The following is an excerpt from Gallup and the New Hampshire Learning Initiative learning report. Read the full study here.
"With nearly 10 million jobs available in the United States and approximately one in six 18‑ to 24‑year‑olds neither enrolled in school nor working, the gap between K-12 systems and workforce preparation is stark."
"In response, some states ... have turned to career-connected learning (CCL). CCL is an educational strategy designed to prepare K-12 students with the skills they need to build bright futures, while also connecting employers to capable students. CCL empowers students to access educational and career opportunities through skills‑based learning, training pathways and work experiences. CCL learning opportunities occur in a variety of ways in schools, including in core content classes and electives, as well as job fairs, job shadows, internships and apprenticeships. Integrating CCL into core and elective classes ensures each student has access to CCL opportunities by eliminating some of the barriers, such as schedule and transportation."
Key Findings
Students in fifth and sixth grades (37%) are the most likely to be engaged out of all students in grades 5-12. Students who are engaged have a high level of involvement in and enthusiasm for school. Engaged students are excited about what they are learning and contribute positively to the learning environment. Student engagement declines through the first two years of high school, at which point 18% of students in ninth and 10th grades are engaged. The proportion of engaged students increases for those in 11th and 12th grades (24%) but does not reach the higher proportions observed in fifth and sixth grades (37%) or seventh and eighth grades (28%).
Mentors matter for engagement. Those who agree they have a mentor who supports their development are more likely to be engaged than their peers who do not have such a mentor (37% vs. 16%).
Everybody benefits from a mentor, and there is an opportunity for mentorship to be particularly impactful beginning at a young age: Of middle school students who earn excellent or good grades, 50% of those who have a mentor are engaged, compared to only 26% of those who do not have a mentor. This gap is similarly wide when comparing middle school students who earn average or poor grades (33% vs. 14%).
With just 43% of high schoolers and 39% of middle schoolers saying they have a mentor, opportunities exist to connect more students with an adult who can make a difference.
Mentors matter for hope. Those who agree they have a mentor who supports their development are more likely to be hopeful about the future than their peers who do not have such a mentor (40% vs. 25%).
The vast majority of students (88%) report participating in at least one career-connected learning opportunity. The most common type of CCL opportunity is doing an activity to learn about a job or career in class (57% of students say they do this). Of the CCL opportunities Gallup measured, learning about a job or career in class is the activity most highly correlated with engagement (r=.24).
Career-connected learning opportunities that match students’ interests are more likely to inform their plans. Students who agree that the career activities at their school include the types of jobs and careers they are interested in are three times more likely to agree that the CCL opportunities at their school have informed what they plan to do after high school, compared to those who do not agree.
Participating in at least one career-connected learning opportunity could impact a student’s engagement and hope. Twenty-one percent of high schoolers and 33% of middle schoolers who participated in at least one CCL opportunity are engaged, compared to 11% of high schoolers and 18% of middle schoolers who did not participate in any CCL opportunities.
