Key takeaways
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While families are the largest influence on students’ career aspirations, nearly all administrators, teachers, and students agree that schools have an important role to play.
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76% of students say they discovered a career that interested them before high school, and more than half said this interest formed in elementary.
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Embedding career readiness in daily instruction and teaching key skills like problem-solving and adaptability are key to preparing students for professional success.
With the release of the 2026–2027 Education Insights Report, Discovery Education hosted a webinar for educators and education leaders to dive into the report findings and discuss their implications. Justin Karkow, Vice President of Teaching & Learning at Discovery Education, kicked things off with an overview of what would be covered: when students start thinking about their future, where perspectives on career readiness differ, and how schools can make career connections a key part of daily instruction.
Where Students Learn About Careers
Mr. Karkow presented a statistical gap from the report for everyone to consider before asking the panelists to weigh in: Only 10% of middle school students say they learn about careers in class at least weekly, but 71% of administrators believe career learning happens at that frequency in their schools. Clearly, the student experience is not the same as the administrator understanding.
When asked what influences their career aspirations the most, students across every grade level identified their family. Mr. Karkow said, “It means students have people in their corner, but it also tells us that a student’s sense of what is possible is shaped largely by what is already around them.”
Career Readiness in Schools
That said, nearly all administrators, teachers, and students surveyed agree that schools have an important role to play in career readiness. 94% of district leaders report that career readiness is just as important as academic outcomes. But teachers and students both tell us that weekly career-connected instruction is not happening at the rate that leaders believe it is. Another gap uncovered in the report: While 92% of administrators say schools effectively prepare students for their futures, only about two-thirds of teachers agree.
Mr. Karkow asked Dr. Mayfield, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning at Houston County SD, to offer his observations on what schools are currently doing with career readiness. Dr. Mayfield said that they want to ensure students know what careers are possible, so in 13 of his district’s 25 elementary schools, they have a special class that introduces computer science or STEM. In middle school, students explore more, make connections in class, and look into career pathways based on personal interests. In high school, they expand and extend the opportunities students have to learn about multiple pathways, and next year they’re opening their STEM Academy that will focus on healthcare, advanced math and science, and technology.
Industry Partnerships with Schools
Mr. Karkow then asked Mr. Lozano, Senior Manager–Responsible Business at Verizon, to speak to a different question: “What makes a partnership that students genuinely feel and remember?” Mr. Lozano brought up Verizon’s holistic approach with their programs that support both students and teachers, which include the technology itself, professional development, and access to their network. In addition, they try to offer relatable role models to interact with students and they’ve partnered with Discovery Education to create a Virtual Field Trip (VFT).
Mr. Lozano explained that students probably think about the end user experience with Verizon, such as someone selling them a phone in a retail store, but they might not realize there are many careers that support that salesperson. It’s also important to clearly link classroom subjects to the skills needed to solve real-world problems, so that “the curriculum and content [feel] relevant and purposeful.”
Perspective from Higher Education
Dr. Aglio, Associate Vice President for Penn State Outreach & Executive Director, Readiness Institute at Penn State, was asked to provide his perspective on career readiness. He stated that he chose Penn State because of the opportunity to start their Readiness Institute program. As he described it, “It wasn’t getting students ready for something, but [rather] getting students ready for anything.” That’s the shift called for today. Dr. Aglio pointed out that 42% of students in higher education right now are rethinking their majors and degrees because of technology developments like AI. In response, Penn State is focusing on strategy, getting students talking to industry partners and pursuing experiential learning opportunities.
He also noted that they worked with CEOs and industry leaders to create Readiness Skills Through Readiness Hints to help students understand what skills are in demand, like:
- Communication
- Wellness (physical, emotional, and mental)
- Collaboration
- Confidence
- Adaptability
Explore the full 2026–2027 Education Insights page for even more research, insights, and benchmarks.
