Ideally, students take a sequence of three or more courses in fields such as health, architecture or education. Many also earn early college credits or make significant progress toward industry certifications, and others participate in internships or job training.
Researchers at RTI International, a non-profit research organization, tracked more than 6,000 students who had completed at least two courses in the field of work and conducted a survey to see what they were doing in the years immediately after finishing high school.
Three-quarters of the students interviewed were enrolled in college or another training program after graduation, which is higher than the national average of 63 percent. But less than half were still studying or working in the field they had chosen in high school.
For example, among students who graduated with a degree in architecture and construction, less than 20 percent pursued construction-related majors. Many switched to fields such as science and engineering (40 percent), business (8 percent) or health care (6 percent).
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That difference is not necessarily a failure. For some students, the wrong way was clear.
“When students talked to us about it, they felt it was important to study something they didn’t like,” said Sandra Staklis, lead author of the RTI report. “One student told us, ‘Oh, my mother and aunt are nurses.
Students also spoke of gaining a broad set of skills useful in any field. “Students said they were learning those skills in the workplace such as time management and working with other people on a project,” said Staklis. “Most academic work has always been individual, like reading a book or taking a test.”
Still, the findings raise an important question: Are the methods designed to steer students toward certain career fields, or to help them identify what they don’t want to do?
The students also explained how much they appreciated the advice they received from their teachers, most of whom did not spend their professional life in schools but in industry. Another student listed in the report, Kwame, said his health care teachers showed him how to break down bulky medical supplies to study for his first aid certificate. She is now majoring in public health at a four-year college and hopes to become a surgeon.
Two lessons stood out from the Delaware study.
- Workplace experience which is very important but difficult for schools to deliver. Students who participate in internships or job training are more likely to continue in their field, the report found. Another student named James, also mentioned in the report, pursued a career in high school and, during his senior year, met a teacher, who taught him a lot about managing classroom behavior. He is now pursuing an associate degree in elementary education.
But these opportunities are difficult for schools to provide, requiring engagement with employers and logistical and logistical solutions.
Work-based learning was more common at vocational high schools, where students often completed core courses early and could spend more time outside the building during their senior year. In contrast, one-time experiences — such as guest speakers or field trips — had less impact but were easier for schools to organize.
- Students need better guidance especially if they want to change direction. Once students start a path, it can be difficult to change. “If you’re a junior and you want to switch to a different path, you have to go back and take classes that are mostly freshmen and sophomores, and it’s logistically difficult to allow that,” Staklis said.
Luke Rhine, vice president of postsecondary success at Rodel, which commissioned the analysis, said the findings are encouraging but point to a need for stronger counseling, which he calls “travel support.”
The report also identifies some questions for future research.
It is not clear how much of college attendance can be attributed to the methods themselves. This research is not causal, Staklis said, and students who complete these courses may already have more opportunities to continue their education. Other incentives to pursue higher education may also play a role, including Delaware’s scholarship programs, which include courses at Delaware Technical Community College and Delaware State University for many students.
While most of the students were working, most of them were working part-time in retail, delivery or fast food related to their studies. The long-term effects – including jobs and income – are unknown.
Some researchers question the structure of the path model in a rapidly changing economy. Kerry McKittrick, director of the Project on Workforce at Harvard University, released a report last week, “Pivots Without Pathways: Career Navigation in a Fragmented Labor Market,” based on an analysis of community college students and young adults. McKittrick argues that it may not make sense to require young students to go through a series of technical training classes for jobs that may not exist in five years.
“Paths are a powerful path, but this direct path to work is really different,” said McKittrick. In a world where jobs continue to change, we also need to equip students and workers with the skills they need. …
Those skills, says McKittrick, are not learned in the classroom, but through trial and error. The most important thing, according to McKittrick, is that young people have the opportunity to explore work beyond what adults do in their families and to develop networks.
Notably, he agrees with one of the central findings of the Delaware report: Workplace experience may be the most important part of the curriculum.
