Although the United States public high school graduation rate increased to 87%, a large percentage of recent graduates are unsure of their career readiness in postsecondary education and the workforce.
According to a recent survey of 500 students spanning the classes of 2019-2022, 75% of graduates feel they’re unprepared to make important college and career choices for their future. Additionally, about 2 out of 5 feel unprepared to make a career choice or declare a college major at graduation.
If school administration fails to focus on the career readiness needs of school districts, young people will continue to graduate without the tools and knowledge to succeed in the real world—whether they choose to enter the workforce, take a gap year, or pursue postsecondary education.
High school career readiness programs help increase student engagement and better prepare students for success after graduation no matter which path they choose.
The Need to Engage Students in School
According to recent Yale research in which over 21,000 U.S. high school students were surveyed, “nearly 75% of the students’ self-reported feelings related to school were negative.” These feelings include boredom, stress, and tiredness. Ultimately, high school students are feeling disengaged at school which may derail their path to college and career success.
Research shows that when career development is a focus for students early on, it improves development, retention, completion, and academic outcomes.
The U.S. Department of Education defines education and career planning as “a formalized process that involves high school students setting learning goals based on personal, academic, and career interests with the close support of school personnel or other individuals that can include teachers, school counselors, and parents.”
When school administrators work to increase career readiness programs, young people have the opportunity to develop real-world workplace skills and experience life outside of the classroom. They can guide students to discover their passions and identify career fields.
Top Benefits of Career Readiness
Many states, and even the Federal Department of Education, are establishing their standards for career readiness and career and technical education (CTE). This is why policymakers and education leaders should be aware of the following social, economic, and workforce benefits of career readiness programs.
Social Impacts
High school students need social engagement with peers, teachers, and other people in the community. As they achieve goals and build confidence in career readiness programs, students benefit from an increase in positive social behavior. They also benefit from an increase in career competency, including the ability to understand themselves (where they want to work), engage with others in career-related activities, and establish and manage a career plan.
Economic Impacts
Career readiness programs help decrease the skills gap that employers and higher education institutions are witnessing in recent graduates. They’re concerned about graduates’ abilities to think critically, communicate well, and perform basic tasks in important areas that are required for entry-level roles. Career readiness helps close the skills gap, so recent graduates are well prepared to enter the workforce or postsecondary institution.
Workforce Impacts
If high school students can earn industry-recognized credentials to work in an in-demand industry right after graduation, then the workforce benefits from skilled workers who can help fill open roles. For example, the healthcare occupation is expected to have 1.8 million job openings each year through 2032. If recent graduates are trained to fill these entry-level healthcare roles, then the workforce is less likely to strain from staffing shortages.
The benefits of career readiness programs are clear. When a large school district in Pennsylvania partnered with Emerge Education to increase its programming for students, it inspired students to learn about healthcare professions outside of the well-known role of a doctor or nurse.
Cumberland Valley School District: A Model for Career Readiness
Cumberland Valley School District saw the need for more career readiness programs for students. Assistant Superintendent for Cumberland Valley School District, Mark Blanchard, said their current Career and Tech Center was full and unable to have more students join.
So, the school administration decided to act when Lauren Holubec, Senior Vice President of Business and Workforce Development for Emerge Education, reached out about the Emerge Prepared programs offered to secondary education institutions like theirs. Emerge Education now partners with Cumberland Valley School District to provide the Emerge Prepared programs to students looking to expand their options in the healthcare field post-graduation.
This program meets students’ career readiness needs and helps fill in the demand for allied healthcare professional jobs in the region. According to Blanchard, since the program launched in mid-October 2023, 44 students have already enrolled and 22 more are interested.
After seeing the early success of the program and how the model could easily be replicated, Blanchard recommended this program to other school districts that need to engage students while supporting career readiness needs.
Is Increasing Career Readiness A Priority for Your School District?
As a school leader, we know you want to support your student population as best as possible. If student engagement continues to drop, then school districts could suffer from low grades, retention, and graduation rates.
Our online healthcare career readiness programs provide students with an opportunity to explore their talents and interests, and they can help students understand how those interests intersect with the needs of the healthcare workforce. They can also equip students with critical opportunities to enhance their skills and earn industry-recognized credentials to improve employability.
To learn more information about our online healthcare career readiness programs and how they benefit your school district and your students, schedule a call with Lauren Holubec, SVP of Business and Workforce Development at Emerge Education, today!
