Written By: Ginger Ontiveros, President/CEO
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Ready for What? Rethinking How We Prepare Students for Life After School

We hear the phrase “College and Career Ready” everywhere from district plans to state dashboards. But ask a room of educators, employers, and students to define it, and you’ll get a dozen different answers. Most of them will fall into two camps. Will students succeed in college or will they get a job immediately after graduation?

For years, we’ve equated readiness at high school graduation with academic milestones and college admissions. We have asked students about their college plans with less attention to why they are going there in the first place. And while college is a valuable path, a college degree by itself is just an important milestone on the way to a successful career.

So what does this mean? Students need more focus on being “Career Ready.”

The Disconnect Is Measurable

Let’s start with the standard for college readiness. According to EdSource, in California only 44% of high school graduates complete the A–G coursework required for admission to the state’s public university systems. Far fewer leave high school having also met career technical education or work-based learning benchmarks. The result? A majority of college-bound students graduate without a clear understanding of what work they will do after they earn a degree. They will spend thousands more figuring it out in college, lengthening their higher education experience and lessening their odds of completion.

But the issue goes deeper than high school transcripts. Recent data found that fewer than 30% of high school students felt “very prepared” for life after graduation. Even those who were very interested in a specific path were not very confident in their readiness to pursue it. Many cited a lack of real-life skills, practical experience, or meaningful exposure to the working world. They may have earned credits but they weren’t sure how to turn them into a career.

Employers agree. In the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook report, significant gaps exist between what employers say is important for career readiness and how students show up. For example, 89% say professionalism is important, but they also say only 50% of new grads know how to behave professionally on the job. The gap is just as wide in communication and critical thinking and these skills show up in every job description, regardless of industry.

We’re producing graduates who meet academic benchmarks and may even have valuable technical skills, but struggle to navigate the real world of work. And that leads to a deeper question:

College for What?

For decades, “college readiness” has been treated as the gold standard. It often implies that success equals a four-year degree—preferably from a selective institution—and anything else is plan B.

But in today’s economy, that’s an outdated idea.

Yes, college can be a powerful path. But it should be a means to an end, not the end in itself. Students deserve to know all their options whether that’s a university, a technical credential, a registered apprenticeship, or jumping straight into the workforce with skills and support. What they need isn’t just “college readiness,” but career clarity.

And they’re asking for it. More and more students are questioning whether college is worth the cost, especially if they’re not sure what it leads to. When we position college as the only path, without offering hands-on career exploration or connections to the real world, we lose credibility and students tune out… or worse, they make it to college and drop out in debt.

A New Definition Is Overdue

What if “college and career readiness” didn’t just mean passing a test or filling out a FAFSA, but instead it also meant a young person had:

• Explored real options for their future through meaningful work-based learning

• Built relationships with adults outside of school who could offer mentorship, feedback, and opportunity

• Practiced professional skills like showing up on time, communicating clearly, and solving real problems

• Gained confidence through trial, error, and iteration—not just grades

This shift doesn’t mean abandoning academics. It means integrating them into a fuller picture of readiness—one that values purpose and preparation in equal measure.

The Good News? It’s Already Happening.

Innovative districts, employers, and community organizations across the country are piloting models that blend classroom learning with real-world experience. At Tomorrow’s Talent, we work directly with schools and employers to design these bridges, making sure students get both a diploma and a direction. Whether it’s paid internships, industry-aligned training, or career exploration programs, our approach helps young people build readiness they can feel.

Because readiness isn’t a score. It’s a mindset. And if we don’t redefine it soon, we risk losing another generation to a system that told them they were “ready” when most of them weren’t.

Let’s not let that happen.