Expanded Career and Technical Education Program Helps Students Build a Stronger Connection Between Learning and Life

Edmentum Career helps students–starting in middle school–identify interests, explore career options, and engage in high-demand learning pathways that prepare them to thrive beyond high school

BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Feb. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Edmentum, the leading provider of K-12 digital curriculum, assessments and learning interventions that serve almost 6 million students nationwide, today introduced Edmentum Career, a comprehensive career-connected learning solution designed to help students, starting in middle school, build a deeper connection between their learning and their future and to enhance postsecondary success and workforce readiness. The offering combines a catalog of career and technical education courses for grades 6-12—which feed into 57 online pathways in high-impact fields—with a variety of supports designed to engage students according to their individual interests.

The suite of solutions comes as state education leaders across the country are reimagining traditional career and technical education (CTE), embracing a more expansive "career-connected learning" (CCL) model that prepares students to graduate ready for both college and career, not one or the other. In 2023, for example, 47 states enacted more than 115 related policies, such as new investments in workplace learning opportunities and revamped high school diploma requirements. And already this year, about a third of state governors have mentioned career-connected learning as a top priority in their State of the State addresses.

"For too long, career and technical education has been relegated to the margins of the K-12 discussion. Fortunately, with bipartisan support for comprehensive, universal career-connected learning taking root all across the nation, that is beginning to change," said Jamie Candee, CEO of Edmentum. "Clear and compelling research demonstrates that CTE has a positive impact on high school completion and college readiness. We also know that learners are taking a wider variety of routes to career—and, once in the workforce, are participating in multiple careers and more frequent career changes—than ever before. Now is the time to act with urgency: we must usher in a modern era of career-connected learning, in which every student has ample opportunity for personalized career exploration, skill-building aligned to in-demand fields, and true workforce readiness aimed at lifelong success."

A comprehensive 6-12 career learning program for every student

Edmentum Career guides all students from exploration to employability, starting in middle school. When career and technical education, or vocational education, was first introduced, it was presented as a "non-college" track separate from the core academic curriculum. However, career-connected learning has a positive influence on academic outcomes in middle and high school, and is a critical foundation for all learners to identify and pursue the best post-secondary pathway, whether college, career, or both. When districts implement Edmentum Career, students will:

• Discover unique interests. Starting in middle school, students complete interest surveys to identify their preferences and attributes. This builds their sense of purpose and possibility and helps them make more informed choices as they navigate big decisions about academic and career goals.
• Explore career options and build durable skills beginning in 6th grade. Through Edmentum Career, students in grade 6 learn digital citizenship, 7th graders explore college and career options, and 8th graders can take courses on business and information technology, engineering, health sciences, and more. A wide range of durable skills essential for high-impact career sectors—including skills associated with communication, leadership, fortitude, and problem solving—are embedded into the curriculum. Each course focuses on three to five competencies that best align with its subject, themes, and goals.
• Deepen learning with full pathways. Students have access to more than 180 online CTE courses that align to 14 Career Clusters (the nation's in-demand career fields), such as health care, agriculture, and business management. These feed into 57 multi-year learning pathways that help students improve their employability while they earn a high school diploma. Students can also get preparation for a number of relevant industry certifications.
• Prepare for workplace success. A capstone helps students connect their learning to meaningful preparation for internships and workforce experiences. This is a critical step to ensure learners are ready to apply their skills in workplace settings.

Among Edmentum Career's most important aspects is the introduction of intentional career exploration starting in middle school, the benefits of which are supported by research. At this time of transition, students' experiences have a strong influence on whether they'll close achievement gaps and complete high school. CCL provides the relevant, real-life experiences students crave during a critical period when there's a high risk of disengagement from learning. And, through Edmentum's partnership with America Succeeds to weave durable skills explicitly into course design, students are truly working toward employability.   

"Durable skills are essential for success in both school and the workplace," said Tim Taylor, co-founder and president of America Succeeds. "Our partnership with Edmentum ensures that these critical skills are seamlessly integrated into industry-recognized, evidence-based courses. Whether they are a middle school student starting to explore their interests, or a high school student working to earn a specific industry credential, they will be better equipped to succeed in whatever path they choose after graduation."

Added capacity to remove barriers to full implementation

Limited teacher capacity is among the most significant barriers impeding students' access to comprehensive career-connected learning. Edmentum helps districts solve this challenge by providing instructional coaching to improve existing career-connected learning programs and to stand up new ones. This includes on-demand support for individual industry leaders who may need extra guidance as they transition to the classroom. Moreover, Edmentum can help school partners fill gaps in their teaching capacity by pairing them with accredited instructors who can lead online instruction—either flexibly for just a few students or synchronously for an entire class aligned to your bell schedule.

All Edmentum Career content is built to national CTE pathway standards and strategic state-standard expectations. Courses are approved for quality by industry-leading organizations and are fully customizable according to local needs. The entire program is now available for districts to begin implementing in time for the new school year. Districts interested in bringing Edmentum Career to their students can learn more on Edmentum's website.

About Edmentum
Edmentum believes that every student deserves the opportunity to thrive everywhere learning occurs - whether they seek to catch up, stay on track, or chart their own path. When you pair Edmentum's comprehensive, research-backed learning acceleration solutions with empowered and supported educators, you can change the direction of students' lives. We partner with K-12 educators in all 50 states and 100+ countries worldwide to design, implement, and sustain the programs that deliver on this shared promise of learning acceleration for every student. www.edmentum.com.

SOURCE Edmentum