Updated Career Readiness on SAS

The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s SAS Career Readiness page presents a comprehensive overview of the revised Career Education and Work (CEW) Standards, which officially went into effect on July 1, 2026.

These updated standards were significantly restructured to better align with national expectations for workforce preparation, modern labor market demands, and the skills Pennsylvania students need for long term career success. The page explains that the standards—formerly divided into older strands—were reorganized into four streamlined, developmentally sequenced strands:

Career Awareness and Exploration 
Employability Skills
Growth and Advancement
Personal Interests and Career Planning

A notable highlight of the revision process is the elevation of employability skills into a core focus area. These skills, such as critical thinking, communication, teamwork, time management, and technology use, were prioritized due to their increasing importance across industries and job types. As part of the redesign, the state also integrated entrepreneurship throughout the grade banded standards rather than retaining it as a standalone area—reflecting how entrepreneurial thinking now intersects with career planning, problem solving, leadership, and innovation across many work environments.

The standards themselves are grade banded (K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12), with each band outlining progressively more sophisticated expectations. These include early exposure to community helpers; exploration of career interests and external labor market factors; development of communication and technology skills; understanding worker rights and labor laws; learning time  and project management strategies; and eventually, preparing formal career plans and using industry recognized tools and credentials to support postsecondary transitions.

The page also includes Career Readiness Resources—research, and support materials that help educators interpret and implement the standards in classrooms and across school programs. Overall, the page serves as a central hub for Pennsylvania’s updated approach to preparing students for a rapidly evolving workforce, emphasizing not only academic knowledge but also the personal, social, and practical skills required for lifelong career development and success.