In America, our education model has largely remained unchanged for over 185 years since Horace Mann established the industrialized system. This one-size-fits-all system is not working well for the majority of students.
It’s time for K-12 education to be modernized with innovation and creativity, preparing students for the world they will enter upon high school graduation, including the jobs of tomorrow.
Industry-specific high schools are schools that are intentionally designed to prepare students not only in all their core academic subjects, but also with the skills needed for high-demand and high-growth career fields, nationally as well as in their regional and local communities.
The goal is to give students a high-quality academic education and an on-ramp to career success post-high school. When students graduate from an industry-specific high school, they have gained experience and skills in a field they are interested in and are well-equipped to enter the workforce. An increasing number of jobs do not require a college degree. Rather, employees seek candidates with experience and skills. Thus, more industry-specific high schools are warranted.
It’s a timely opportunity, as there’s a decline in confidence in higher education. Even before the widespread and heinous antisemitic demonstrations, violence, and takeovers on college campuses in 2024 and 2025, a mere 17% of Americans held a “great deal” of confidence in higher education, while 62% had “some” or “very little” confidence.
Enrollment in higher education has declined by three million since 2011, with fewer high school students matriculating to college. From 2016 to 2022, college enrollment decreased by 8%. Of those entering four-year colleges, only 62% graduate within six years. Upon graduating from college, just 40% of individuals secure a job within the field of their higher education degree.
According to the Mountain States Policy Center, “Between 1963 and 2021, the cost of attendance at a four-year college rose 165%. Increases can be found in both public institutions, where the average cost is now $19,374, and private, where students can now pay $45,920.” The return on investment of college for career preparation is lacking for the majority of individuals who opt to enroll.
We can and must modernize K-12 education, and the place to start is growing the supply of industry-specific high schools.
Click HERE to listen to Keri D. Ingraham’s interview on The Empower Podcast.
Click HERE to read the full report, “The Case for Industry-Specific High Schools.”