Bridging Education and Work: The Case for Career Connections in the Classroom

By: Amy Nakamoto, executive vice president of Marketing and Corporate Partnerships at Discovery Education

According to the 2023 Post Graduation Readiness Report, “Education at a Crossroads,” by YouScience, 83 percent of students cannot connect the skills from school to future employment. Similarly, recent research shows that while 88 percent of district leaders, teachers, parents and students rate life skills as very important, only 57 percent of students believe their schools adequately teach the life skills needed for future success. 

Combine these insights with the fact that there will be more than 170 million new jobs by 2030, and it becomes clear that the importance of connecting classroom learning to real-world careers has never been more critical. 

The Growing Need for Real-World Learning

Education standards have begun reflecting an increased focus on real-world learning, driven by the need to make academic concepts relevant to students’ lives. For example, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) lessons often include practical demonstrations, such as designing structures or creating coding projects. Further, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, career and technical education (CTE) is defined as the courses and programs in middle and high schools that focus on the skills and knowledge required for specific jobs or fields of work. 

In other words, CTE is an opportunity for students to explore career options and personalize their education pathway based on their career interests, as they learn a set of technical and specialized skills needed to succeed in those careers. CTE programs deliver those opportunities to students, and typically include instruction, hands-on training and certifications that can improve students’ employability and preparedness in a career field. 

The concept of CTE has evolved over the last 160 years through a variety of legislative acts, organizations and outreach programs designed to meet the economic and workforce needs of the time. Today, CTE is an integral part of our education system that prepares future-ready students for a competitive workforce and become lifelong learners.

As education continues to evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of today’s students and society, approaches to connecting students to future careers must also evolve. Here are some practical strategies that will help students explore potential future career paths:

Building Engagement Through Career Pathways

Students first need to understand what career options exist and what achieving those goals entails. This is where initiatives like Career Connect step in to fill the gap. The platform builds students’ curiosity and career readiness by connecting K-12 classrooms to a diverse collection of industry professionals.

Platforms such as Career Connect seamlessly integrate career awareness and exploration into the everyday classroom experience, going beyond occasional career fairs or what is familiar to the educator or any certain geography. By making career exploration a regular feature of education, we can transform the classroom into an incubator for personal and professional growth. 

When students see the real-world value of what they’re learning, engagement soars. To quote tennis champion and icon Billie Jean King, “You have to see it to be it!” Studies show that students are more likely to succeed in academics when their learning is linked to future goals with a real-life example. A 2023 Gallup study offers a compelling example: Young adults with career-oriented role models during middle or high school reported higher satisfaction in their professional lives and were more likely to find professional fulfillment.

Unfortunately, access to career role models often depends on socioeconomic status. While 84 percent of higher-income students had role models, only 28 percent from low-income backgrounds enjoyed the same benefit. Career Connect addresses this disparity by providing all students with exposure to role models from diverse industries and backgrounds. And now the service is available to all who use Discovery Education services across the U.S. (that’s more than 1 in 3 classrooms).

Innovative Classroom Activities 

Bringing career connections into the classroom requires creativity and willingness to collaborate with professionals. Here are a few activities educators can build into their classroom practice that will ensure success:

• Thematic Career Guest Speakers: Tie guest speakers to specific topics or national observances. For instance, during Engineers Week, invite professionals to highlight various careers in industries like technology, healthcare or business.
• Project-Based Learning with Industry Input: Partner with businesses to create projects or challenges that mimic real-world tasks. A technology class might partner with a company to design an app for community use.
• Mentorship Programs: Incorporate virtual mentoring on platforms like Career Connect, giving students the chance to engage regularly with professionals in their fields of interest.
• Cross-Curricular Career Exploration: For interdisciplinary teaching, merge lessons and connect them to industries. For instance, a history lesson on industrial revolutions can include discussions on how industries have evolved and the STEM careers driving modern innovations.