This presentation from the OECD Disrupted Futures 2023: International lessons on how schools can best equip students for their working lives conference looks at Career pathway programmes “Wisconsin’s Youth Voice in Career Readiness Research Project”. Presented by Karin Smith and Alexis Burgos. Discover the videos and other sessions from the OECD Disrupted Futures 2023 conference at https://www.oecd.org/education/career-readiness/conferences-webinars/disrupted-futures-2023.htm Find out more about our work on Career Readiness https://www.oecd.org/education/career-readiness/

1. Youth Voice in Career Readiness
Findings from 2022
Guidance From Our Current High School Students and
Recent High School Graduates
Karin Smith, Education Consultant
Lexi Burgos, Research Analyst Intern
WI Department of Public Instruction
Career and Technical Education Team

2. Youth Voice in Career Readiness Project
Methods

3. Method: Survey
Sampling Sources:
• Current high school students: Outreach through K-12
school districts, student organizations
• Recent high school graduates: Outreach through
colleges, workforce development, student organizations
Quantitative and Qualitative data:
• Demographic questions
• Categorical questions
• Narrative questions
Format: Google Forms Survey Collection Period: March - June 2022 Total Questions: 11
Current high school students - total responses: 4,286 (total number of high school students in 2021-22 = 260,326)
Recent high school graduates - total responses: 204 (total number of graduates from 2016-2021 = 342,360)
For more information,
check out this Survey &
Focus Groups: At a Glance!

4. Method: Virtual Focus Groups
and Interviews
Sampling and Selection:
Current high school students: Outreach through CESA and Wisconsin
youth-serving organizations. Students self-selected.
Recent high school graduates: Outreach through workforce
development organizations. Participants self-selected based on
availability for scheduled focus groups.
Qualitative data: Focus group and interview questions
Format: Virtual
Duration: 45 minutes - 1 hour
Number of current high school focus group sessions: 8
Total number of current high school participants: 14
Number of recent high school graduate focus group sessions: 3
Total number of recent high school graduate participants: 7
For more information,
check out this Survey &
Focus Groups: At a Glance!

5. Youth Voice in Career Readiness Project
Key Findings

6. Key Finding #1
Most students learn about career readiness activities from teachers. But they go to family for help.
How do students find out about career readiness
activities?
Who do students go to for help with career and
education goals?

7. Not All Students Are the Same
Survey respondents were asked to self-identify with any of the following populations. There were enough
respondents that self-disclosed coming from an economically disadvantaged family and/or having a disability to
allow us to compare the responses of students from these populations to all responses.
For more survey results on special populations, check out these slide decks: Students with Economic Disadvantage and Students with Disabilities

8. ALL survey data shows “family” is the top response. EcD students reported “School counselor/advisor” as the top
response. SwD reported “Teacher/school staff” as the top choice.
Differences in Who Students Go To for Help
Students from Economically Disadvantaged Families (EcD)
Note: This is duplicated data. Students could choose multiple options.
Students with Disabilities (SwD)

9. Key Finding #2
The career readiness activities recent high school graduates report as the most interesting are:
• Career and technical education courses
• Work-based learning, including internships, Youth Apprenticeships, and working in a school store
• Project-based learning
Current high school students say their school is doing well when it comes to these activities:
• Career-based learning experiences (CBLEs)
Career readiness activities that involve employers or industry partners such as guest speakers,
career fairs, job shadows, mock interviews, company tours, or career-related volunteering
• CTE courses and career and technical student organizations (CTSOs)
Elective classes that allow students to learn and explore different careers. Some classes are taken
for high school and college credit.
• Dedicated time for Academic and Career Planning (ACP)
A regular period of time that is dedicated ACP, whether that be in workshops, advisories,
homerooms, etc.
Read Quotes to Note!

