People do not lack information. They lack a coherent pathway connecting identity, education, work, and purpose. PursuingPathways is that pathway — built on 25 years of real experience with real people across North Carolina.
"Your story is your strategy."
Three steps. One coherent pathway. A life rooted in who you actually are.
Before we talk about careers, we talk about you. Your values, your strengths, your story, your culture. This is the foundation everything else is built on — and most career programs skip it entirely.
Your facilitator researches and curates 5–10 specific, vetted career opportunities matched directly to your life map. Not a job board. Your identity, applied to real opportunity.
A 9-step targeted pursuit plan for one chosen opportunity — including skills to build, people to connect with, and a path that feels authentic and energizing, not draining.
Digital Product
A workbook for every starting point. Three differentiated levels. One powerful framework.
Instant download · Print or complete digitally · All three levels available
From a $27 workbook to a full workforce readiness program — PursuingPathways meets you and your organization where you are.
The identity-first workbook that starts everything. Three differentiated levels for every starting point.
6 weeks. A small group. A real process. Live facilitation from who you are to where you are going.
90 minutes. One session. A resume that actually sounds like you — built from your identity, not a template.
Monthly coaching for ongoing direction, barrier navigation, and self-advocacy development.
For schools, workforce boards, and nonprofits. WIOA-eligible programming delivered in-person, virtual, or hybrid. PursuingPathways brings 25 years of NC workforce experience — and a former WIOA Center Director — to your organization.
PursuingPathways AI Mentor
The PursuingPathways AI Mentor is available between sessions for career exploration, values coaching, pitch practice, resume help, and support when you are stuck.
Included in the Career Discovery Cohort · Available as standalone · Powered by Claude AI
What happens when you start with who you are.
I've been in workforce development for 25 years. I've never seen anything help young people articulate who they are as clearly and quickly as the PursuingPathways framework. It is the missing piece.
Nobody ever asked me what I valued before. I always just answered what I thought I was supposed to say. This workbook changed that.
The Opportunity Map was different from anything I had seen. These weren't random job listings — they were researched specifically for me, connected to who I actually am.
I came in not knowing what I wanted to do. I left with an identity statement, a values list, and a plan. That's not what I expected from a career program.
Our Commitment
PursuingPathways is all-inclusive, equity-centered, and built from the margins inward. No assumptions about your background, your family, or your starting point. Every tool, every question, and every career pathway honors the full spectrum of how people actually live.
Our Story
PursuingPathways was founded on one conviction: people do not lack information. They lack a coherent pathway connecting identity, education, work, and purpose.
I'm Vicky Locklear. I have spent 25 years in education and workforce development across North Carolina — teaching high school in Moore and Lee counties, middle school in Alamance and Guilford counties, and currently teaching high school students virtually statewide. I have directed WIOA-funded career centers serving adults, dislocated workers, and reentry populations.
I built PursuingPathways because after 25 years, I knew exactly what was missing. And I knew exactly how to build it.
Start with the $27 workbook and discover who you are. Or book a session and let PursuingPathways walk with you from the very first question.
Resources
Everything here is free. Research-backed, equity-centered, and built for people who are serious about finding direction — not just browsing options.
Tools to help you figure out who you are before you decide what to do.
How to support your child's career discovery without adding to the pressure.
Research, frameworks, and program resources for professionals who serve these populations.
Real, current data on careers, wages, and workforce trends — because every recommendation should be evidence-based.
Resources for people navigating barriers — because a record is not a ceiling and a hard start is not a permanent destination.
Research-informed writing on identity, career development, workforce equity, and what it actually takes to help people find direction.
Stay informed
New resources, blog posts, workforce trends, and funding opportunities — sent when they matter, not on a schedule.
Get in Touch
Questions about our programs, pricing, or how PursuingPathways can serve your school or organization — reach out and we'll respond within 24 hours.