Research shows that today’s students and parents do not have the information and financial planning resources needed to fully explore the many high-quality post-secondary education options available to them. Decision-making is frequently focused on four-year college pathways because they are most prominent in our culture and families do not understand which options lead to careers that make use of students’ interests and aptitudes – or the costs of these programs.

As high school students begin to make plans for the summer of 2021, many believe they must choose between two objectives: a paycheck or experience. Read more on how we can align ‘finding a job’ with ‘finding the right path for me,’ and support programs that expand work-based learning opportunities for high school students.

For many students younger than 18, experiential work-based learning (WBL), such as internships, youth apprenticeships and summer jobs, is a lifechanging opportunity that can help them better prepare for the ever-changing world of work. But it can also be an intimidating experience that heightens students’ insecurity about their ability to fit into a workplace when many professionals they meet do not share their race, ethnicity, background, or experiences.