10. Key Finding #3
Students need teachers to be
engaged, excited, and encouraging
during career readiness activities.
They can benefit from formal and
informal one-on-one advising,
mentoring, and career coaching from
teachers.
Read Quotes to Note!
Image by Drazen Zigic on FreePik

11. Key Finding #4
Students want:
• More career readiness activities that start
earlier and occur more often
• Career readiness activities to be hands-on
and interactive, aligned to their interests, and
include “real” people from the jobs they are
interested in
• To understand all their postsecondary
education options
Read Quotes to Note!
Image by FreePik

12. Key Finding #5
Students need to see how learning is relevant in all their classes.
Part of this includes helping students to understand how content is applied to various careers and will help
students develop career readiness skills.
Read Quotes to Note!
Image by prostoolah at FreePik

13. Key Finding #6
Students are more engaged in their learning
when they have more choice and voice.
This applies to more opportunities to take
elective courses that match their interests as
well as providing more options within career
readiness activities.
Read Quotes to Note!
Image by Racool_studio at FreePik

14. Key Finding #7
The top reasons students report discouraging
participation in career readiness activities are:
• Lack of awareness
• Feel they do not belong or the activities aren’t
for them
• It’s too overwhelming
• The activities are repetitive or not aligned
with their interests
• Too many competing priorities
Read Quotes to Note!
Image by wayhomestudio at FreePik

15. Note: This is duplicated data.
Students could choose multiple options.
Differences in Factors that Discourage Students
with Disabilities
For more survey results on this population, check out this slide deck: Students with Disabilities.
SwD reported “It isn’t for me, I don’t belong” as the top choice. ALL survey data shows “no time” as the top response.
Students with Disabilities (SwD) All Students

16. Key Finding #8
High school graduates feel the most important skills to teach in K-12 are communication, critical
thinking, and self- or time-management.
Other skills that came up were self-confidence, independence, responsibility, growth mindset, diversity
and inclusion, financial literacy, and technology skills.
Read Quotes to Note!
Image by FreePik

17. Other Interesting Findings For more detailed information, check out this document!
● Fewer than half of the current high school students surveyed feel they can clearly state their
academic and career goals. 62% of recent graduates felt they had a solid plan for their future by
the time they graduated.
● 35% of recent graduates did not feel that their K-12 education prepared them for the world of
work. 40% did not feel they had a good understanding of all their career options.
● 29% of recent graduates did not feel that their K-12 education prepared them for
postsecondary education and training. 36% did not feel they had a good understanding of all
their postsecondary education and training options.
● 27% of recent graduates did not feel welcomed to participate in career readiness activities.
28% did not have people or programs to help them with career readiness.
● Only 4% of current high school students feel their parents do not support their postsecondary
education and career plan.

18. Youth Voice in Career Readiness Project
Recommendations

19. Recommendations for School Districts
1. Create a comprehensive communication plan so that teachers, students, and families or caregivers are
aware of the career readiness activities that are available.
2. Provide professional development for all staff on how to engage students in career conversations.
3. Integrate career-connected learning into all subject areas so that students understand how their learning
can be used in various careers.
4. Evaluate current career readiness activities to:
• identify and address common reasons why students do not participate in career readiness activities,
• create more hands-on and interactive career readiness activities, and
• provide more student choice and voice in career readiness activities (including Xello).
5. Use Xello as a tool to support your ACP process. But, ensure that your scope and sequence of activities
includes more than Xello. (See “Wisconsin’s Guide to Implementing Career-Based Learning Experiences” for
suggestions on other activities to include.)
6. Invite students to provide input and assist in making decisions about career readiness activities and
programs, including how funding will be used.

20. Youth Voice Resources
1. With Learners, Not For Learners: A Toolkit for Elevating Learner Voice in CTE,
by Advance CTE
2. Youth Voices in Youth Employment: A roadmap for promoting meaningful youth
engagement in youth employment programs, by the Youth Employers Funder
Group
3. Youth Voice Toolkit, by the Afterschool Alliance
4. Hart’s Ladder of Participation, taken from Organizing Engagement website
5. Youth Adult Equity Assessment, by Milwaukee Succeeds

21. Thank You!
Karin Smith
Academic and Career Planning and Dual Enrollment Consultant
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Karin.Smith@dpi.wi.gov
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-smith-734aab1
Stay Informed!
Join the CareerReady listserv by emailing
subscribe-careerreadylist@lists.dpi.wi.gov
Access the full slide deck of findings at:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SQnu9nvTzfrnaWstum0vrvGj99uEk0Bw3ITo_I-3bFQ/edit?usp=sharing