Elizabeth Darling, Gaston County Schools
A recent ACT study surfaced a critical insight: while many students have aspirations for their future, they often lack confidence and resources regarding the means to reach those goals. Research showed that the gap between ambition and the path to fulfill that ambition is not just a student issue; it’s a systemic curriculum and exposure issue.
Gaston County Schools in North Carolina observed this same issue and decided to take action by reimagining what “readiness” means for their learners.
While the ACT study found that students often express interest in specific careers, it also found they specifically lack:
Exposure to relevant pathways
Understanding of required skills
Certainty about their choices
Elizabeth Darling, career development coordinator for Gaston County Schools, saw the same trend amongst their students. “One of the clearest patterns we began to see was that many students were not connecting their high school coursework to the careers they were considering,” she explained. “When students cannot see how what they are learning today connects to the opportunities they hope to pursue tomorrow, engagement naturally declines.”
Students in her district weren’t lacking ambition; they were lacking connection.
For instance, some students planned to pursue engineering without taking related high school courses. Others considered apprenticeships or the military but had no structured exposure to those options.
This disconnect reflects a broader national pattern as reflected in ACT’s research: students are making future-shaping decisions without enough real-world context.
Both ACT and Gaston County’s experience point to the same conclusion:
Career exposure — both educational and real life — is one of the strongest drivers of student confidence.
According to the ACT study, students cited four major factors that were key influences in helping them choose a career path:
School-based exploration: 75% say exploring and learning about different occupations in school was a major influence.
Targeted coursework: 72% were swayed by taking classes relevant to an occupation.
Real-world observation: 65% pointed to the importance of observing a professional working in a particular occupation.
Direct experience: 64% credited participating in work-related experiences such as internships or apprenticeships.
Seeing this in action, Darling observed a clear shift when students participated in:
Internships
Career and Technical Education courses
Apprenticeships
Work-based learning
“Across the country, we are beginning to see the traditional boundaries between high school, higher education, and the workforce shift — and in many cases, those lines are beginning to blur in productive ways.”
Instead of hoping students stumble upon career experiences on their own, Gaston School District designed a system to guarantee them. Instruction has increasingly shifted toward experiences that connect learning to real-world applications, enabling students to see the practical relevance of what they’re learning and increasing engagement and confidence.
In many of their programs, students are learning by doing.
“Nursing students practice clinical skills in lab environments, while carpentry students build structures that support real community needs. These experiences allow students to apply academic concepts in meaningful ways.”
This approach transforms readiness from a curriculum checklist into practical career development.
According to Darling, industry leaders engage through their Business Advisory Council, which plays an active role in guiding program development.
These partnerships help inform curriculum decisions, identify relevant industry credentials, and ensure that what students are learning reflects the skills needed in the regional economy. Additionally, they help create authentic learning opportunities by opening doors to internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing, and other work-based learning experiences. One example has students tackling real challenges brought in by local leaders.
Darling describes an example of this in action:
“I recently saw the culmination of one of these projects when the mayor of Dallas, North Carolina, along with other city officials, visited the classroom to hear students present their solutions to a challenge facing the community — how to increase foot traffic in the downtown area. Students presented their research, defended their recommendations, and received feedback directly from city leaders.”
Experiences like this are powerful because students are not simply learning about careers; they are contributing to their communities while developing the confidence that comes from solving real problems.
This kind of work does something traditional instruction often cannot: It shows students that their ideas and skills have real value.
Hands-on experience is invaluable, and assessing students' skills adds a whole new layer. Assessment not only shows teachers and potential employers what students know, it can help guide a student toward a discipline they may not have considered before.
The ACT WorkKeys curricula and National Career Readiness Certificate are valuable tools for students, educators, and employers alike.
Darling explains that while initially students viewed the ACT WorkKeys assessments as just another requirement, once they understood how those credentials were recognized by employers, their perspective shifted.
Measuring real-world skills and demonstrating how these credentials lead to career opportunities can build confidence in ways traditional coursework may not.
Gaston County’s career readiness initiatives expand beyond just developing students’ academic and technical skills; they recognize the importance of essential skills as well.
“Frameworks like North Carolina’s Portrait of a Graduate help ensure we are intentionally developing the durable skills students need for success — skills such as adaptability, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, empathy, and personal responsibility. These are not just academic competencies; they are the very skills employers consistently tell us are critical in the modern workplace.”
In fact, according to ACT’s study, 82% of students surveyed agreed that knowing how well an occupation matched up with their interests and skills would influence their career decisions.
Measuring these skills through ACT’s WorkKeys Essential Skills curriculum and assessment tools promotes a shared understanding between educational institutions, employers, and students of the importance of durable skills in the workplace.
“This approach also helps students broaden their understanding of success. Intelligence is not limited to answering questions correctly on a test. Skills like empathy, collaboration, and responsibility matter just as much in both career and life.”
Darling notes that one of the most important lessons this work has reinforced is that career readiness cannot start in high school alone; it must be a K-12 continuum that should be:
Early - Beginning in elementary school
Continuous - Building year over year
Equitable - Accessible to all students
“In our district, students begin exploring careers in elementary school and continue through middle and high school with increasingly meaningful experiences that connect coursework to real pathways."
With consistency, the outcome is not just graduation; it’s graduating with direction, confidence, and real opportunity.
Darling explains it best as she reflects on the increased engagement and confidence Gaston County students have gained with these programs:
“Hands-on courses and career-focused experiences have sparked a deeper level of curiosity and personal connection. When students can explore fields that align with their interests, they naturally begin to take greater ownership of their learning.
“Over time, we have seen more students pursue scholarships, participate in Career and Technical Student Organization competitions, and actively seek opportunities aligned with their career interests. Most importantly, students often report feeling more confident in their abilities because they can clearly see how the skills they are developing translate to real-world opportunities.
“Perhaps most importantly, these experiences build confidence. When students begin to recognize their own strengths and see how those strengths connect to real opportunities, they start to believe in their ability to pursue a meaningful future.”