Britebound and the American School Counselor Association recently surveyed over 600 school counselors in K-12 settings, examining how they navigate CTE pathways and career readiness. Key findings from the survey include the following: 

• 90% of counselors report increased student interest in nondegree/CTE pathways, and 78% note that parents want their children to explore these pathways. 

• 56% of counselors agree or strongly agree that their school/district measures student success and career development effectively through structured activities and advising systems, assessment of student skills and interests, and support from their district and state.  

• • For the 44% that did not agree, issues raised include metrics that are overly focused on college pathways or compliance, lack of quantitative measures and lack of follow-up on collected data.  

• High school counselors emphasize the importance of sharing local workforce information and communicating CTE pathways to students and families, while middle school counselors focus on career exploration activities such as job fairs and site visits. 

• • Elementary school counselors share that career readiness is overshadowed by other academic and behavioral priorities, with minimal student time for early career exposure.  

• When assisting students with career readiness, high school counselors identified information on local workforce opportunities (61%) and professional development on career pathways (58%) as the most helpful resources. 

• • Middle school counselors selected curriculum materials on the skilled trades/technical careers (60%) and support for organizing career fairs, job shadows and site visits (59%).  

• A minority of high school (38%) and middle school (28%) counselors use AI tools for career planning and exploration, including interview preparation and analyzing students’ career interests. 

• 45% of high school counselors report that their school has a dedicated career specialist, defined in the report as “professionals who specifically focus on helping students navigate their career development journey.”  

In addition to this survey, other recent reports and data examine the importance of career readiness and navigation, including: 

• A report from RAND that analyzes educator and student perspectives on career-connected learning, including career pathway planning and advising. 

• Newly released data from the National Center for Education Statistics, which focuses on CTE and career readiness experiences for ninth-grade students in the 2022-23 school year. 

• A report from the Project on Workforce at Harvard University that examines how community college students and low-wage workers navigate the labor market.  

For more information on how school counseling intersects with CTE, check out ACTE’s CTE 101 for Counselors microsite. It provides school counselors with key information about CTE, Perkins and career exploration to help them guide students and families in making informed decisions about their educational and career goals. 

Readers with any questions may reach out to ACTE’s Research and Policy Coordinator Jesus Galvan (jgalvan@acteonline.org).