Career Exploration
Focus Areas
- Careers
- Industries
- Pathways
- Interests and strengths
- Employer exposure
Illinois PaCE Programming
Turn Your PaCE Priorities Into Student Experiences.
WorkFuture helps Illinois schools and districts design and deliver practical career-readiness programming around the PaCE areas they want to strengthen.
Independent program providerThe Illinois PaCE Framework is published by ISAC. WorkFuture is not affiliated with or endorsed by ISAC or the State of Illinois.
Illinois PaCE
A Framework for the College and Career Readiness Journey
The Illinois PaCE Framework provides guidance on the experiences and information students should have in order to make informed decisions about college and career planning. Districts may adopt the Illinois PaCE Framework or a customized framework aligned to it.
Grades 6–8
Middle School PaCE
Help students build awareness, confidence, and early planning skills.
- AspirationExplore interests and future possibilities
- Self-AdvocacyBuild confidence and take ownership
- PlanningSet goals and create a plan for high school
Grades 9–12
High School Illinois PaCE Framework
Help students explore, prepare, and make informed college and career decisions.
- Career Exploration and DevelopmentExplore career options and gain relevant experience
- Postsecondary Education Exploration, Preparation, and SelectionUnderstand and prepare for education after high school
- Financial Aid and LiteracyLearn about costs, financial aid, and money management
Framework structure from the Middle School and High School Illinois PaCE Frameworks (July 2023), published by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) with ISBE, ICCB, and IBHE.
View the official Illinois PaCE Framework (opens in a new tab)From Framework to Implementation
Start With What Your District Already Has
Illinois PaCE is intended to help schools organize existing college and career readiness work, identify areas that may need additional attention or resources, and develop a plan for moving forward.
Step 1
Take an Inventory
Understand which PaCE benchmarks are already supported through existing activities, programs, curriculum, partnerships, and student experiences.
Step 2
Prioritize Gaps
Identify benchmarks or areas that need additional attention or resources.
Step 3
Action Plan
Determine how those priorities will be addressed, who will be involved, and what implementation will require.
Once the priority is clear, WorkFuture can help build the student experience around it.
Step names follow the Illinois PaCE Implementation Guide published by ISAC; descriptions are summarized.
Read the PaCE Implementation Guide (opens in a new tab)Where WorkFuture Fits
From Identified Gap to Delivered Experience
WorkFuture supports the part that comes after a district identifies where additional programming, capacity, or student experience is needed.
District
PaCE Priority
A district identifies a benchmark, grade level, or career-readiness experience that needs additional support.
WorkFuture
Program Design
WorkFuture translates that priority into learning objectives, activities, materials, and a delivery plan.
WorkFuture
Student Experience
WorkFuture delivers practical learning through workshops, labs, multi-session programs, employer-connected experiences, or other appropriate formats.
Shared
Documentation
Participation, student evidence, feedback, outcomes, and alignment can be captured for the district.
Framework adoption, the benchmark inventory, and prioritization remain with the district. WorkFuture supports selected priorities the district chooses to address.
PaCE by Grade
Support the Experiences Students Need at Each Stage
WorkFuture can support Illinois PaCE expectations where a district wants additional programming, facilitation, or implementation capacity.
Grades 6–8
Middle School Illinois PaCE Framework
Grade 6
Aspiration
PaCE Expectation
A student should be exposed to information about and examples of a wide range of careers
Potential WorkFuture Support
Career Discovery Workshop
Career discovery activities connecting to careers of interest
Grade 7
Planning
PaCE Expectation
A student should be supported to explore career interests
Potential WorkFuture Support
Career Interests Lab
Interest reflection exercise selected for further exploration
Grade 8
Self-Advocacy
PaCE Expectation
A student should be supported to map a support network
Potential WorkFuture Support
Support Network Mapping Session
Completed support network map
Grades 9–12
High School Illinois PaCE Framework
Grade 9
Postsecondary Education Exploration, Preparation, and Selection
PaCE Expectation
A student should be supported to attend a PS options workshop
Potential WorkFuture Support
Postsecondary Pathways Workshop
Pathway comparison worksheet and reflection
Grade 10
Career Exploration and Development
PaCE Expectation
A student should be supported to explore opportunities along the Work Based Learning Continuum
Potential WorkFuture Support
Work-Based Learning Readiness Workshop
Work-readiness roadmap with goals
Grade 11
Career Exploration and Development
PaCE Expectation
A student should be supported to create a resume and personal statement
Potential WorkFuture Support
Résumé & Career Evidence Studio
Draft resume and personal statement with facilitator feedback
PaCE expectations are quoted from the Middle School and High School Illinois PaCE Frameworks (July 2023). Support ideas are shown as illustrative WorkFuture programming. Student experiences may vary based on district needs.
