Background

Introduction

In today’s marketplace, most jobs require a professional or technical certification or degree.  At the high school level, educators must work hard to ensure that students are on the right track to be successful in the career of their choosing.  A technical certification demonstrates to potential employers depth and breadth of knowledge as well as indicating the prospective employee will need minimal on the job training.  Two and four year degrees demonstrate perseverance as well as depth of knowledge in a particular subject area.  Degrees and/or certifications earned are a reflection of the preparation and quality of a student’s K-12 education.   Monitoring this indicator longitudinally will ensure that programs and efforts to increase student preparedness are effective.  Degrees and certifications required and/or valued will vary between professions and fields. However, holding either of these will greatly increase the likelihood of success and employment.

• Workers with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $20,000 more than workers with only a high school degree (US Census Bureau, 2009).
• People with a bachelor’s degree or higher had a 4 to 6% lower rate of unemployment then those with only a high school degree (US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 2009).
• Many of today’s unfilled jobs are jobs such as electricians, plumbers, and carpenters which require post-secondary training and certifications (Li, 2010).

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