In the U.S., students typically don’t begin career exploration until high school and often as late as junior or senior year. However, experts tend to agree that middle school is a better time for students to begin discovering their passions, interests and possible careers.
Connecting classroom learning to the real world can be an effective engagement strategy. Middle school students often feel less stress about future goals than older students, which makes investigation more possible. This age group also tends to be in a stage of brain development that allows for greater exploration and planning. Students also begin to rule out unfamiliar career opportunities as early as middle school — simply put, they won’t be what they don’t see.
The latest reauthorization of the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V) allowed middle school programs, as early as fifth grade, to receive federal funding. Many states have responded by passing laws and updating policy to encourage the expansion of middle school career exploration. However, a recent state-by-state analysis, conducted by Education Strategy Group and commissioned by American Student Assistance®, found that the depth and scale of implementation varies widely from state to state.
Many states have a strong start in this relatively new space. However, without a unified state vision, a prioritization of students’ need for relevant experiences throughout K-12, and sustained financial support and local capacity building, they risk losing momentum. Without these considerations, it can make career exploration a series of paper-pencil activities that miss the opportunity to help shape students’ path to a fulfilling career that pays a living wage. Here, then, are four strategic actions that states can consider to expand and enhance career exploration programs that prepare youth for postsecondary education and career success:
- Clearly define middle school career exploration. Ensure a unified definition is adopted across relevant agencies, including K-12, postsecondary, workforce and community-based organizations. A quality definition clearly defines middle school career exploration as a strategy that will help students build their understanding of career interests and expand awareness and understanding of career opportunities.
- Assess and address existing state policies. Some policies may limit students’ ability to access different career exploration opportunities, including restricting CTE course enrollment by grade level or grade point average minimums.
- Collect and analyze data on middle school career exploration efforts while strengthening the career exploration ecosystem. The ASA-ESG research found that few states measure and report on the quality and impact of these programs by collecting and analyzing data, including in accountability plans. States can leverage program quality indicators in Perkins V and ESSA state plans to formally set measurable goals for middle school career exploration. They can also integrate measurable goals into existing college and career readiness targets and share them with partners within the ecosystem committed to strengthening and advocating for impactful work. Further, states can use their data collection systems to ensure the quality of programming through evaluations or student-based software platforms.
- Listen to the students. Student feedback collected through focus groups in our study illustrated that policy, while well-intentioned, may not always translate to quality on-the-ground experiences. Students shared that they want to dive deeper into career options with hands-on activities, but they don’t get enough meaningful opportunities to do so in schools. They also communicated a disconnect between the actions they completed — like career interest inventories — and more meaningful, longer-term career planning.
Earlier career exposure can increase students’ likelihood of successfully transitioning into the high-value postsecondary options increasingly required for good jobs, and schools will need to be positioned to offer this support to ensure equitable access for all students. Together, policymakers, researchers and practitioners can extend the runway for every student to ensure they are all prepared for takeoff and future success.
