North Brookfield Jr./Sr. High School’s Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Career Pathway provides students with hands-on opportunities to explore engineering, technology, design, and modern manufacturing while completing their high school education. Through a sequence of STEM and engineering courses, students connect classroom learning to real-world applications and careers.

The pathway includes opportunities for career exploration, industry partnerships, work-based learning and internships, and industry-recognized credentials. Whether students plan to attend college, pursue technical training, or enter the workforce, the pathway is designed to help them develop practical skills, explore future opportunities, and make informed decisions about what comes next after high school.

Massachusetts’ Innovation Career Pathways (ICP) initiative was launched in 2017 as part of the Commonwealth’s effort to better connect the traditional high school experience with college, careers, and the needs of the regional workforce. Overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Innovation Career Pathways provide students with opportunities to explore high-demand industries through a combination of rigorous coursework, applied and technical learning, industry-recognized credentials, college-level learning opportunities, and work-based experiences such as internships and capstone projects.

The initiative has grown significantly and is now a central component of Massachusetts’ broader Reimagining High School effort. Beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, Innovation Career Pathways are expected to be available in nearly 36% of eligible Massachusetts high schools, with more than 8,500 students participating in 303 pathways across 130 high schools.

The value for students is the opportunity to make their high school experience more relevant and connected to their future. Rather than preparing students for one specific occupation, Innovation Career Pathways allow students to explore an industry, develop technical and employability skills, interact with employers and higher education partners, and make more informed decisions about college, training, and careers after graduation. These experiences are provided at no cost to students and are intentionally aligned with high-demand sectors of the Massachusetts economy.

North Brookfield Jr./Sr. High School is now in the second year of its Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Career Pathway. The pathway provides students with a structured sequence of STEM and engineering coursework while expanding opportunities for career exploration, industry credentials, work-based learning, internships, and connections with regional employers and higher education partners.

Building upon that work, NBHS is currently participating in the DESE grant and application process to develop a second Innovation Career Pathway in Healthcare and Social Assistance. This proposed pathway reflects both student interest and regional workforce demand and would provide students with additional opportunities to explore careers and postsecondary education in one of the Commonwealth’s most significant employment sectors. Healthcare and Social Assistance is currently the Innovation Career Pathway sector with the highest student participation statewide.

Together, these pathways represent an important part of NBHS’s continuing effort to expand college and career opportunities, increase authentic and applied learning, and ensure that students graduate with greater exposure to the many educational and career possibilities available to them.