Improving Noncollege Pathways to Building Skills and Successful Careers

More than 30 percent of high school graduates under the age of 24 are not enrolled in college, and about 40 percent of graduates who do enroll fail to successfully complete a degree within six years, the report noted. These statistics underscore the need to rethink current policy and ensure students from all backgrounds and educational attainments can successfully transition to careers as members of a skilled U.S. workforce.

The CED report offers three ways to improve noncollege pathways to employment:

• Career counseling – Develop and test scalable, evidence-based models to help individuals better navigate available education and training options.

• Apprenticeships – Support apprenticeship programs by educating the public on their benefits, expanding their reach and funding sources, and piloting and evaluating different models.

• Competency-based hiring – Encourage employers to plan for more competency-based talent evaluation and look to reduce the primacy of educational attainment.

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2019
• Organizational Author(s): Committee for Economic Development (CED)
• Posted by: Youth Connections TA 1
• Posted in: Youth Connections