American Student Assistance

At this year's #ASUGSVSummit, Getting Smart's Tom Vander Ark led a panel discussion on the need to reimagine our #education system to be more agile and to better prepare students for the future. Check out our key takeaways from the conversation:

The unfortunate reality is that so many kids are still feeling uncertain about their post-high school path. We must shift the paradigm and allow students to explore earlier on. This piece in eSchool News spotlights the issue, and some ways we can combat it: https://bit.ly/45UhaFW

Not all students go to college, and many who do don't finish. So, what are their best first job options? Join this #JFFHorizons panel unveiling research from ASA & The Burning Glass Institute that explores top launchpad jobs for stability, wage growth, and more! This discussion will be moderated by Lauren Camera from U.S. News & World Report and feature insights from ASA's Judith L. Goldstein; Earvin Young from Walmart; and Matt Sigelman from BGI. Explore more ASA programming at Horizons: https://bit.ly/4aWodyV

Research shows that less than half of #GenZ respondents said they had enough information to decide what post-high school pathway was best for them. Career readiness programs, including #internships, coops, and #apprenticeships, that give students the opportunity to learn through work and gain real-world experience before they graduate from high school are a critical part of that process. To better understand how business values #workbasedlearning programs for youth, we recently surveyed 500 US employers about their high school internship programs. Here's a look at what we found:

ASA is proud to support this vital resource with CAPS Network, which will focus on helping business leaders provide meaningful work-based learning experiencies to young learners. Check out Experience.Work and watch a powerful video that speaks to why this work is so important!

Excitement is building for Experience.Work - a new platform providing industry partners inspiration and strategies for working with students. Anyone interested in leveraging this content can sign up to receive updates as new open source materials are posted. Be sure to check out the initial video featuring a powerful client project with Unwired Coffee and Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters! Experience.Work is powered by American Student Assistance & CAPS Network https://experience.work/

🤔 Considering the impact of #gaming on #skills and #workforcedevelopment? A #GenZ survey by American Student Assistance found that 91% of gamers are eager to engage with games that teach real-world skills, especially if they're fun. 🎮 97% of American youth report playing games at least an hour a day 👩🔬 Research increasingly shows that video games can help with developing a host of real-world skills Embracing gaming as a tool for career engagement is not just a trend but a competitive advantage in today's workforce. #GameOn

"One of the major questions investors and organizations in the space are confronting is how much growth is achievable in the K-12 space when companies are competing to provide products and services for a finite number of students." Rilwan M., ASA's Head of Impact Investing, offered up his insights for this EdWeek Market Brief piece focused on new challenges in the market and what's on the horizon for education #impactinvesting. (Click here for more on ASA's own impact investment initiatives: https://bit.ly/3PcGVtg)

The Uncharted Learning, NFP | INCubatoredu #ULSummit24 kicks off next week, and ASA's President & CEO, Jean Eddy, will be speaking in three critical conversations around the growing need for #careerreadiness education, her book "Crisis-Proofing Today's Learners," and more! Explore programming below:

Too many young people today graduate and enter the workforce - only to find out that they are underprepared, chose the wrong field, or that they lack necessary job skills. One of the best ways to prevent our youth from finding themselves adrift is to shift our perspective regarding teen work-based learning and #careerexploration opportunities. To learn more, check out our recap of an #ASUGSVSummit panel on youth #workbasedlearning, moderated by our own SVP of Advocacy & CSR, Julie Lammers: