Let’s take a look at Alicia’s story.
Alicia graduated from highschool in 2023 with a ardour for enterprise and advertising and marketing, fueled by hands-on programs and energetic participation in DECA and FBLA. Like a lot of her friends, she enrolled at a area people school, uncertain what she needed to do. She thought “one thing in enterprise,” and her mother and father inspired her to benefit from the Tennessee Promise program, which offers two years of free neighborhood school. Nonetheless, with ACT scores under school stage, Alicia discovered herself funneled right into a common switch pathway for an affiliate of science diploma. As an alternative of pursuing her passions, she spent her days in remedial lessons and common schooling programs. Pissed off and disillusioned, she started to assume, “Possibly school simply isn’t for me” and selected to withdraw.
However was school actually not for Alicia? Or was she attempting to navigate an academic system misaligned along with her pursuits and the calls for of right this moment’s workforce? Did she merely find yourself in a program that didn’t nurture her potential?
The Misalignment Between Training and Workforce Wants
Yearly, hundreds of Tennesseans like Alicia embark on a university journey, wanting to translate their passions into fulfilling careers. But too many discover themselves misplaced in a maze of irrelevant programs and unclear pathways, resulting in disengagement and dropouts.
In Tennessee, 56 p.c of jobs require abilities coaching past highschool however not essentially a four-year diploma. Many of those positions demand specialised coaching or credentials, reminiscent of technical certificates or affiliate levels. Regardless of the provision of well-paying jobs, too many Tennesseans are unable to entry them because of a scarcity of focused schooling and profession steering. In Might 2024 alone, Tennessee had 173,000 job openings, with the biggest demand in well being care, superior manufacturing, provide chain administration and building. But solely 49 p.c of Tennesseans have entry to the talents coaching required to work in these fields.
State applications like TN Drive to 55, TN Achieves, TN Promise and TN Reconnect have efficiently elevated entry to postsecondary schooling. Nonetheless, these well-intentioned initiatives usually don’t meet their supposed outcomes as college students wrestle to navigate their schooling and transition into in-demand careers.
Understanding the Impression of Diploma Pathways
Most first-time neighborhood school college students in Tennessee (76 p.c) enroll in “college parallel” levels just like the affiliate of science or affiliate of arts, designed to switch to four-year universities. These applications consist largely of common schooling programs, with restricted alternatives to delve into particular fields of curiosity. Nonetheless, solely 15 p.c of those college students go on to earn a bachelor’s diploma.
For many who full an A.A. or A.S. however don’t pursue additional schooling, the outlook is regarding. They’re much less more likely to be employed in Tennessee and have a tendency to earn decrease wages than friends who accomplished an affiliate of utilized science (A.A.S.) or technical certificates. To place it merely: An A.S. or A.A.—heavy on common schooling however mild on sensible abilities—usually doesn’t put together college students for right this moment’s workforce.
An A.A.S. choice, nonetheless, usually yields higher outcomes. Returning to Alicia’s story, had she been suggested of the A.A.S. choice, her fall schedule would have included programs in enterprise, logistics, advertising and marketing and laptop purposes and just one common schooling course. This may have been a completely completely different expertise for Alicia, aligning along with her pursuits and conserving her engaged. As an alternative of feeling disillusioned, she may need thrived in an setting that nurtured her passions and led to a satisfying profession.
It’s time to rethink how we information college students like Alicia. By embracing revolutionary applications that align schooling with real-world alternatives, we will empower the following technology to thrive in Tennessee’s rising industries.
Constructing Pathways to Success
That is the place Belmont Quick Ahead steps in.
The Belmont Quick Ahead program bridges the hole between schooling and workforce calls for by offering profession pathways that result in sustainable, well-paying jobs in key Tennessee industries. We concentrate on three core methods: educating college students about profession alternatives, empowering them with wanted abilities and connecting them with employment alternatives. These methods are tailor-made to serve three populations: highschool, early school and grownup learners. By addressing the wants of people at numerous levels of their schooling and profession journeys, we offer complete assist to remodel lives and strengthen communities.
For highschool college students, early publicity to profession pathways and intentional programming could make all of the distinction. We associate with Metro Nashville Public Faculties to supply profession exploration alternatives, visitor audio system and discipline journeys that assist college students think about their careers throughout numerous industries and the schooling they should get there. Recognizing the significance of early engagement, we fund summer season programs for current highschool graduates, permitting them to start their technical schooling earlier than conventional monetary assist turns into accessible.
Early-college college students like Alicia usually face challenges transitioning into larger schooling. To assist these college students, we’ve piloted cohorts at two area people schools, Volunteer State Neighborhood Faculty and Nashville State Neighborhood Faculty. These college students take part in two-week school orientation boot camps that includes school readiness workshops and trade audio system. By customized educational advising and intentional profession assist, we’re serving to them navigate their academic paths with confidence.
Connecting Challenges to Options
As radical champions for serving to folks and communities flourish, Belmont College believes it’s crucial to collaborate with academic establishments and workforce improvement organizations via intentional pilot applications and initiatives reminiscent of Quick Ahead.
By addressing the misalignment in academic pathways, Quick Ahead straight tackles the challenges confronted by college students navigating the complicated panorama of continuous schooling. We offer the steering and sources wanted to pursue levels that not solely align with their pursuits but additionally meet the calls for of the job market. By focused assist and sensible expertise, we’re paving the best way for profitable careers.
It’s time for educators, policymakers, establishments and neighborhood leaders alike to rethink how we information college students like Alicia. By embracing revolutionary applications that align schooling with real-world alternatives, we will empower the following technology to thrive in Tennessee’s rising industries.
