High school graduates who received robust preparation in high school, including a career concentration, and earned an industry credential often outperform the average college-educated individual, according to a new report.
Of the 12 percent of high school graduates who have not enrolled in college by age 26 examined in The Path Less Taken II: Preparing non-college-goers for success, those who took a rigorous college and career curriculum in high school and hold a certification or license are more likely to have a full-time job, earn a decent wage and have health insurance than the average person who went on to college.
These well-credentialed non-college-goers were defined for the purposes of the analysis as:
- having taken Algebra 2 and advanced biology
- earning a GPA between 2.51 and 3.0
- completing a career concentration in high school of 3 or more CTE courses in the same area
- gaining a professional certification or license
This research highlights the importance of career readiness in high school, whether a student is moving directly to postsecondary education or heading to the workforce first.
Comments