Partnership for Career Development CEO highlights student programs and $10,000 CAP showcase

Linda Morris, CEO of the Partnership for Career Development, told listeners of the Higher Education Access Corner that her nonprofit brings students, educators and employers together at centralized career events and work‑based learning opportunities to help young people explore careers and gain short‑term credentials.

"About 70% of jobs require less than a four‑year college degree," Morris said, arguing that certifications and career experiences offered through PCD give students a foothold and often lead employers to support further education. Morris said PCD runs roughly 20 career experiences that allow students to earn credentials while still in high school.

Morris traced PCD’s origins to federal Schools to Work funding in the mid‑1990s and said the organization was created to help implement Pennsylvania’s comprehensive counseling plan (Chapter 339). She described a model that favors face‑to‑face exposure: industry partners meet groups of interested students at centralized events rather than pursuing time‑intensive single‑student job shadows.

PCD also offers educator programs, including field visits that can provide ACT 48 credits, Morris said. She described an internal impact snapshot showing that about four in 10 students who try a career experience discover it is not a good fit, while 80–90% find new options and a large majority say they intend to continue education because they have clearer direction. On the question of improved student confidence about the future, Morris reported early survey results near 89% and later measures at 100% on that question in PCD’s internal data.

For students starting career exploration, Morris recommended interest inventories and federal resources such as O*NET and educationplanner.org to match personal interests with in‑demand fields. She also recommended the ASVAB as a free aptitude resource, emphasizing that taking the test does not require military enlistment.

Morris urged beginning exploration early—ideally in elementary school to avoid early career stereotyping—but said high school sophomores and juniors still have important opportunities to earn credentials and pivot into training pathways. She emphasized networking and informational interviews as low‑barrier ways to learn from practitioners.

For employers and community partners, PCD offers multiple engagement points: student‑facing programs, facilitator roles, an evolving Cradle to Career Alliance (a collective impact table), monthly consortium meetings and an online work‑based learning connector supported by seed funding. Morris said partners can find information and connector forms at crpcd.org and through local chamber event listings.

Morris highlighted PCD’s flagship CAP (Career Awareness and Preparation) student showcase, scheduled at the end of April, where students present work‑based learning projects to regional leaders. "We are giving away $10,000 in scholarships at that event," she said, and described the showcase as an opportunity for students to meet employers, earn internships or job offers and for partners to engage with district leaders.

To inquire about involvement or sponsorship, Morris directed listeners to CRPCD’s website and gave an office number, 717‑732‑8480. She said PCD is a tenant of the Capitol Area Intermediate Unit in Harrisburg and is expanding regionally, with neighboring counties seeking to join PCD programs.

Morris said she would like state officials to recognize and support intermediaries and to consider codifying work‑based learning and career‑technical education as graduation‑aligned options so more students can access credentialed pathways. The episode concluded with the host encouraging listeners to check PCD’s website and social pages for event and partnership information.