Rural communities unite to build career pathways for students

From Smart Brief

Aaron Black

Published July 31, 2025

School districts in rural communities face persistent challenges: limited funding, staffing shortages and fewer college and career-connected learning opportunities for students. That last challenge likely explains why only 29% of rural residents aged 18 to 24 are enrolled in higher education compared to 48% and 42% of those from urban and suburban areas. Rural students often have limited access to diverse career pathways and coursework due to geographic isolation and budgetary constraints.  

Fortunately, that’s beginning to change. Rural leaders are reimagining student and community success by forming “Multi-Sector Collaboratives,” or “Rural  Collaboratives” as other regions refer to these programs, which bring together local school districts, higher education institutions, employers, and regional development partners to expand rural students’ access to high-quality college and career pathways that also benefit the community.

One example is our Rural Alliance Zone 32 (RAZ-32) initiative in Indiana. Our Collaborative — facilitated and supported by the nonprofit Empower Schools — includes six school districts, a community college and over 30 partnering employers.