Expand Awareness, Exploration, and Participation in Activities Connected to Career, College, and Service

Learners and families have varying levels of familiarity with postsecondary systems, financial aid processes, and workforce pathways, which can make navigating decisions about college, training programs, service, or employment more complex. Addressing these barriers requires intentional support systems, well-trained and -informed high school counselors and advisers, expanded partnerships with postsecondary institutions and employers, and a coordinated approach that integrates career awareness, exploration, and planning throughout learners’ educational journeys. As children answer questions about what they want to be when they grow up, they may naturally transition from kindergarten dreams of going to outer space to middle school aspirations of standing in an operating room. However, to be set up for success, their career choices should be informed by their interests, values, and aptitudes, as well as the availability and stability of desired jobs in their local labor market.

The durable and technical skills that employers value can be developed in classrooms and through experiences outside the classroom, such as military service and service-year programs. Evidence shows that military veterans are more likely to have postsecondary degrees, to stay in their jobs in the first six months, and to have eight of employers’ 10 ten most-needed skills. Alumni of service-year programs are more likely to pursue a bachelor’s degree and enter a variety of careers with higher salaries than their peers. Whichever path they choose, to realize agency in the choice, learners need to develop valuable skills and have early and persistent exposure to and experiences in a variety of career fields and postsecondary paths.