Expanded Career Prep Must Begin Before Graduation

Executive Perspective

About seven years ago, my friend Walter Bumphus, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges, and I decided that we would attempt to break down the barriers that seemed to exist between K-12 and community colleges to create a seamless K-14 collaborative.

For our first convening, we invited superintendents and community college presidents. A lot of finger pointing went on at that first meeting as both sides blamed the other for the lack of cooperation between the sectors. Walter and I wondered if we had made a mistake.

We persisted. We began to invite superintendents and presidents who already had established collaborative relationships in dual enrollment programs to come to the meetings and present the work they were doing together. Many ticklish issues arose initially, such as who would pay the tuition, who would be the instructors, where the program would be held.

Years later, dual enrollment programs abound, with many high school students graduating with a high school diploma and an associate’s degree. The initial questions were solved in several ways, made possible by the collaboration between the system leaders.

Growth Obstacles

Most recently, the meetings have focused on workforce preparation. According to McKinsey Consulting, American employers bemoan they cannot find people with the skills they need, even for entry-level jobs. The Census Bureau contends only 32 percent of the adult population nationwide has a bachelor’s degree.

While most high schools continue to focus on graduating their students and preparing them for postsecondary schooling, a growing number now offer pathways to careers and incorporate youth apprenticeships. Our recent AASA/AACC meetings have showcased outstanding programs where the collaboration between schools and colleges gives high school students options to explore careers, acquire skills and earn college credits and certification in fields of interest.

As was the case with the development of dual enrollment programs, some issues hinder the growth of youth apprenticeship programs. At the moment, the focus and funding are at the postsecondary level. That is too late. If we wait until students have graduated and then attempt to introduce them to career alternatives to college, we are minimizing the potential number who might opt for the alternative pathway. 

The process needs to start no later than the third year of high school and preferably the first year. Indeed, some argue it should start even earlier, in the elementary grades.

An explanation as to why these programs focus on students already out of high school could be that the U.S. Department of Labor controls the bulk of the funding. Greater articulation between the federal departments of labor and education is necessary, along with the realization that, if we are to meet the work force needs of employers, we must extend the pipeline to K-12.

Another deterrent, perhaps the most serious, is the current obsession with preparing all students for a college education, even though fewer than 40 percent achieve that goal. 

At one of our AASA/AACC meetings, while discussing youth apprenticeships, a superintendent referenced a meeting with parents where he asked how many wanted their children to go to college. All raised their hands. It is blasphemous today to suggest a child should pursue a career or professional trade rather than a traditional college degree.

Fulfilling Opportunities

If we are to prepare a work force to meet labor market needs while paving a path for students that leads to gainful employment, then the goal of education must change. We must provide students with the skills to obtain a gainful and fulfilling career through various pathways, including a college education.

Critical to the conversation is the realization of the changes brought about by technology. As Jamie Merisotis writes in his book Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines: “As artificial intelligence ultimately leads to the automation of virtually all tasks that are repetitive or can be reduced to an algorithm, work does not go away but is transformed into the work of the future: human work, the work that only people can do.”

The process of teaching students to do the work that only humans can do must begin early in their school years, not after they have left the K-12 environment.

Let’s take advantage of the opportunity that COVID-19 has created to rethink our education goals.