Let’s have a look at Alicia’s story.
Alicia graduated from highschool in 2023 with a ardour for enterprise and advertising, fueled by hands-on programs and energetic participation in DECA and FBLA. Like lots of her friends, she enrolled at a local people faculty, not sure what she needed to do. She thought “one thing in enterprise,” and her dad and mom inspired her to reap the benefits of the Tennessee Promise program, which offers two years of free neighborhood faculty. Nonetheless, with ACT scores under faculty degree, Alicia discovered herself funneled right into a normal switch pathway for an affiliate of science diploma. As a substitute of pursuing her passions, she spent her days in remedial lessons and normal schooling programs. Pissed off and disillusioned, she started to assume, “Perhaps faculty simply isn’t for me” and selected to withdraw.
However was faculty really not for Alicia? Or was she making an attempt to navigate an academic system misaligned along with her pursuits and the calls for of right now’s workforce? Did she merely find yourself in a program that didn’t nurture her potential?
The Misalignment Between Schooling and Workforce Wants
Yearly, 1000’s of Tennesseans like Alicia embark on a university journey, desirous 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 % of jobs require abilities coaching past highschool however not essentially a four-year diploma. Many of those positions demand specialised coaching or credentials, equivalent to technical certificates or affiliate levels. Regardless of the supply of well-paying jobs, too many Tennesseans are unable to entry them as a result of an absence of focused schooling and profession steerage. In Could 2024 alone, Tennessee had 173,000 job openings, with the most important demand in well being care, superior manufacturing, provide chain administration and development. But solely 49 % 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 typically don’t meet their meant 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 faculty college students in Tennessee (76 %) 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 normal schooling programs, with restricted alternatives to delve into particular fields of curiosity. Nonetheless, solely 15 % 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 normal schooling however gentle on sensible abilities—typically doesn’t put together college students for right now’s workforce.
An A.A.S. choice, nevertheless, typically 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 laptop functions and just one normal schooling course. This might have been a wholly totally different expertise for Alicia, aligning along with her pursuits and maintaining her engaged. As a substitute of feeling disillusioned, she may need thrived in an atmosphere that nurtured her passions and led to a satisfying profession.
It’s time to rethink how we information college students like Alicia. By embracing progressive applications that align schooling with real-world alternatives, we are able to empower the subsequent 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 deal with 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 faculty and grownup learners. By addressing the wants of people at varied phases of their schooling and profession journeys, we offer complete help to rework lives and strengthen communities.
For highschool college students, early publicity to profession pathways and intentional programming could make all of the distinction. We companion with Metro Nashville Public Colleges to offer profession exploration alternatives, visitor audio system and subject journeys that assist college students think about their careers throughout varied 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 support turns into accessible.
Early-college college students like Alicia typically face challenges transitioning into increased schooling. To help these college students, we’ve piloted cohorts at two local people schools, Volunteer State Neighborhood School and Nashville State Neighborhood School. These college students take part in two-week faculty orientation boot camps that includes faculty readiness workshops and business audio system. By personalised tutorial advising and intentional profession help, we’re serving to them navigate their instructional paths with confidence.
Connecting Challenges to Options
As radical champions for serving to individuals and communities flourish, Belmont College believes it’s crucial to collaborate with instructional establishments and workforce improvement organizations by means of intentional pilot applications and initiatives equivalent to Quick Ahead.
By addressing the misalignment in instructional pathways, Quick Ahead immediately tackles the challenges confronted by college students navigating the advanced panorama of constant schooling. We offer the steerage and assets wanted to pursue levels that not solely align with their pursuits but additionally meet the calls for of the job market. By focused help 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 progressive applications that align schooling with real-world alternatives, we are able to empower the subsequent technology to thrive in Tennessee’s rising industries.
