Preparing your students for college and/or a career
Success in the workplace begins in elementary and secondary classrooms. However, one study found that 75% of high school graduates don’t feel significantly prepared for college or a career despite graduation rates being at their highest levels since 2010. Another study found more than one-third of young professionals do not feel emotionally or behaviorally ready to enter the workforce. These statistics are underscored by the fact that employers are increasingly reporting difficulty finding enough candidates with the necessary technical and soft skills to fill open positions.
Schools play a critical role in helping students gain the skills needed to pursue higher education or enter a career. Here’s a look at what it means to be college and/or career ready and some strategies for educators that support student success post-graduation.
What is readiness?
College and career readiness focuses on equipping students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to succeed in higher education and the workforce. “Readiness” is often thought of as having job-specific expertise, but it includes a broader range of competencies that are relevant beyond a classroom or office setting, such as:
- Critical thinking
- Problem-solving
- Independence
- Oral and written communication
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Financial literacy
- Digital citizenship
What influences college and/or career readiness?
Many factors impact a student’s readiness for life after high school, including socioeconomic status and mental health. Depending on the student’s unique situation, they may feel more or less ready to attend a university or start a job. For example, a student from a socioeconomically disadvantaged family may be less likely to enroll in college than a student from a socioeconomically advantaged family. This is evident when looking at college enrollment rates; 51% of students from low-income families go to college compared to 64% from middle-class families and 89% from well-off families.
While schools may not be able to address every challenge students face in pursuing higher education or a career, they can help set students up for success by incorporating instruction that nurtures the above competencies early, in elementary school or middle school. This approach provides students with more time and opportunities to hone and refine their knowledge and skill sets before using them in college coursework or on the job.
5 strategies for strengthening college and/or career readiness
Primary school and secondary school are often stepping stones to college and/or a career. Thus, classroom instruction — what students learn in school — should aim to show students how to move forward. Here are five ways educators can use classes and courses to illustrate and support potential college and career pathways.
1. Provide early exposure to career options.
It’s never too early to talk about career pathways with students. Discussing careers with elementary students encourages them to explore the options available and see what aligns with their areas of interest. Inviting individuals from various trades and professions to talk to the class allows students to learn about what a job is really like and how they can enter that field. Assigning career research projects can help middle school and high school students dive into their fields of interests (e.g., the qualifications, advancement opportunities, salary range and general responsibilities), which can help them plan which classes to take, knowledge to acquire and skills to develop in order to enter that field.
2. Connect instruction to careers.
“When am I ever going to use this?” This is a common question among students, which further emphasizes the importance of connecting classwork to college or career requirements.
While some schools provide career-focused classes, not all do. Additionally, not all students take those classes, and those courses are not typically offered until high school. Showing students how specific knowledge can be applied in certain jobs is important in core curriculum and career-focused classes and in all grade levels — even the elementary grades. For example, physics plays a huge role in structural design and construction. Hosting a toothpick bridge building contest in science class can help you illustrate how engineers use physics concepts when creating a solid structure.
Online resources, field trips and guest speakers can engage students in deeper learning on specific topics at any age. Meeting with entrepreneurial speakers and/or assigning entrepreneurial-based projects promotes critical thinking, creative thinking and problem-solving — all of which are skills that are essential for many post-graduation roles. By providing these opportunities to students and then following up with instruction that builds on what they learned and explains how the information and skills relate to specific careers, you can help them see the answer to that prevalent question.
3. Build connections with the community.
Partnerships with community organizations, employers, career and technical schools and colleges can provide invaluable opportunities for students that prepare them for higher education or the workforce. For example, pre-college courses, internships, apprenticeships and mentorships.
Community leaders can share real-world experiences about what it takes to progress through a given career. They also know the latest training trends for their industry and have a vested interest in sharing their expertise to build a pipeline of job candidates.
Not only can these partners provide a behind-the-scenes look at jobs, but they may also be willing to participate in mock interviews and offer constructive criticism so students can feel more confident and prepared to start college or a job.
4. Introduce networking in school.
The popular cliché, “It’s who you know, not what you know,” isn’t 100% accurate. Knowledge is important. However, building relationships and networks is equally critical. Teaching students the value of making connections and how to network will be invaluable in their future. Having this skill enables them to better understand how to provide and receive guidance, offer and receive support, exchange ideas, and much more.
5. Help students gain a deeper knowledge about their aptitudes.
When students recognize their strengths and interests early on, they can make more informed decisions about their educational and career choices, ultimately leading to greater fulfillment and success in the future. Aptitude tests can provide valuable insights into students’ inherent strengths and preferences. With that data, educators can tailor instruction to help guide learners toward career and college paths that align with their abilities and passions.
Additional resources for ensuring your students are college and/or career ready
As schools and districts look to improve college and career readiness among their students, regular assessments can help by measuring student progress and keeping learning on track. Assessments provide vital information that allows educators to tailor instruction based on the student’s needs — whether they want to go to college or enter the workforce upon graduation.
Learn more about assessment solutions by visiting the Pearson Assessment for Learning Suite.