Adapt Learning for Alternate Career Paths

Seventy percent of high school teachers say that student interest in entering the labor market directly after graduation has increased during the past five years, according to a 2025 Penn Foster Group survey. As a result, more than half of educators plan to center teaching methods and curriculums around real-world skills that enable graduates to seamlessly transition into the workforce. Those skills, per a Vision Factory article by Sunay Keskin, include digital literacy, critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability.

In "Bridging the Gap," Keskin recommends several tactics for integrating career readiness into curriculums: partnering with local businesses to provide apprenticeship and job shadowing opportunities; using clubs, team projects, and workshops to develop soft skills; and using technological tools such as coding boot camps, virtual simulations, and online courses.

Most teachers, reports Penn Foster Group, agree that the flexibility and accessibility of online education enable students to balance their education and other responsibilities with building skills for their future careers. The survey, which polled more than 300 teachers, found that showing students real-world applications helps keep them engaged and emphasizes the rising trend of alternative pathways.

"As the educational landscape continues to evolve, it's clear that traditional pathways are no longer enough to meet the diverse needs of today's students," says Andy Shean, chief learning officer at Penn Foster Group, in a press release. "By embracing innovative models such as online education, credit recovery, summer school, and blended learning, we can ensure that students not only graduate but thrive in an ever-changing world."

In March, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held its International Day for Digital Learning 2025, which brought together more than 700 policymakers, teachers, students, and other global educational leaders from 114 countries to find more ways for digital learning to support quality education and empower learners.

They discussed successful strategies such as consolidating teaching and learning resources into a government-hosted platform in Malawi; SMS-based learning programs helping students with limited internet access in Kenya; and the Digital School initiative in the United Arab Emirates, which trains more than 10,000 educators globally on skills to integrate technology into their teaching.

The event highlighted that educators should use digital learning as a tool for inclusion, and that institutions must invest in training to support local initiatives.