Unlock Student Potential: Why Career Literacy Classrooms Are the Future of Education

As a teacher and coach, I remember vividly the helplessness I felt when my students would ask me: “But how will this help me get a good job?”

For years, educators were often on their own when it came to helping students connect what they were learning in the classroom with where it might lead them in their careers.

Fortunately that’s changing, and November, designated as National Career Development Month, is a chance to commit to expanding career pathways in a more meaningful way – for our students, our workers, and our economy.

The High Stakes of Career Education

The stakes are high. Student test scores in Missouri remain below pre-pandemic levels, at the same time that technological advances like generative AI are threatening to upend the entry-level career pipeline. Succeeding in this more uncertain and dynamic future will demand greater resilience and flexibility than ever before.

A recent report issued by Gov. Mike Kehoe’s administration adds to the growing body of evidence that students need earlier and more meaningful career exploration to navigate this evolving economy. The DeBruce Foundation was privileged to be involved in this effort, which included input from experts, educators, business leaders, students and parents.

The final report issued this fall outlines a roadmap for improving career and technical education delivery systems in Missouri.

Overwhelming Support for Career Education

One major takeaway: Missourians overwhelmingly support career education — and want more of it. In a survey conducted in partnership with the Missouri Department of Secondary Education and the University of Central Missouri, 92.3 percent of Missourians expressed support for career and technical education (CTE), and more than 90% saw it as a pathway to higher education.

More good news came from business leaders, who also expressed a favorable view of CTE skills, as well as students, who the report found are generally aware of college credit transfer from CTE programs.

Addressing the Gaps in Career Exploration

But room for improvement remains. One key priority: improve access to career exploration for elementary and middle school students, particularly in rural areas. The DeBruce Foundation’s own research backs this up, showing that students don’t consider enough career paths, and need earlier and more frequent exposure to career literacy skills.

The good news is that career literacy is gaining steam here in Missouri and across the country. Students in 1,480 school districts in all 50 states have used The DeBruce Foundation’s free K-12 resources, designed to help students at the elementary through high school levels discover their work-related strengths and interests in ways that broaden their sense of what’s possible.

The foundation is also partnering with states like Maryland and Indiana to support career exploration in schools and embed career counseling tools and resources directly into local workforce centers, ensuring that individuals of all ages can access meaningful guidance and opportunity.

Real-World Success Stories

Our recent annual employment empowerment event featured powerful stories from Missouri and Kansas school districts leading the way in career literacy, including Blue Springs, Joplin, and Piper. Teachers in each district, across grade levels, are using our Agilities framework to help students identify their strengths and interests, and how those connect with the world of work.

The truth is, preparing students for empowered careers will take all of us.

Call to Action for Educators and Counselors

For educators and counselors: Use this month to assess your career-exploration practices, and make sure you are helping students discover their strengths in ways that broaden their horizons, rather than limiting or labeling them. Ask: How can we encourage students to consider more career paths and understand the importance of network strength?

Call to Action for Employers and Industries

For employers and industries: Partner with schools and workforce centers — especially in rural communities — to help build career-literate workforce pipelines.

The Alliance for Healthcare Education in Springfield and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s initiative for Real World Learning in Kansas City are examples of successful collaborations that can and should be replicated. Employers should also take a hard look at their hiring practices: research shows that people may be well-suited for jobs that seem vastly different from the job they do today.

So now is a great time to assess your openness to applicants from nontraditional backgrounds and varied experiences.

Policy Recommendations for Long-Term Impact

For policymakers and funders: make career literacy a priority this month — and every month. The Governor’s Workforce Report recommends making DESE’s regional career advisor roles full-time, rather than part-time and hiring nine new advisors to focus specifically on the K-4 grade levels. It also suggests that the state develop a K-12 career exploration toolkit and website.

These are smart investments that will yield long-term returns for our communities and our economy.

Missouri’s economic future will depend on how well people can move through change, not just into the jobs that exist today, but toward the opportunities that emerge tomorrow. Here in Missouri, the playbook is clearer thanks to the leadership behind the Workforce of the Future Challenge Report and ready-to-use career exploration tools, like those developed by The DeBruce Foundation and offered at no charge as part of our charitable mission.

This month, National Career Development Month, let’s turn intention into initiative. Let’s elevate career development from a checkbox to a coordinated, statewide strategy. And let’s empower every young Missourian and adult learner to name their strengths, claim their path, and thrive.