NE Chamber and CareerPathway launch partnership to strengthen Nebraska's workforce pipeline

LINCOLN, Nebraska – December 3, 2025 – The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry and CareerPathway.com today announced a strategic partnership to connect students to career opportunities and strengthen Nebraska’s workforce pipeline.
 
Under the partnership, CareerPathway.com will provide significant services to NE Chamber members including premium onboarding, a biannual statewide workforce data package, and access for key Chamber workforce initiatives. The NE Chamber will support activation by members, provide convening opportunities, and recognize CareerPathway.com as the Official Digital Career Pathways Partner of the NE Chamber.
 
“Nebraska’s economic future depends on our ability to connect talent to opportunity,” said Todd Bingham, President and CEO of the NE Chamber. “By partnering with CareerPathway.com, we are supporting an innovative Nebraska-grown solution that helps students discover meaningful careers while giving employers direct access to the workforce they need to grow. This is the type of collaboration that ensures Nebraska leads the nation in workforce development.”
 
Through expanded career exploration, business engagement, and actionable labor-market insights, the partnership will:

• Connect students with real-time opportunities at Nebraska industries
• Support employer visibility and recruitment statewide
• Ensure aligned talent development through measurable workforce data and
• Showcase Nebraska as a model for modern, industry-driven workforce strategy bridging the gap cohesively with education through early touchpoints in middle school, and talent connection for high school and college-age students

 
“CareerPathway.com was built in Nebraska for Nebraska,” said Bo Jones, Founder & CEO of CareerPathway.com. “Partnering with the NE Chamber accelerates our mission to connect thousands more young people to fulfilling careers right here at home in Nebraska. That fuels Nebraska growth.”

CareerPathway.com is a workforce development platform connecting students, educators, and employers through interactive career exploration, real-time talent alignment, and data-driven insights — designed to grow the workforce of tomorrow, today. 

Now in 48 states, but based in Nebraska, CareerPathway.com has nearly 400 Nebraska businesses and organizations already on board and connecting with future earners and learners. With over 700 opportunity applications in Nebraska alone since the start of 2025, CareerPathway.com is seeing significant engagement from Nebraska students and others from outside the state interested in learning more about pathways to Nebraska careers. 

Chief Strategy Officer for CareerPathway.com Maggi Thorne noted: “Students have indicated an 82.2% increased likelihood to stay in Nebraska for educational or career opportunities when they know the opportunities available. In August, we helped launch the inaugural Governor’s Youth Summit, the single largest state-led youth workforce development, powered by Gov. Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. 

“When industry, education, and communities come together around shared data and shared purpose, we create continuous opportunities for Nebraska students and a competitive advantage for Nebraska businesses,” Thorne said.

The value to students and their families is also significant, according to educators.

“Students are becoming increasingly savvy about the time and cost of furthering their education,” said Malinda Jean Baptiste, Executive Director of the Nebraska School Counselor Association. “As they explore options, CareerPathway.com is helping them connect to their future careers and potential employers. This tool also supports the work of school counselors by providing networks of career opportunities to broaden their own knowledge of the careers and industries serving their local area so they can proactively support their students' career development.”

Nebraska’s collaboration aligns with the national effort of the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education and Commerce's America’s Talent Strategy: Building the Workforce for the Golden Age, designed to advance integrated career pathways, work-based learning, and data-driven talent development. Through this partnership, Nebraska employers will gain expanded access to emerging talent statewide, while students and educators benefit from technology that connects learning directly to high-demand careers.

Industry leaders have also come alongside the effort.

"Partnering with CareerPathway.com has been a game-changer for how Kawasaki connects with the next generation of talent,” said Jim Townsend, Corporate Manager, Safety, Training, & Wellness at Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. “We value this partnership immensely because it allows us to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world career opportunities in manufacturing and engineering.”

Townsend said the manufacturer has integrated CareerPathway.com into its facility tours for local schools.

“By showing students the platform during their visit, we can immediately direct their excitement and curiosity toward tangible career pathways, helping them visualize a future with us and introducing them to the diverse opportunities available right here at Kawasaki," Townsend said.

Under the NE Chamber agreement, CareerPathway.com will provide significant services including a 50% discount on premium onboarding for NE Chamber members priced at $545, a biannual statewide workforce data package, and access for key Chamber workforce initiatives. Companies will be able to reach over 20,000 students per year through combined efforts of in- person events, classroom activations, and at career event initiatives like the Governor’s Youth Summit. 

Thorne said the investment for Chamber members is about $1.50 per day – to reach over 20,000 students and prospective employees.

“Together, the Nebraska Chamber, Nebraska educators and CareerPathway.com will deliver a cohesively coordinated, scalable approach to workforce readiness — grounded in local innovation and focused on statewide impact,” Bingham said. “This is a great example of statewide collaboration that creatively addresses Nebraska issues and provides value to our members and the state.”

To learn more, contact: [email protected]
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