What is a Career Pathway?

A career pathway is a structured framework that outlines the various career options and steps an individual can take to advance within a specific industry or field.

Career pathway mapping is the process of outlining the various stages and steps individuals can take to advance in a particular career field. It involves identifying key roles, required skills, qualifications, and education levels at each stage, as well as potential job transitions, promotions, or lateral moves within an industry. The goal is to provide a clear, structured roadmap that helps individuals understand how they can progress from entry-level positions to higher-level roles, while also showing potential career changes and opportunities for professional growth.

The Workforce Solutions Career Pathway App / PA Six Careers serves as a strategic career exploration and workforce development tool aimed at empowering job seekers, students, parents, teachers, and the community members.  Our app provides clear insights into our regional job market by identifying local employers, the types of positions they offer, and the career pathways available.  It outlines the education levels and qualifications required for various roles and provides essential labor market information - including industry trends, wage data, and employment growth.  With this resource users are empowered to make informed decisions about their education and career futures.   

Notes:
* The employers listed in our PA Six Careers app have joined voluntarily and shared their information to help you learn about local opportunities. We are still growing—more employers are planned to added over time as we strive to include all major businesses in the region soon. Thanks for your patience as we build out this helpful tool! 

**The career pathways in our PA Six Careers app are shown in a simple, linear format to make exploration easier. We understand that real-life career journeys are not always straight lines—people often shift between pathways, and employers may offer unique opportunities for advancement or transition based on skills, experience, and business needs. This flexibility is part of what makes career growth exciting!

*** Job titles used by individual companies may not always line up exactly with standard occupation classification (SOC) codes. When viewing local labor market data, a bit of discretion is helpful—similar roles might be grouped differently or titled uniquely depending on the employer.

**** Job descriptions used in our app are condensed summaries provided by employers.  They offer a general overview and may not reflect all responsibilities, qualifications or requirements. 
 
Thank You:

We hope users find our PA Six Careers app to be a valuable tool in exploring career options, understanding local job opportunities, and planning for the future. While the app continues to grow and evolve, it reflects our ongoing commitment to connecting individuals with meaningful career information and empowering them to make informed decisions. Whether you are just starting out or looking to grow in your career, this resource is here to support your journey. 

Step 1: Select Find Your Path to begin.

Step 2: Choose to Explore by Industry or Explore by Company.
*If you are not sure of your direction, please click on the Interest Assessment.  This self-assessment evaluates your likes and dislikes to find out what types of jobs fit your personality.  The goal is to find a rewarding job or career that matches your unique set of skills, talents and abilities.  People who choose careers that match their interests are more likely to achieve job satisfaction and success.  The assessment is based on the Holland Interest Inventory which classifies an individuals personality as Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, or Conventional and it matches those classifications to likely vocations.  Source: PA Department of Labor and Industry, Center for Workforce Information and Analysis, 27th Edition, Pennsylvania Career Guide.  Then go back and choose Explore by Industry or Explore by Company

Step 3: Select an employer of interest.

Step 4: Select a career pathway of interest.

Step 5: Optional:  Click other companies with similar pathways to see other companies that include your selected position

Step 6:  Optional:  Click PA Labor Market Data to learn more about this occupation, including wage and industry trends.

Step 7: Optional:  Click PA CareerLink® to search for job opportunities in North Central Pennsylvania.

Go back to the pathway page and select the next position to explore and continue through all positions

OR
Select the dropdown to view all position titles within the company selected.

The PA Six Careers app is designed to retain and attract local talent by showcasing the wide range of career opportunities available across our six-county region. By raising awareness of regional employers, their positions, and potential career pathways, we aim to reduce outmigration and support a thriving, skilled workforce.

Explore opportunities by selecting Find Your Path, where users can search employers of interest as well as pathways and what is needed to move along the pathways.  Additionally, users can opt for the Explore the Data feature in which users can interact with the tool by selecting filters based on their interests and goals.

We also strive to continually expand our network of participating employers from all industries. By inviting employers to contribute their career pathways through the Employer Portal , we offer them valuable visibility while providing a resource to onboard and develop talent. Together, we are building a more connected, informed, and resilient regional workforce.

The PA Six Careers app also includes valuable links to other career resources such as the PA CareerLink® centers, training providers in our region, PA In-Demand Occupation Lists, PA Career Resource Guide and much more!!!

Workforce Solutions for North Central PA serves as the Local Workforce Development Board responsible for the oversight, planning and evaluation of the workforce system of our six-county region which includes Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, McKean and Potter counties. Visit our website at https://www.workforcesolutionspa.com/ for more information.

PA CareerLink®, a proud partner of the American Job Center® network, provides a wide range of employment and career development services for job seekers and employers.

Our workforce area is fortunate to have PA CareerLink® centers in each of the six counties we serve; Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, McKean and Potter as well as the DuBois Area. Stop by your local PA CareerLink® center for access to professional staff who will assist you, one-on-one, with your employment needs. We specialize in serving populations with barrier to employment.

PA CareerLink® is also Pennsylvania's job search website providing access to thousands of jobs across Pennsylvania, connecting employers and job seekers at no cost to the user. The PA CareerLink® website is available 24/7. Visit www.pacareerlink.pa.gov.

Post-Secondary Providers in our Region

Center for Workforce Information and Analysis (CWIA) – is a division within the PA Department of Labor and Industry that serves as the primary source of labor market information for Pennsylvania; including data and analysis on employment trends, occupations, wages, and demographic information. https://www.pa.gov/services/dli/explore-cwia-labor-market-information.html

Pennsylvania Career Guide -   https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dli/resources/statistic-materials/products/career-guide.html

High Priority Occupation List - The purpose of the HPO lists is to align workforce training and education investment with occupations that are in demand by employers, have high skill needs, are most likely to provide family sustaining wages and can be obtained within 2 years or less. Combining statistical data with regional expert input they allow for a complete picture of the actual workforce needs of the region. The HPO list guides the WIOA funding available to job seekers at the PA CareerLink® centers in our region. https://www.workforcesolutionspa.com/categories/labor-market-information/pages/high-priority-occupation-list

PA In-Demand Occupation List – is a PA Department of Labor and Industry resource that presents occupations in three categories: Today, Tomorrow and Future. Add link to our website if we add the posters (coming in future)
Jobs of “Today” – Occupations in this category usually involved a short period of on-the-job training to become proficient and do not require any formal postsecondary training.
Jobs of “Tomorrow” - Occupations in this category typically require some postsecondary training (i.e. certificate, apprenticeship or Associate degree)
Jobs of the “Future” – Occupations in this category typically require at least four years of postsecondary education resulting in a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Eligible Training Providers List (ETPL) – Pennsylvania’s ETPL provides employment training resources for adults, dislocated workers, and youth. The ETPL includes qualified training providers who offer a wide range of educational programs, including classroom, correspondence, online and apprenticeship programs. The ETPL was designed to maximize informed consumer choice and potential funding opportunities through WIOA Title I services available at PA CareerLink® centers. https://www.pacareerlink.pa.gov/jponline/JobSeeker/ManageServices/SearchTrainings.aspx