Student Aspirations Far Exceed Educational Attainment Levels Of The Current Workforce

At Couragion, we work to inspire and encourage students to pursue post-secondary training and education. Our goal is to show students an array of education opportunities so that they can select options that best fit their interests and values. As such, our app features role models and careers that require all types of post-secondary training from certifications, boot-camps, and apprenticeships to 2 and 4-year degrees to PhDs. In our app, students hear directly from diverse role models about careers and the education and training required to earn jobs in those career fields.

Because of our mission, we keep abreast of educational attainment trends in order to compare our student population to the current workforce. The US Census Bureau recently published its 2019 Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey. This report details the years of school completed by people 25 years and over. The current data shows that 62% of the population pursues post-secondary education. This number is lower for people of color with 41% of the Hispanic population and 55% of the Black population pursuing post-secondary education.

When we survey our students about their post-secondary educational goals, their aspirations far exceed the US Census data. In a survey of 5,180 students (61% students of color, 50% female), 93% of our students report that they want to pursue more education and training after earning their high school diploma. Importantly, the percentage does not vary significantly by race. 93% of our Hispanic students and 91% of our Black/African American students report that they plan to complete training and education beyond high school. I am thrilled to see that such a high percent of our students are eager to pursue post-secondary education as this typically leads to higher employability and improved financial security.

The contrast between the current workforce’s education attainment and the aspirations of our students is vast. It proves that we need continued emphasis on encouraging and supporting students as they pursue their post-secondary education goals. I’m hopeful that we can help students achieve their goals and shift educational attainment numbers upward.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1660021. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.