Meeting the Career Readiness Imperative Study

This study discusses how district leaders and staff can help students understand their career options and successfully transfer into the workplace post-high school graduation.

The majority of K-12 students do not receive the career development they need to be successful in the labor market. As a result, they make uninformed decisions about their next steps after graduation—costing them time and money in the long run.This full-length study discusses how district leaders and staff can help students better understand their career options and successfully transition into the labor force after high school graduation. 

Introduction: Defining the Role of K-12 in Career Development

In recent years, career education has regained attention as a critical component to set students on the path toward lifelong success. Read on to discover more about the federal and state landscape for K-12 career development.

Chapter 1: Cultivate Early and Broad Career Awareness

K-12 is a critical time for career identity development, even within the primary grades of elementary school. But most students, regardless of age, will form an answer based on insufficient information. Read on to discover how you can help students better understand the vast variety of careers available to them.

Practice 1: Middle School Expo: Worlds of Work

Practice 2: Pathways Essentials

Practice 3: Pathways Teacher Development Lesson Plans

Practice 4: Structured Career Reflection

Chapter 2: Increase Access to Career Experiences

Students are picking their careers before testing their interests and are unaware about the day-to-day tasks affiliated with these jobs. Read on to discover how to expose students to career experiences so they can better understand how their personal strengths and interests align with potential careers.

Practice 5: Community-Sourced, Project-Based Learning

Practice 6: General Education Externships

Practice 7: Virtual Work-Based Learning

Chapter 3: Offer Personalized and…