by Julie Lammers, The Hechinger Report
February 19, 2026
Sitting in a classroom and being lectured day after day is no way to excite young people about learning. Students want educational experiences that engage them, link classroom lessons to real-world relevance and help them find the meaning behind what they are learning in school.
Many young people today are finding that kind of learning in high-quality career and technical education programs throughout the country that teach learning experiences aligned to current industry needs. That means opportunities to explore career possibilities that match their strengths and interests and help build key technical and durable skills.
It wasn’t always this way.
In 2019, only 13 percent of parents believed that hands-on CTE programming was well suited for high-achieving students, instead of for those who struggled with traditional learning.
Yet in a survey last year, more than a third (35 percent) of middle and high school parents said that high school CTE programs are best suited for high-achieving students, signaling a shift that even those who excel academically can and should benefit from hands-on learning.
Attitudes toward postsecondary CTE, nondegree programs (trade schools, industry certifications, technology boot camps, apprenticeships, et cetera) are also changing: The percentage of parents who prefer nondegree pathways over traditional college for their kids has increased 6 points over the past six years to 17 percent, according to the survey by Britebound, formerly American Student Assistance, where I serve as president and CEO.
Parents are now acknowledging there are more engaging ways to prepare young people for their future, demonstrating a growing acceptance of a wider array of education-to-career programs. The shift is significant because parents are both the decision-makers for their kids’ K-12 education and the primary influencers in the postsecondary plans for teenagers.
And while conventional wisdom has long maintained that the only path to career success involves a college degree, that’s no longer the case. Almost 1 in 5 workers without a degree earned more than the median college graduate salary of $70,000 annually, while about 2 million workers without degrees earned more than six figures a year, recent research by The Burning Glass Institute and Britebound revealed.
The research also uncovered crucial choices that put individuals on a path to these lucrative careers, beginning with their first job. These employees started their careers in certain entry-level roles or “launchpad jobs” that offer a combination of good pay and benefits, job stability and opportunities for rapid career growth.
The report identified 73 launchpad jobs in a variety of industries, although many of them skew toward technical work. Examples include EMTs, electricians, bank tellers and other jobs that require skills taught in CTE programs.
These are now gateways to launchpad jobs, and professions build on the strong skills foundation found in CTE programs. In addition to learning in-demand technical and durable skills, these students gained:
- Hands-on training: By giving students the opportunity to apply their technical and durable skills to real projects, they gain valuable experience that gives them a competitive advantage when applying for their first job.
- Industry mentors: Connecting young people with working professionals ensures they have timely, realistic information about careers, including salaries, job security, training requirements and opportunities for advancement.
- Clear pathways: Some CTE programs allow students to earn certifications along the way, helping them navigate a path to professional success.
- Durable skills: Universal skills that employers are demanding, regardless of the field, are generally referred to as durable skills. These are the kinds of skills that every worker needs regardless of the job and can transfer from one field to the next, like collaboration, communication, flexibility and problem-solving. A study by America Succeeds found that70 percent of the most requested skills in nearly 82 million job postings are durable skills. They are competencies that are valuable not just for any career, but also for adult life.
These benefits show why students should consider CTE programs. Influencers — including parents, educators and counselors — can help by learning more about available CTE opportunities so they can best advise young people based on their interests and strengths.
Regardless of the postsecondary pathway pursued, one critical piece of the puzzle that is missing in making that decision is the opportunity for young people to explore their options prior to making a post-high school choice.
Students who are exposed to career exploration opportunities and CTE programs, or who complete a career-readiness learning opportunity like an internship or entrepreneurial experience, are significantly more prepared to understand the kinds of career training that will fit their aspirations, skills and career goals.
Unfortunately, far too many students leave high school without this opportunity for career education. Instead, they choose postsecondary education aimlessly, rather than pursuing options aligned with their career goals.
We must do a better job in helping high schoolers prepare for the path ahead of them by ensuring they have access to resources that help them understand all of their options and pathways to success, including access to a wide variety of CTE programs.
Julie Lammers is president and CEO of Brightbound, formerly American Student Assistance.
This opinion piece about career and technical education was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.
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