Data from middle and high schoolers shows that early career exposure is critical to addressing
student disengagement and closing workforce gaps
AMERICAN FORK, Utah, Feb. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today, YouScience®, the award-winning college and career readiness platform powered by scientifically-backed aptitude data and industry certifications, released a new report which reveals a significant gap between students’ natural abilities and their awareness of in-demand career opportunities. The 2025 State of the Future U.S. Workforce Report analyzes data from 450,000 middle and high school students across all 50 states, highlighting that while many students possess the aptitudes to excel in critical industries such as healthcare, technology, finance, and advanced manufacturing, they most often lack exposure and engagement opportunities to pursue careers in these fields.
The findings emphasize the importance of early career exposure in middle school and high school – not only for increasing student engagement in the classroom but also for addressing workforce shortages. The report identifies significant gaps in students who have the aptitude for, but not interest in, several high-demand industries, including:
- Architecture & Construction: 12% gap in students who have aptitude but no reported interest
- Finance: 18% gap in students who have aptitude but no reported interest
- Health Science: 28% gap in students who have aptitude but no reported interest
- Information & Technology: 24% gap in students who have aptitude but no reported interest
- Advanced Manufacturing: 18% gap in students who have aptitude but no reported interest
- Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics: 18% gap in students who have aptitude but no reported interest
By expanding and tailoring career exposure opportunities through intentional interventions using aptitudes and connections to employers, these gaps can be closed, enabling more students to pursue careers in these high-demand, high-wage fields.
The report is endorsed by national industry and nonprofit organizations, notably including SkillsUSA, the #1 workforce development organization for students.
“This report highlights a critical challenge we see across industries: the gap between student potential and career awareness. Without early exposure and engagement, we risk losing untapped talent in sectors that desperately need it,” said Chelle Travis, Executive Director, SkillsUSA. “By aligning education with workforce needs, we can create a stronger pipeline of skilled professionals who are ready to drive innovation, productivity, and economic stability.”
The report calls for action from educators, industry leaders, and policymakers alike to close the gap and strengthen the workforce pipeline through:
- Policy Initiatives: Mandating or incentivizing aptitude-based career exploration in schools and allocating funding to connect students with career pathways.
- Business Partnerships: Establishing mentorship programs, and industry-recognized certification opportunities in every career and technical education course to better align student learning with workforce needs.
- Educator Engagement: A 2024 Gallup survey found that 1 in 3 K-12 students (35%) enjoy what they are learning when they can connect it to the real world. Student disengagement continues to grow and one proven way we can address this is by leveraging aptitude assessments to guide career exploration and integrating career-connected learning experiences.
“Many industries need skilled workers, but struggle to find them among recent high school and college graduates. Students have the potential to thrive in high-demand fields, however if they are never exposed to these career opportunities, the workforce will continue to face critical shortages,” said Edson Barton, Co-Founder and CEO of YouScience. “By fostering meaningful engagement and expanding access to career-connected learning opportunities, we can empower students to make informed choices that align with both their abilities and workforce needs.”
The full findings of YouScience’s 2025 State of the Future U.S. Workforce Report can be found here.
About YouScience®
YouScience® is the award-winning college and career readiness platform powered by scientifically-backed aptitude data. Its end-to-end platform, YouScience® Brightpath, connects education with career applications designed to help students unlock their potential for future pathways. YouScience leverages proven research, artificial intelligence, and industry input to help individuals identify their aptitudes, validate their skills and knowledge, and get matched with real-world educational and career pathways in high-demand occupations. YouScience is the preferred choice of individuals, parents, educators, and counselors to guide and support educational and career pathways, currently serving more than 11,600 educational institutions and millions of users nationwide.
SOURCE YouScience