View the official PaCE framework documents (opens in a new tab)Alignment in Practice
From PaCE Expectation to Student Experience
Alignment should lead to something students actually do — and something the district can document.
PaCE Expectation
Grade 8 · A student should be supported to:
attend a career exploration day
WorkFuture Experience
Career Exploration Day
Student Evidence
Station reflections + careers of interest identified
PaCE Expectation
Grade 10 · A student should be supported to:
visit at least one workplace aligned with career interests
WorkFuture Experience
Workplace Visit Preparation & Debrief
Student Evidence
Prepared questions + post-visit reflection
PaCE Expectation
Grade 11 · A student should be supported to:
participate in a mock job interview
WorkFuture Experience
Interview Readiness Lab
Student Evidence
Practice interview + facilitator feedback + reflection
PaCE Expectation
Grade 12 · By the end of 12th grade a student should be supported to:
complete at least two team based challenges.
WorkFuture Experience
Team-Based Workplace Challenge
Student Evidence
Team deliverable + presentation + facilitator feedback
Programming
Build the Experience Around the Gap
WorkFuture programming can support selected career-readiness priorities identified through a district's PaCE work.
Employability & Workplace Readiness
Focus Areas
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Workplace expectations
- Résumé and career evidence
- Interview preparation
Work-Based Learning Preparation
Preparing Students For
- Job shadows
- Internships
- Employer engagement
- Workplace-connected learning
- Team-based experiences
Future of Work & AI
WorkFuture enrichment · Not an official PaCE category
Help students understand how AI and emerging technology are changing tasks, skills, occupations, and workplace expectations.
Delivery Formats
Choose the Format That Fits the Need
From a focused student experience to a grade-level or district initiative, WorkFuture can scale the program to the priority.
Focused
Focused Student Experience
60–90 minutes
Target one PaCE expectation, career-readiness topic, or learning objective.
Best For
Focused student development
Intensive
Workshop / Intensive
2–4 hours
Go deeper through instruction, discussion, practice, and application.
Best For
Deeper skill development
Series
Program Series
Multi-session
Build capability over time through multiple connected learning experiences.
Best For
Sustained student development
Custom
Grade-Level or District Initiative
Multi-cohort / multi-school
Build a broader initiative around a grade level, student population, or set of PaCE priorities.
Best For
Larger school or district initiatives
What the District Receives
Programming With the Structure Around It
WorkFuture supports both the student learning experience and the documentation the district needs around it.
- Curriculum & Learning Objectives
- Clear instructional content designed around the identified PaCE priority.
- Student Materials
- Activities, reflection tools, worksheets, and practical learning resources.
- Facilitation
- WorkFuture-led instruction and applied learning where included in the engagement.
- Applied Activities
- Hands-on experiences built around the expectation or experience being addressed.
- Assessment / Evidence of Learning
- Pre/post assessment or other appropriate evidence of learning where applicable.
- Participation Tracking
- Attendance, completion, and student feedback where appropriate.
- Outcomes Summary
- A clear summary of learning, participation, feedback, and recommended next steps.
- PaCE Alignment Map
- Documentation showing the PaCE expectations the program was designed to support, the student experiences delivered, and the evidence collected.
Please Note
Alignment documentation reflects WorkFuture program design and does not represent state approval or certification.
WorkFuture Workspace
The Operational Hub for Your PaCE-Aligned Program
For qualifying larger engagements, WorkFuture Workspace gives schools a clear view of program implementation from setup through closeout.
Manage student groups, schedules, attendance, activities, materials, PaCE alignment, outcomes, documents, and next steps in one organized place.
Available for qualifying multi-session, grade-level, cohort, and district engagements.
WorkFuture
- Overview
- Students
- Schedule
- Attendance
- Activities
- PaCE Alignment
- Outcomes
- Documents
Fall 2026 – PaCE Career Readiness Program
On track
- Setup
- Delivery
- Closeout
6 PaCE expectations aligned
Attendance
By session90%
837 of 930 student seats attended
90% target
Upcoming sessions
View all- Nov3Interview Readiness LabGrade 11 · All 3 schools
- Nov10Workplace Visit DebriefGrade 10 · All 3 schools
- Nov17Résumé & Career Evidence StudioGrade 11 · All 3 schools
Completed experiences
On track- Workplace visit prep176 / 186
- Résumé draft138 / 186
- Mock job interview97 / 186
Documents
16 files- PDFPaCE Alignment Map
- DOCFacilitator Guide
- PDFMid-Program Summary
Next steps
2 of 3 done- Confirm interview volunteers
- Share alignment map draft
- Schedule visit debriefs
Build Your PaCE-Aligned Program
Which Part of Your PaCE Framework Needs More Support?
Start with the grade level, benchmark, or student experience your district wants to strengthen. WorkFuture can help turn that priority into structured programming.