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MyExperienceCounts and CareerGPS streamline education-to-career pathways, boosting workforce development in Massachusetts.
MSA Safety Incorporated is a global leader in the development, manufacturing, and supply of safety products designed to protect individuals and facility infrastructures. Many of MSA's products integrate advanced technologies, including electronics, mechanical systems, and innovative materials, to safeguard users from hazardous or life-threatening situations.
The Massachusetts Community College System (MCCS) is advancing training and educational opportunities in STEM fields, as well as health care and advanced manufacturing through skillful collaboration and data integration with business and industry partnerships. The consortium of colleges, which is comprised of 15 institutions at 24 separate locations statewide, received a $20 million Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant to create the Guided Pathways to STEM (GPSTEM) project. GPSTEM was a multifaceted approach to helping individuals find a career path that is mutually beneficial to the learner and the community’s economic growth.
fivestar* was selected as the strategic technology partner on the GPSTEM project. We developed MyExperienceCounts.mass.edu, a centralized, online portal that promotes credit for prior learning program awareness and streamlines the CPL process through a shared online workspace that enhances collaboration and efficiencies, setting more students on a path to success through CPL. Along with the CPL site, fivestar* created CareerGPS, a curriculum-to-career portal that helped job seekers and prospective students make informed decisions about career options — matching individual interests and skills with programs and careers.
Factoring in the individual's unique needs, expectations and preferences, the application identified nearby Massachusetts Community Colleges with relevant academic programs that matched career preferences. In addition to aligning individual interests, goals, and college offerings, the application was supported by current labor market information. As a result, visitors received a customized online experience that culminated with a detailed action plan tailored to their personal career and academic objectives, furthering their educational and professional growth while driving program interest and student enrollment within the college system.
