Research conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that nearly every hiring manager surveyed viewed students with a trade school certificate or a traditional 4-year degree as prepared to enter the workforce. When asked about high school students, the perception dropped to 41%, except for high school students with industry recognized credentials–that number jumped to 71% being perceived as prepared.

This means that trade schools and degree programs are generally viewed as important job-ready experiences, but it also means that hiring managers place a great deal of emphasis on credentials for high school students who want to go directly into the workforce. Otherwise, fewer than half of the managers believe that high school students are ready for the world of work. In other words, students need to earn a certificate of some sort–a credential, trade school, technical college, associates degree, 4-year traditional program, etc–or they’re likely to get very little attention wherever they apply to work. This finding has a few critical implications for K12 school systems. 

A High School Diploma Isn’t Enough 

When ~60% of hiring managers indicate that high school graduates aren’t ready for the workforce unless they also have a credential to go with their diploma, it should give counselors and school leaders pause as they advise students about next steps after graduation. Unless a student already has an industry-recognized credential (or multiple), the best advice is that they go back to school to either obtain a credential or earn a degree. The good news is that many school systems have–or are building–pathways that include credentials that students receive as part of their pathway completion. 

Unfortunately, not every high school has a pathway model, not every pathway naturally includes a credential, and some pathways, including career and technical education (CTE) pathways are application-based. For students, one alternative to a credential is an internship. According to the same report mentioned above, 78% of hiring managers considered students with internships to be prepared for the workforce. In fact, outside of a trade school certificate, college degree, or technical training, it was the only experience cited as a way to gain career-related skills. 

Ask the Industry What They Value

Not every credential holds the same weight. Sometimes even state-approved educational programming that leads to a credential isn’t aligned to the industry in which the credential is supposed to mean something. Schools that are adopting a pathway model should develop strong advisory boards that are made up primarily of industry professionals who can identify the most valuable credentials for students to earn in each pathway. These should be the credentials that they’re looking for on portfolios and resumes, not just the ones that the department of education has listed for compliance. 

A step toward extraordinary would be for schools and districts to develop a system whereby every student picked at least one pathway and followed a set of strategically sequenced courses whereby students automatically graduate with at least one credential, a work-based learning experience aligned to their pathway, and a portfolio that demonstrates more than their academic outcomes. Systems that are designed in this way are not only supportive of students who want to go directly into the workforce, but also those who want to enter into colleges and universities where admissions officers are beginning to look for program-related work experiences within the application pool. 

Develop Strong Postsecondary Plans 

What’s more evident than ever is that every student needs to graduate with a viable postsecondary plan, and plan development should start as early as possible. The question about “what I want to be when I grow up” can’t be left to chance or asked so late in a student’s K-12 experience that they missed steps along the way, including obtaining a credential before graduating. 

The best case scenario is when students are engaged in a program of work that starts in elementary school with career exposure, learning about jobs and the world of work. In middle school, they explore careers, make lists, build plans, and even begin to think about skill acquisition. Then, by high school, they’re ready to secure a pathway with a four-year academic plan, building a portfolio that propels them into experiences such as work-based learning and internships so that they can develop the background and knowledge base necessary to take their next steps by entering into a career, going to college, or some combination of the two. When postsecondary plans are strong, students either have the credentials that they need upon graduation or know which credentials they need to pursue thereafter. 

Conclusion 

Industry recognized credentials are becoming the gold standard for high school students regardless of their path. Programs that guide students toward a credential by default rather than expecting students to find and earn credentials on their own are ideal, and pathways that provide information about which credentials students might stack in order to flourish within a career choice give students an edge that they wouldn’t otherwise have–even if they meet all of their general graduation requirements with high marks. 

If you want to learn more about a platform that can support all of the programmatic features mentioned above–including K-5 career exploration, middle school career planning, portfolio development, and credentialing, schedule your demo for MaiaLearning today. If you want to learn about how MaiaLearning supports your state specifically, check out your state page by clicking here and filtering to your state.