Midwest Career Readiness Research Alliance (MCRRA) (Historical)

Ensuring that all students leave high school ready for careers is a high priority for education stakeholders across the Midwest. Navigating the labor market can be challenging for graduates as rapidly changing technology causes some jobs to disappear as others emerge. To ensure a competitive workforce, states are using research and data to understand how best to strengthen career readiness supports and align curricula and instruction with labor market needs.

The REL Midwest Career Readiness Research Alliance (MCRRA) brought together practitioners, policymakers, and researchers from the Midwest to increase the region’s capacity to access, conduct, interpret, and make sense of career readiness research, as well as to use this research in state- and local-level decision making. Additionally, the alliance sought to examine and address the opportunity gaps experienced by certain student groups. MCRRA’s primary focus was career readiness in Minnesota. In addition, a community of practice connected key stakeholders across the region and was an active partner in the research process.

The Minnesota Department of Education is seeking to improve students’ career readiness. In particular, the department is focusing on how to provide equitable access to career readiness opportunities, especially for students living in underserved communities.