With many graduation plans altered and absentee rates surging in the pandemic, now more than ever, it’s crucial that we increase student engagement to ensure students from all backgrounds are getting the education needed to pursue careers.

Students have made it clear that they want education that is directly relevant to their life and future plans. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated challenges to keep students engaged with learning, but a key to driving student engagement may be in expansion of work-based learning for high school students. Such opportunities are critical for both individual student success and for our immediate and long-term workforce recovery.

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.