Dear Readers,

Since 2021, over 50% of kids report they are not enrolling in degree programs. And, in 2022, the ACT saw its lowest national score average in 30 years. It’s more important than ever that educators and parents understand the options for kids that exist “beyond the degree.”

Organizations like ASA and Jobs for the Future (JFF) are conducting research into the efficacy of such options that will help more kids feel secure in a non-degree choice. Yet, we also know that there’s work to be done on the advocacy and policy fronts, as well as in simply connecting kids to reliable and accurate information about what’s out there for them and how it can help them become both employable and employed.

Here are a few ways ASA has been advancing that work:

-We’ve teamed up with JFF on a research report entitled Non-Degree Pathways: A DC Insider’s Perspective, which points to encouraging bipartisan support for non-degree pathways.

-We’ve also partnered with JFF in the compilation of hundreds of education-to-career initiatives in the resource, A Universe of Possibilities: Education to Career Pathways for the Future of Work.

-We’ve launched the Expand Opportunities hub for kids to learn more about pathways, no matter where they are in their educational journey. Julie Lammers, ASA’s SVP of Advocacy and Corporate Social Responsibility, also outlined some of these resources in a recent LinkedIn Pulse Article.

-I’d also encourage you to visit our newly reimagined website, ASA.org, which is filled with insights, ideas, and possibilities for you to help create a world where every middle and high school kid in America can explore, experiment with, and discover rewarding careers. What if kids taught us? What if kids had tools to explore their futures? What if we amplified our impact and drove systemic change? Join the youth career readiness movement, connect with us, and explore collaboration opportunities! Or just visit to check out the really cool graphics.

With that, here’s this month’s roundup.

Sincerely,

Jean

How do I Talk to My Tween/Teen About Careers?
The Story: My colleague Julie Lammers joined Kamyra of Your Teen Magazine in a special episode designed to give parents the information they need to have smart, productive conversations with their kids about the future and the education-to-career pathways on the horizon for them.
The Bottom Line: Asking tweens and teens to visualize their place in an abstract future and workforce based on what’s often a limited understanding of themselves and their skillset can feel next to impossible. Yet, having these conversations early is critical to ensuring kids don’t “foreclose” on career avenues too early, and based on limited information. If you or someone you know would like better strategies for having these conversations, give this video a watch (and check out the Expand Opportunities Hub I shared above!)

Encouraging Interoperability to Help Learners in the Digital Credential Marketplace
The Story: Brookings writes that, “Empirical studies of California and Virginia community colleges showed that earning several short (‘stackable’) credentials can improve wages and employment outcomes. And hiring has changed, too. In recent years, far fewer job postings have explicitly required a bachelor’s degree.”
The Bottom Line: Non-Degree pathways are on the rise. With them, there is important work happening to address the other side of the coin: the credentials and specific vetting process used by employers to certify employability. The future of these credentials, like the future of so many learning and work experiences, is digital. The takeaway for those of us concerned with kids’ futures? Ensuring kids have access to — and control over — their digital portfolio of certifications and achievements, is critical.

Nonprofit Survey Unveils Gen Z Insights into Advocating for Top Issues and Causes (A Quantitative Study by American Student Assistance (ASA)

Parents Differ Sharply by Party Over What Their K-12 Children Should Learn in School (A Study by Pew Research Center)

45% of Early Childhood Educators Report Burnout, Stress (Research from Teaching Strategies)

New Online Tool Seeks to Map the Universe of Educational Research (A new tool from the Advanced Education Research and Development Fund)

Building an Effective SEL Program: Lessons From 3 Districts (A Study by EdWeek Research Center)

How Does Gen Z See its Place in the Working World? With Trepidation (American Opportunity Survey research from McKinsey & Company)

Moving Beyond the Dependence on College Degrees (Forbes, November 11, 2022)

Emerging Models of Education and Career Preparation (Fierce Education, October 20, 2022)

The Biden-Harris Administration Advances Equity and Opportunity for Black Americans and Communities Across the Country (The White House Newsroom, November 6, 202)

Indiana Boys & Girls Clubs Use AR/VR Simulations to Help High School Students Explore Careers (Cision/PR Newswire, October 25, 2022)

Digital Skills Hiring: Orgs Say 5G, Crypto & Metaverse 'Here to Stay' (Virtualization & Cloud Review, October 25, 2022)

Why It’s So Hard to Weave Social-Emotional Learning Into Academics (Education Week, November 8, 2022)

Kansas Businesses Tapping into “Micro Interns” (Kiowa County Signal, October 18, 2022)

It’s a ‘Go’ for Hiring for Skills https://www.td.org/magazines/td-magazine/its-a-go-for-hiring-for-skills(Association for Talent Development Magazine, November 1, 2022)

Governor Mills announces $25 million Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan program to offer paid work experiences to Maine students (Government of Maine Newsroom, October 20, 2022)

Iowa Invests in Training for Non-Degree Job Fields (Public News Service, November 11, 2022)

Below you’ll find recaps of recent thought leadership events and panels featuring experts from across the education and career readiness ecosystem. The events below cover such topics as Gen Z career learning, professional development for educators, and non-degree pathways.

Getting Smart Webinar: “Badging and Credentialing: How Students Show What They Know” (December 1st, 2022) Register here

How We Can Empower Gen Z to Find and Follow Their Passions through Youth-Centered Mentorship - Find the webinar recap and takeaways here

High School Work-Based Learning: An Essential Tool for Career Readiness and Workforce Development - Find the event recap and takeaways here

How We Can Scale Gen Z’s Entrepreneurial Spirit into Fruitful Careers - Find the link to the session recording here

Virtual Panels Identify Best Practices & Considerations for Career Readiness Learning - Find the link to the session recording here

The Critical Need for Career Exploration Beyond the Classroom - See the session recap here

The State We’re In: Career Readiness in America - Watch the presentation here

Unbundled Learning and How to Rebundle Pathways - Watch the presentation here

”Amplifying High-Quality, Non-Degree Pathways” - Watch the presentation here

“Gen Z Career Learning is About Agency, Voice and Choice” - Watch the presentation here

“Educator PD: Key to Increasing Student Achievement” - Watch the presentation here