More than 4 in 5 hiring managers — 84% — say most high school students are not prepared to enter the workforce, according to a report released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and College Board and reported on in K-12 Dive.
Eighty percent say recent high school graduates are less prepared for the workforce compared to previous generations.
Nearly 90% of the 500 hiring managers surveyed say real-world experience gained through internships, career and technical education, or jobs is “most valuable” — even more so than a formal education.
More than nine in ten (92%) say there should be more business courses in high school.
The report comes as College Board prepares the public launch of “AP Career Kickstart” courses, which preliminarily include Advanced Placement Business with Personal Finance and AP Cybersecurity. Courses are expected to be available nationwide by fall 2026 and have so far been approved by 13 states.
The goal: build career skills, offer employer-endorsed credentials, and finetune instruction and teacher support, according to a joint press release by College Board and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Schools have been increasingly emphasizing career and technical education. In 2019, about 85% of private and public school students took at least one CTE course, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. The most recent data shows 98% of public school districts offered CTE programs at the high school level.
More states have also required graduating high school students to take a course in personal finance. At least 35 states had this requirement as of 2024, according to the Council for Economic Education.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce report, almost all of those surveyed (97%) said there should be more high school courses that teach professional career skills such as communication, collaboration and critical thinking. Business courses came in at a close second (92%).
“The message from America’s job creators is clear: we need to do more to equip students with the skills they need to succeed,” said Neil Bradley, chief policy officer and head of strategic advocacy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business advocacy organization.
K-12 Dive