When to Teach Career Readiness
Our Education Insights 2026–2027 Report revealed that 76% of students say they discovered a career that interested them before high school, and more than half said this interest formed in elementary. As mentioned before, only 10% of middle school students say they get weekly exposure to career-connected learning, but it’s worth noting that:
- 56% say they don’t know much about career options after graduation besides college
- 58% feel pressure to pursue college even though it may not be the right fit
Mr. Karkow asked what works well when schools start career readiness instruction earlier, and Dr. Mayfield said that the computer science and STEM career exploration they offer in elementary is “simple exposure” rather than trying to push them into any particular pathway. They’ve also been including more project-based learning in the form of real-world challenges for students.
Dr. Mayfield said they’re also trying to overcome any stigma associated with blue-collar professions so that students see that they can find success without attending a four-year institution, but still build literacy and math skills.
Interest in Technology-Related Careers
Interest in technology-related careers goes up significantly from elementary to high school. Dr. Aglio mentioned that technology may give students a sense of optimism and fearlessness to change the world. He talked about a 14-year-old National Science Fair winner who worked on the treatment of pancreatic cancer because of curiosity, and his teachers gave him the flexibility to try to solve the problem. He also noted that the secret to getting students interested in technology (and math, reading, etc.) is to pair it with their interests, passions, and curiosity in some way.
How to Embed Career Readiness in Instruction
Mr. Karkow turned to the question of how career readiness can become easier to deliver early and often. We know most districts already have a vision and Portrait of a Graduate or similar framework, but only 37% of teachers say career readiness is embedded in instruction. What’s more, 91% of administrators say this depends more on individual programs or staff than a shared system.
Turning a Framework into Daily Classroom Practice
According to Dr. Mayfield, going from framework to daily practice starts with having the right people, because “without them, you can’t do anything else.” Then you need the right materials, like curriculum or resources. The third part is often overlooked: the right training, so your team knows how to use those materials effectively.
Dr. Mayfield said they’ve been focusing on clarity of intention daily, such as “What is it I want this student to walk out of my classroom knowing?” Lessons should be relevant for students, impacting their lives in today’s or tomorrow’s world.
What Embedded Career Readiness Looks Like
Dr. Aglio explained that if we prepare students to be part of a community, that will translate into their public, personal, and professional lives. Dr. Mayfield jumped in to say that they’ve been working on getting civics back into classrooms because we’ve lost sight of teaching students to be good citizens. There are also soft skills that students will need for success, such as adhering to general policies at work.
Student Motivations
In introducing some data on what students said would motivate them to pursue a job, Mr. Karkow noted they relate to having meaning. What students say is important:
- Quality of life (82%)
- Enjoying the job (43%)
- Stability (23%)
- Making a difference (17%)
- Money (15%)
The question for the panelists: Since most educators see a gap between what students aspire to and what feels realistic, how can schools close that gap without discouraging students and their ambitions? Dr. Mayfield described a questionnaire that they give students at the end of fifth grade called Youth Science. As students answer questions about various fields (technology, health sciences, public service, etc.), it reveals where their aptitude may lie.
AI Readiness and Non-AI Skills
Our 2026–2027 Education Insights Report found that 93% of educators and students believe knowing how to work with AI tools will be important in careers, and it also showed that consistent career-connected learning is associated with greater AI readiness. Since technology keeps going in unexpected directions, Dr. Aglio identified the ability to handle change as a key skill to personal and professional success. Mr. Lozano pointed out that students need to keep the mindset of a problem-solver, where AI is simply a tool that they’re using to get somewhere. And Dr. Mayfield said they want to ensure they’re creating a situation where AI is “enhancing the student’s thinking” rather than replacing it.
Closing
Mr. Karkow ended with a challenge for attending educators and leaders: Don’t let this conversation end with the webinar itself. Every student deserves to see meaningful connections between what they’re learning in the classroom and what’s possible in the future. He urged everyone to take one next step, whether it’s sharing these insights with their team, exploring the 2026–2027 Education Insights Report together, or passing along the webinar recording and assets.
Watch the on-demand webinar for even more insights from the panelists.
Host and Presenters
Justin Karkow, Vice President of Teaching & Learning, Discovery Education
Dr. Elgin Mayfield, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Houston County SD
Justin Aglio, Ed.D., Associate Vice President for Penn State Outreach & Executive Director, Readiness Institute at Penn State
Alejandro Lozano, Senior Manager–Responsible Business, Verizon
