A Practical Approach to Career Education for K-12 Students

“America’s K-12 schools typically provide little information to young people on potential careers. They also generally do not provide work experiences that help them understand practical pathways to jobs and careers.”

One would think that preparing students for their professional lives is an essential part of a good education. After all, isn’t building a career the next and necessary step after education is complete, whether after high school or later in a young person’s educational journey? Yet, all too often, American students are flying blind as they enter the workforce.

America’s K-12 schools typically provide little information to young people on potential careers. They also generally do not provide work experiences that help them to understand practical pathways to jobs and careers. This lack of information on potential careers reflects a disconnect between what Americans, including young people, want from K-12 schools and what schools provide them.

For example, the nonprofit Populace reports Americans’ number one priority for K-12 schools is providing young people with practical skills, but with only one in four saying they successfully do this. These skills include problem solving, decision making, demonstrating character, and doing basic reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Gen Z high schoolers agree with this, according to a recent ECMC Group survey. This survey finds that they want practical knowledge, skills, and career guidance that offers them exposure to more training and career paths. These high schoolers are skeptical about a college degree’s value.

And, according to a Morning Consult poll, less than half of Gen Z high schoolers report they had enough information to decide the best career or education pathway for them after high school. Two-thirds of high schoolers and graduates say they would have benefited from more career exploration in middle or high school.