PivotED

A newsletter (for adults) about career-connected learning (for kids).

Jan 19, 2022

Not Your Parents’ Career—Or Is It? Parents Exert Significant Influence On Kids’ Career Choices
The Story: To what extent does parental influence play a role in the career and education choices made by young people? As it turns out, quite a lot. Research from Joblist shows that a majority of respondents (65%) work in the field their parents wanted for them. This piece by Forbes dives into the various tactics used by parents to influence decision-making (for better or worse).
The Bottom Line: These findings, more than anything point to the importance of parents using their influence over the decision-making of their children and guardians wisely.

Over 1 Million High School Grads Skipped College in 2020. Only a Tiny Fraction Re-Enrolled in 2021
The Story: We all watched as college enrollment numbers plummeted at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but questions remained as to those students’ desire to re-enroll at a later date. Now, The 74 reports, we can see that just 2% of students who opted to take time off after high school in 2020 matriculated in 2021. That means that the vast majority put their higher education plans on hold or have nixed them altogether.
The Bottom Line: This finding seems akin to The Great Resignation, in that what once felt like a temporary anomaly may in fact be part of something much bigger and more permanent.

From Associate to B.A.: More People Can Finish a Four-Year Degree at Community Colleges
The Story: Four-year colleges and community colleges have always held unique associations in the collective American mindset. Yet, Hechinger Report explains, as the workforce changes and as the needs of prospective students change, the lines are becoming rather blurred. Today’s community colleges are opting to offer bachelor’s degrees as well as highly flexible learning modalities like competency-based education and online learning in order to appeal to a wider pool of prospective applicants.
The Bottom Line: What will these blurred lines and changing distinctions mean for today’s young people who are looking ahead to higher education? For adults, helping young people understand that old norms are changing rapidly will be critical to helping to set them up for life success.

The Power of Transitional Spaces That Provide Room for Experimentation
The Story: Young people deserve experiences and spaces in which they can navigate ambiguity and experiment, learn the skills that will instill in them adaptability and real-world coping mechanisms, and critically — they need spaces in which they can fail safely. In this piece that I wrote last year, I make the case for giving young people more equitable starting points from which to jumpstart their self-exploration and career navigation; things like internships, work-based learning, apprenticeships, and service learning.
The Bottom Line: Thankfully, the educational options that were traditionally reserved for working adults or those returning to the workforce are becoming more pervasive across all ages and stages of life. This is hugely encouraging and to me, it’s a sign of real progress and the democratization of education.