What to Know in an Evolving Work Landscape

We were told that in order to be successful in life and have a good career we must get a college education. Guidance and career counselors also encouraged students to continue their education to get an MBA if they wanted to be industry leaders or entrepreneurs.

However, the employment landscape has changed significantly in recent years. With the rapid advances in technology and artificial intelligence, many traditional roles in organizations are disappearing. Where does that leave recent graduates of high school or college as they decide their future?

College Route

Undergraduate and graduate students are often seeking job offers for six months or more after receiving their diplomas.

According to eGMAT.com, for MBA students there may be a “disconnect between curriculum and market needs.” Traditional subjects like finance, marketing, and operations management are not enough in today’s work environment. Employers are seeking specialized skills with data and advanced technology.

The average cost of tuition for a four-year college degree in the United States is $38,270 per year, a number which has doubled in the last 25 years according to Education Data Initiative. When interest on student loans and lost income is considered, some are paying close to $500,000 for years of potentially learning the wrong things. Graduates are often frustrated with the results of the expert advice given to them. Additional certifications in cybersecurity, sales software, or analytics may be needed for these graduates to provide employers with the skills they seek.

Trade Schools

With the cost of higher education continuing to escalate and the uncertain results of that investment, many are making a different choice:  skilled trades.

There are many careers that are in demand and can provide a nice living for high school graduates. Vocational-technical schools offer training for a variety of skills at a fraction of the cost of college. Trade schools offer courses for plumbers, electricians, elevator mechanics, HVAC technicians, dental hygienists, commercial drivers, welders and more. Some training curricula last a few weeks, while others can take a couple of years. Successful completion of the programs results in certifications which graduates can use to quickly find employment.

Training Programs

Manufacturing is becoming a national priority for rebuilding the economy. As a result, many companies are building or resurrecting once shuttered factories. The Three Mile Island nuclear plant and the Philadelphia shipyard are two local facilities that are in the process of reopening. And that mean jobs for the region.

Many production companies provide their own apprenticeships and training programs for students right out of high school. The new Hanwha Philly Shipyard provides a paid three-year apprenticeship program to help create career paths in the shipbuilding industry for those who are accepted.

Applicants to Hanwha’s apprenticeship program must complete a pre-employment assessment covering basic skills in math, reading, problem solving, measurement and mechanical aptitude. However, according to Hanwha CEO and president, H. Patrick Clancy, there are “a lot of people interested in applying for their roles, but not all of them are passing the math and reading [requirements].”

An unknown number of high school graduates in the Philadelphia area are unable to pass basic math and reading requirements in order to secure employment.

Educational Failure

In 2022, two local educational nonprofit organizations, Philadelphia Futures and Steppingstone Scholars, merged to form Heights Philadelphia. With corporate and educational partners, Heights Philadelphia is working to transform failing educational outcomes to successful pathways to college and careers.

The organization’s president and CEO, Sean Vereen, noted in a recent Philadelphia Inquirer article that in order to get employment after high school “You need basic academic skills that are about math and reading and reading comprehension. We’ve heard things like, ‘The kid coming from the school district doesn’t have strong enough math skills to take the test for the building trades.’”

There are no standardized test scores available for reading, reading comprehension, or basic math skills like fractions, decimals, measurements, or general comprehension for high school graduates. However, we can look at the Philadelphia School District proficiency numbers for English and math on the PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) for 8^th grade and the Keystone Exam for 11^th grade for the 2024-2025 school year.

Although students must take the Keystone Exams in high school, proficiency is no longer required for graduation. Instead, in 2018 Act 158 provide alternative pathways for students to graduate if they did not score proficient or better on the Keystone Exam. These include but are not limited to providing evidence of achieving established scores on the SAT or ACT, enrollment in college level courses, or successful completion of a pre-apprenticeship program. To view Pennsylvania high school graduation requirements, click here.

With the multiple pathways available for graduation, one has to question if the rigors of the high school graduation models truly ensure that students are prepared for post-graduation endeavors.

Bottom line…

Every child deserves a good education. When the public education system appears to be ineffective, then tax payers and parents need to hold school district administrators and state legislators accountable. Rather than patching a broken system by handing out more tax dollars, perhaps they should look for innovative ways to prepare the next generation for the workplace.

Young adults do not have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to find employment, a career, or a path to owning a business one day. However, these things will not just be handed to them. There is no automatic entrance to college, to an apprenticeship program, or to employment in an organization. We need to acquire knowledge, develop skills, and work hard. These are life lessons that kindergarteners through adults need to practice for themselves and the betterment of society.