MyBestBetsMaking Informed Choices about Postsecondary Options

2014 National Early College Conference

Caesar Mickens Jr. and Sophie BeslJobs for the Future

Visualize for a moment the process you went through from high school to earning a postsecondary credential to working in your field of choice. Think about all of the factors and challenges that influenced that path.

THE CHALLENGE

6.7 million 16- to 24-year-olds in America are not in school and not working (opportunity youth).

1.3 million students drop out of high school each year.

34% of all HS graduates do not enroll in postsecondary education; 46% of low-income HS graduates don’t enroll.

The average high school guidance counselor works with 400-500 students.

*See Alliance for Excellent Education

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THE CHALLENGE

5SOURCES:*U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 2012; **Charles River Associates, 2010; *** Sen. Harkin, Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, Education Sector

• Loan default rates have risen sharply in recent years, relegating a growing number of students to years of financial hardship.

• This is particularly pronounced at some of the for-profits:

─ 57 percent of bachelor’s degree graduates from for-profit colleges owe at least $30,000 in student loans, compared to 25 percent of those at private non-profit colleges, and 12 percent at public colleges.*

─ Students who attended for-profit colleges are at least twice as likely to default on student loans as students at public and non-profit colleges.**

─ 42% of students attending for-profit two-year colleges take out private student loans. 5% of students at community colleges and 18% at private not-for-profit two-year colleges do.***

At the same time, student loan debt is at an all-time high. As of 2010, Americans owed more on their student loans than on their credit cards in total volume.

THE CHALLENGE

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THE CHALLENGE

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• Among types of credentials: Among 2- and 4-year institutions and District Technical Centers in Florida, graduates with an A.S. degree have median earnings = >$11,000 higher than graduates with bachelor’s degrees and almost $20,000 higher than graduates with A.A. degrees who are in the labor market.

• Among fields/programs of study: The median first-year earnings of an A.S. degree grad in child care provider/assistant are ~$25,000. An A.S. degree grad in nursing can expect twice as much, and A.S. degree grads in EMT-paramedic can expect even more (almost $60,000).

While access to postsecondary education is critical, choosing a path with a return on investment – either through high-return career and

technical fields or through successful transfer to four-year colleges – is even more critical.

Certain occupational pathways have higher returns on investment than others.

SOURCE: *College Measures, Higher Education Pays: Measuring the Economic Security of Florida’s Postsecondary Graduates, 2014.

THE CHALLENGE

WE NEED NEW SOLUTIONS

Localized Labor Market Analysis

Postsecondary Program Analysis Analysis of Employer Needs

MyBestBets leverages real-time labor market information to unpack and make clear the complex college and career development process for students and their counselors.

THE MYBESTBETS DIFFERENCE

Best Bet Criteria

Automated information

Self-assessmentStudent –led process

Building professional networksCapturing student progress

Organizing the process

Customized Best Bet ProfileResiliency

Determine best bets– Review findings from the labor market,

postsecondary programs, and employers against a set of best bet criteria

– Even if a program is a best bet, it will not be the right fit for every student – consider what kind of students may or may not be well suited for each best bet

Investigate postsecondary programs–What programs are offered in high-

demand fields, and who offers them?–Are student persisting through the

program?–What supports do students receive?–Are graduates employed in the field

for which they trained?

Learn the labor market–What entry-level jobs are in

demand and offer a good starting wage?

–What are employers seeking?–How can students get a foot

in the door?

Strengthen employer relationships–What education/training, skills, and

experiences are needed for ‘in demand’ jobs with regional employers?

–Which entry-level jobs offer the best career advancement opportunities?

–How can training program curricula better meet employer needs?

Jobs for the Future developed several key steps to navigate the path toward identifying regional Best Bet occupations and associated postsecondary programs.

THE PROCESS

Entering and Succeeding in the

Program

Program Design and Structure

Alignment with Employers

Program Outcomes

• Are there minimum scores required on entry-level tests?• Is there a waitlist and, if so, what can students do in the interim?• What supports exist to ensure that students are successful?

• What will students learn as a result of completing the program?• What is the program’s instructional approach (e.g., hands-on

learning vs. lecture-based)?• What is the cost of the program? Median student debt upon

finishing the program?

• What job(s) does the program prepare graduates for?• How does the program involve employers (e.g., design,

internships, etc.)?• Can ex-offenders work in the occupation/field?

• What are rates of persistence and completion in the program? • What percentage of graduates get hired? Where do they typically

go, and how much can they expect to earn?

Key questions a student needs answers to:

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POSTSECONDARY INFORMATION ANALYSIS

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What is the best bet research process for a student?o Chooses an occupation from her “favorites” to researcho Conducts research to capture key pieces of information on the career

pathway, including postsecondary program and employer informationo Inputs information into an online template, which also has automated

data from the platform’s database about the chosen occupationo Analyzes the information with her coach and determines if the career

pathway is a best bet for her

What does this profile help the student do? o Capture important occupational informationo Summarize what employers are looking foro Provide an overview of a postsecondary optiono Identify career trajectory opportunities, including wage growth

HOW MYBESTBETS WORKS

KEY FEATURES OF MYBESTBETS

For young people:• Designed to be used as a mobile application• Has a dashboard and other interactive features• Requires strong connections to their guidance counselors

and other supportive adults

For guidance counselors and others who support students:• Manage cohorts more effectively and efficiently• Track student progress with ease• Connect with students face-to-face and via mobile devices• Support leveraging of resources

mybestbets.org

BEST BET PROFILE

Full Best Bet profile created from real-time labor market information

Each profile :• Captures important

occupational information and employer preferences

• Provides an overview of an associated postsecondary program

• Identifies career trajectory opportunities, including wage growth

What are some of the challenges you face with career planning at your organization?(e.g., financial, human resources, lack of interest)

What has your organization done to deal with those challenges? What solutions have you explored?

To what extent are you connected to postsecondary program/training coordinators In your region? (or other programs to help promote student career experiences and pathways such as co-op/internship placement, career services, apprenticeship programs)

Do you see MyBestBets being a value-add at your organization?

DISCUSSION

For more information, if you have questions or to get involved with MyBestBets, please contact Clare

Bertrand cbertrand@jff.orgmybestbets.org@cbertrand88

MyBestBets is a joint venture of Jobs for the Future and YouthBuild USA.