The Big Blur

The majority of students who go to college do so with the goal of developing the skills needed for high paying jobs upon graduation. Yet, only 16% of students believe college is preparing them for their first job. The data backs this up: a large percentage of students are leaving college unemployed or underemployed, despite the promise made to them when entering higher education institutions:

• 49% of recent graduates report they did not need to go to college to do their current jobs
• 33.4% of all college graduates are currently underemployed, while 38.1% of recent graduates (graduates under the age of 28) are underemployed
• 86% of brand-new college graduates report having no job offers

Additionally, students are dropping out of college at high rates and incurring significant student debt, but no degree. In fact, 25% of first-year students do not return to college for their second year, including 34% of Black students and 28% of Hispanic students. (85% of Da Vinci students persist in their second year of college, 9% above the national average.)

As underemployment and student loan debt reach historical numbers, the return on investment (ROI) of a college degree is not what it used to be. I am not anti-college—really—but I do believe the college system is not focused enough on student needs and preparing them for life after college.

Ryan Craig writes: “Determining what skills are required for a particular job is difficult. Most hiring and HR managers aren’t particularly adept at this -- which is clear from looking at job descriptions and seeing that there’s little correlation to top performers in those roles. A second complication is that employers aren’t particularly interested in having a conversation with colleges and universities about their talent needs.

One reason for the crisis of employability is that colleges haven’t figured out how to align academic programs and curricula with what employers want. But the other reason is that while colleges and universities continue to do an unparalleled job of preparing graduates with key cognitive skills like critical thinking and problem solving, employers have moved the goalpost. Technology has fundamentally changed hiring in two ways, particularly for entry-level jobs. The combination of digital and soft skills is what most employers are seeking in entry-level hires.”

If you are interested in reading Ryan Craig’s book, A New U, please reach out to Alison at awohlwerth@davincischools.org to borrow a Da Vinci copy of the book.

As a high school network, why should we be so preoccupied with the failures of higher education? There are opportunities to BLUR the boundaries between high school, college, and career.

Jobs for the Future, a national nonprofit that seeks to achieve equitable economic advancement for all, describes “The Big Blur”:

• Our solution—which we call “The Big Blur”—erases the arbitrary dividing line between high school and college and creates new structures and systems that would better serve 16-to-20-year-olds.
• These new structures…open the opportunity for all students to start on a path toward a post-secondary credential and prepare for a career—free of charge. Every student’s experience would include labor-market-aligned sequences of work-based learning that culminate in credentials that give participants direct access to high-value careers and/or further post-secondary education.
• Early and frequent career-connected work experiences would give students a stronger path toward employment and advancement.”

Da Vinci Schools was founded on the premise that it is critical to connect the education to employment pipeline. We were early adopters of a career pathways movement that eventually led to significant investments in Career Technical Education by the State and country. Our focus also has been on helping students identify their strengths and interests and to match them with possible future careers.

Over the past 15 years, Da Vinci Schools has been known for its innovative approach to project-based, real-world learning, connecting to industry, and bridging the gap between K-12, college and career. Above all, we are known for our exceptional teachers and staff who bring this vision to life each day in service of students and families.

The section above described the need to rethink high school, college, and career, moving towards the “blur” of these systems. Many professions continue to require a bachelor’s degree, and college graduates generally out-earn those who have not attended college.

Yet, there is a huge opportunity for Da Vinci students to gain training on the exact skills employers are seeking in entry-level hires through our many employer partnerships via career trainings, internships, real-world projects, and more.

Predicting and preparing students for jobs of the future is one of the great challenges of our time. As educators, our job is not just to ensure our students walk across a high school graduation stage but rather to launch successfully into happy lives filled with autonomy, mastery and purpose. This will require us to do more and differently.

This spring and summer, Da Vinci students and alumni participated in a range of career training programs that advanced our progress toward blurring the lines between education and the workforce. Essential to the success of all programs are the tremendous partnerships we have formed with local community organizations. Highlights include:

• Summer Aviation Program: Sponsored by Giving Kids Wings Flight Academy, the program introduced students to careers in aviation. Students toured LAX (and sat in the cockpit of a Delta plane), flew in a private plane, and experienced the joy of flying through simulators.
• Summer Trades Program: Students were exposed to welding through this program that was sponsored by Harbor Freight Tools for Schools. The program allowed students to learn technical skills and safety protocols through this hands-on opportunity.
• Summer Entrepreneurship Program: L.A. Urban League’s Biz Camp Summer Program gave students the opportunity to explore how to turn their ideas into successful businesses.
• Summer Space Systems Design Program: In partnership with the U.S. Air Force, students developed an understanding of the Space Force.
• Healthcare Certification: 13 Da Vinci alumni became Certified Nursing Assistants through a partnership with El Camino College and Downey Adult School.

Our goal is to build upon this momentum in the upcoming school year. As a learning organization, we are accelerating the following initiatives:

• Da Vinci Flex: Launching this year, DV Flex is a new high school program designed to offer students more flexibility in how and where they learn. The independent study, online coursework is college preparatory, project based, and responsive to students needs.
• CTE Lab: The summer programs have also led us to reimagine the use of the Sandbox, which will transition to a CTE Lab with flexible space and materials dedicated to students interested in exploring aviation, welding, health care, and more.
• Rivet School: DVX will expand its offerings through partnering with Rivet School, a non-profit hybrid college program that allows students to earn a BA from SNHU in as few as 2-3 years. The partnership marks Rivet’s expansion to Los Angeles - and opens doors for students locally who may want to get a college degree that is more affordable and flexible.
• Portal Learning Program @ Connect: High school students at Connect will be able to opt-in to an experiential career connected learning program that includes mentoring, project consults, job shadows, and micro-internships. Connect’s flexible schedule allows students to engage in career focused work for one full day per week.