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Education Dive
Report:
Industry credentials earned in high school out of step with employer
demand
Linda Jacobson
May 8, 2019
Dive Brief:
A new analysis of 24 states’ career and technical education (CTE)
programs finds the industry credentials students can earn while in high
school are not necessarily in high demand by employers nor would lead
to a living wage.
Conducted by ExcelinEd, a nonprofit founded by former Florida Gov. Jeb
Bush, and Burning Glass Technologies, which conducts job market
analytics, “Credentials Matter” also shows that of the top 15
credentials earned — such as a WISE Financial Literacy Certification,
basic first aid and a National Center for Construction Education and
Research carpentry credential — 10 are already oversupplied in the job
market.
The report recommends that states conduct an audit of CTE programs for
quality and alignment with “high-skill, high wage, in-demand careers,”
define and clarify the differences between a certification, a license,
CTE assessments and other credentials, and that districts collaborate
with state agencies to gain access to regional and local labor market
data.
Dive Insight:
The report only focuses on 24 states because most don’t have the data
to examine the credentials students are earning and whether they match
up with the demands of employers. But with state lawmakers striving to
close the "skills gap" and many states including these types of
credentials as an indicator of career readiness under the Every Student
Succeeds Act, having accurate data will become even more important,
Quentin Suffren, the managing director of innovation policy for
ExcelinEd, said during a press call on Tuesday. “This focus is only
going to grow,” he said, adding that high school CTE programs and
credentials available to students will also be a central element in
states’ plans for Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education
funding, due next April.
“To be clear: We are not suggesting that CTE programs are failing to
teach the skills they promise,” the report says. “But it is clear from
our analysis that the credentials these programs provide too often have
little currency with today’s employers and are, therefore, of
questionable career value to students.”
While an industry license carries the most weight, other credentials
such as mastering a particular software program or passing a CTE
assessment are either not recognized by employers or are not requested
in job postings, Suffren said. While those accomplishments are
important “building blocks” of a career path, they won’t lead to a
well-paying job on their own, he said.
“It’s clear that this is not a one-system-at-fault issue,” he said,
adding that schools, higher education, employers and state agencies
“all have a part to play” in creating stronger connections between the
credentials available to students and the demonstrated skills and
knowledge that employers are expecting. Future work will explore in
greater detail the outcomes for students that earn credentials.
ExcelinEd is also not the only organization focusing on alignment
between CTE programs and the needs of the workforce. Last month, the
Thomas B. Fordham Institute released a similar report, focusing on 10
metro areas, which shows that students taking CTE courses are finding
jobs, but mostly low-paying ones.
"Because numerous studies suggest that Americans have become less
mobile in recent decades, it’s more imperative than ever that the local
business, postsecondary and K–12 education sectors join hands to
strengthen the connection between high school CTE programs and the
local job market," the authors write. "Only then will labor market
'alignment' become more than a buzzword."
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