High school students today face the prospect of graduating into a world that immediately weighs them down with student debt and out-of-control product prices. Fortunately, there's a growing trend in American secondary education that can help them graduate already prepared for the workforce: career-focused high schools.
Even more exciting is that the White House is getting behind this: The recent budget put forward calls for a $200 million investment in these schools. If we get it right, this investment could provide generational transformation for the U.S. education system and the American economy — as well as companies looking for untapped talent.
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Right now what we see is a mix of career-focused program offerings in schools, as well as public and charter schools that primarily focus on career or vocational education. Of these programs, the most prominent are Career and Technical Education, or CTE.
Schools can opt in to curricula that still include core subjects like science, math and reading, but through a lens of hands-on, work-relevant experience. One such program is Project Lead the Way. PLTW provides interdisciplinary learning. In the computer science track, for instance, students learn about computational thinking in addition to coding skills. They learn how to write Python, but also how to collaborate, solve problems and analyze the social and ethical implications of computing systems.
Battery Creek High School, near my home in South Carolina, offers CTE tracks in welding, aviation, culinary arts and more. The aviation curriculum offers students a chance to get a taste for aerospace engineering — a highly desired skillset for regional employers like Boeing, Gulfstream and Lockheed Martin. Students who advance in the program can get the opportunity to present projects directly to industry representatives. It's a chance to see if it's the right path for them—a path that could provide good job security and pay in a field they want to pursue.
In Colorado, Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) is a model that offers high school students the chance to intern with IBM while simultaneously earning their diploma and an associate degree at no cost. They come out of the program job-ready with zero debt.
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These programs are showing immense promise across the board. According to a 2019 National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) study, "Eight years after their expected graduation date, students who focused on career and technical education (CTE) courses while in high school had higher median annual earnings than students who did not focus on CTE."
To get a sense of where we are today, 98% of public school districts offered CTE programs to high school students in the 2016–17 academic year, according to the NCES. More than three in four students have participated in these programs.
After a decline in these programs starting in the 1980s, we're seeing renewed interest. The offerings are growing, but opportunities still vary widely by state, and in many cases states are left to navigate these waters on their own.
More cohesive and comprehensive guidance at the national level could make the most of these career-focused efforts. In addition to curriculum development, CTE programs require training for teachers and administrators, partnerships with industry, and buy-in from communities.
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That's where $200 million could make a big difference.
Today there are millions of unfilled jobs, and many of them in areas that don't require a traditional post-secondary degree: cybersecurity, industrial mechanics, manufacturing, nursing. On the other hand, college graduates are coming out of school with enormous debt and skills that aren't always matched to the job market.
This could be a moment of reckoning for our country — we could reduce pressure on kids who have to decide on a college major before they ever work in that field, reduce the financial burden on parents and students, and create a knock-on effect with living-wage jobs that support regional economies across the country. This all adds up to a better job market, happier people, and more money in everyone's pockets.
Employers are taking note, too: Scroll through recent job openings, even from a company like Google, and you'll find that most jobs now require a degree or relevant job experience.
This doesn't mean the four-year degree is going away — for many students, that will still be the best option to route them into the career that fits them the best. A degree may also be part of a CTE student's career path, but one that comes after gaining practical work experience and training in a way that allows them to make better decisions about college.
It's about creating new pathways and equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed, sustainably, after high school. If it's good enough for Google, and for a $200 million investment, then it's a good option for America's high school students. They should all have the chance to take advantage of a career-focused education.
