The new Credentials Matter research verifies what we had long suspected: states need to more effectively align the credentials high school students earn with local labor markets.
Credentials Matter shows that many of the hundreds of thousands of credentials U.S. high school students earn each year as part of state career and technical education (CTE) programs carry little to no weight in the labor market. In fact, only 19% of credentials earned by high school students in this analysis are demanded by employers in the U.S.
However, the news isn’t all bad. Some state and local education leaders are taking steps to build better classroom-to-career educational paths for America’s students and there’s now have a new tool available to inform their work.
See Do the credentials students earn align with employer demand? and 5 Types of Credentials: What are they and what is their value? for more on Credentials Matter.
Prioritizing High-Value Credentials over Dead Ends
As the Credentials Matter research shows, not all credentials are created equally. In fact, many of the top license credentials earned in CTE programs do not lead to occupations that pay a living wage. Of the nine licenses being earned by high school students only four have any demand in occupations that command a living wage.
Meanwhile, there are undersupplied certification credentials that command good starting salaries. Automotive Service Excellence, CompTIA A+ and AWS Certified Welder certifications, for example, are in high demand. These credentials can open doors to entry-level careers that pay well ($43,000-$44,000) and, in general, allow for career mobility.
So, how can educators ensure CTE programs offer students the chance to earn valuable industry credentials instead of credentials that lead to dead-end or low-wage jobs?
Explore the most extensive collection of industry-recognized credentials data by state, career cluster or credential at CredentialsMatter.org.
How Educators Can Improve Students’ Chances of Job Market Success
All stakeholders—state agencies, policymakers, employers, educators, credentialing entities and families—must play a part in developing CTE programs that align to post-secondary and in-demand career opportunities. But educators play an especially vital role.
Districts, schools and postsecondary institutions can collaborate with other stakeholders to significantly improve the chances of job market success for many students through the following actions:
- Ensure CTE program offerings lead students to valued credentials in your region.
- Annually evaluate local/regional demand data.
- Phase out misaligned programs that lead to dead ends/low wage jobs.
- Add or expand aligned programs.
- Leverage student credential attainment data to improve CTE program quality.
- Establish relationships between school districts and postsecondary institutions to accelerate student completion of career pathways that culminate in high-value credentials.
- Leverage resources (testing site status, faculty, equipment, etc.) across both systems.
- Communicate the value of industry credentials as part of college and career readiness to students and families.
Through aligned CTE programs, schools and educators can empower all students to identify their long-term career goals and complete coursework that prepares them to attain the postsecondary and industry credentials required for success in their chosen fields.
These programs can present students with career pathways that begin in high school and go through postsecondary. Consider the example below of a CTE program of study in Electromechanical Technology taken from the Tennessee Department of Education, Division of College, Career and Technical Education.
Truly aligned CTE programs offer pathways toward middle- and higher-wage careers, and that’s exactly what Tennessee is working toward. But right now, too many young people across the nation are missing the chance to graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and in careers that can support a family.
We hope Credentials Matter will inform and inspire efforts to build a better classroom-to-career educational path for America’s students.
About Credentials Matter
Credentials Matter is a partnership between ExcelinEd and Burning Glass Technologies. This ongoing, comprehensive research project combines ExcelinEd’s policy expertise in college and career pathways with Burning Glass’ cutting-edge labor market analytics to provide new insights into the alignment between the credentials students earn and the demand for those credentials in the workforce. View the Credentials Matter report or visit CredentialsMatter.org to explore the most extensive collection of industry-recognized credentials data by state, career cluster or credential.
Credentials Matter was made possible by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York. The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the authors.