March 1, 2023

Dear Colleagues:

On Tuesday, January 24, 2023, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona launched “Raise the Bar: Lead the World.” In a speech at the U.S. Department of Education, Secretary Cardona laid out the Department’s focus for the year, building off his priorities to promote academic excellence for every learner and better prepare our nation for global competitiveness.

“In today’s economy and in our future, postsecondary credentials are essential for success. We want every student to graduate from high school with a solid onramp to a rewarding career. So, we have work to do to ensure every student has a pathway to success.” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona

Getting there will require that we look past simply recovering – we must Raise the Bar. To accomplish this, the U.S. Department of Education has initiated Unlocking Career Success initiative, an interagency initiative with the Departments of Labor and Commerce to blur the lines between high school, college, and careers. By 2030, we want all young people to graduate high school having 1) earned college credit through dual enrollment, 2) received their first industry-sought, in-demand credential, 3) engaged in paid work-based learning, and 4) received career advising and navigation support.

To support the field in Unlocking Career Success, we have created a new website that includes case studies, exemplars, words of encouragement from national champions, questions to guide all stakeholders towards this unified vision, and finally, practical tools and resources specifically tailored for the field. 

Unlocking Career Success will take all of us, and if you have feedback or resources that you'd like to submit for consideration, please email: pathwaystosuccess@ed.gov

Best -

Sharon Lee Miller

Director, Division of Academic and Technical Education