Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Doctor of Public Administration (D.P.A)

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Mark Gordon

Abstract

A lack of resources for youth making the transition from foster care into independent living is a significant issue in the United States. However, this lack of resources may be overcome through successful career pathway programs. The purpose of this case study was to explore which career pathway strategies are useful for an organization attempting to help young people make a transition into independence. During the developmental planning stage of the program, plans were put in place for a program to help young people find guidance in a career field as they learn to live on their own and become responsible for themselves. The targeted population for this research consisted of eight professionals in government in California attempting to successfully implement strategies to sustain a career pathway program. The new public administration theory along with Maslow's hierarchy of needs were the theoretical framework that served as the organizing principles for the study. Data were collected from interviews and a review of publicly available data as well as organizational resources. Data were analyzed using the principles of the content analysis method, which included identifying codes and themes. The themes were (a) program operations (b) community engagement, (c) program planning, (d) successful program promotion, (e) implementation strategies, (f) program impact, (g) partnerships, and (h) social change. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential for key characteristics of programs to assist career pathway programs for citizens in California who need to find employment as they are transitioning from foster care into independent living.

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