion of a CCR activity. The goal is an individual who understands their strengths and options, knows what different pathways require, can make an informed choice, knows where to find support, takes appropriate action, and can adapt when circumstances or goals change.