For many Americans, the path from education to work is not a straightforward one. In an economy being rapidly reshaped by AI, and some surveys showing confidence in higher education well below where it was a decade ago, a growing number of young people face important questions about what comes after high school. Every student deserves to leave school with more than a diploma. They should leave with a plan, a sense of purpose, and confidence that they have multiple pathways to a successful future.
Should they pursue a four-year college degree? Start at their local community college? Enter the workforce right away? Follow another education or training pathway, such as a registered apprenticeship?
These are not easy questions. And the answers look different depending on a student's interests, talents, and career goals. Yet many young people don't even know where to begin. One recent survey found that a majority of Gen Z students feel unprepared for life after graduation.
Helping every young person prepare for life after high school is a shared civic project. It requires educators, employers, higher education institutions, community organizations, and state leaders working toward the same goal.
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