Closing the Gap: Aligning Georgia’s Schools with Workforce Needs

With programs such as the Zell Miller and HOPE scholarships making college education more accessible to Georgia students, university enrollment is often presented as the primary path to success. This approach can leave students who would thrive in trades without a clear direction. Georgia’s high schools are not providing adequate career counseling and exposure to non-college pathways. Georgia should divert more resources to school-based career counseling and require structured career pathway exposure through partnerships with technical colleges and workforce programs.

While some schools do distribute resources towards university and vocational readiness, access is uneven across districts. Many studies find that public schools in more impoverished districts face the most disparity. The National College Attainment Network reports that inequities in college and career advising access are starkly different depending on district tax revenue. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends a ratio of 250:1 of students to counselors. Georgia’s public schools’ student-to-counselor ratio far exceeds this proportion, often having ratios closer to 431:1, and Athens-Clarke County is even lower at 445:1. Science for Georgia finds that high-need school districts far exceed even this target, while schools with more resources have more manageable ratios. A study conducted by College Advising Corp found that approximately 20% of school counselors’ time is spent on college advising in poor areas. Even worse, less than 7% is spent on specific job or career counseling. 

Despite Georgia’s counseling programs being limited, only a fraction of what exists is going towards vocational guidance. A poll conducted by Education Week found 46% of educators believe counselors do not spend an adequate amount of time on career and technical education when compared to university advising. There is a clear misalignment of advising priorities within Georgia that the General Assembly must address to promote a skilled trade workforce. 

Georgia faces significant workforce shortages in technical and trade fields. Students for whom college is not financially viable or who have limited knowledge of these fields are more likely to drop out of college and miss out on stable career opportunities. Around 55% of jobs in the state are defined as “middle-skill.” For a profession to be “middle-skill” it requires education and training beyond high school but less than a four-year bachelor’s degree. However, only 42% of Georgia’s workforce is trained to the level of training required to obtain these positions. In 2019, the National Skills Coalition (NSC) found the Georgia workforce needs approximately 189,000 additional workers with postsecondary trade credentials to meet demand. There is a clear demand for more workers within these vocational pathways. Strengthening the high school pipeline and raising awareness of these programs will not only benefit these individuals but the Georgia economy as a whole. 

The disconnect between workforce demand and credentials is partly due to public schools’ counseling services being built around a “college-first” culture. Instead, a model that best fits a student’s individual needs or the Georgia market could combat this issue. In many cases, students who can afford a bachelor’s degree are not ultimately benefiting in these long-term career paths. A study conducted by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity (CCAP) found that around half of college graduates’ education level makes them overqualified for their first job. 

A four-year degree does not guarantee career access, so educating students best fit for occupations in other fields might expose them to the most advantageous path early on. The Southern Region Education Board (SREB) found that students who complete a career pathway in high school are significantly more likely to graduate. They are also more likely to enroll in necessary postsecondary education and secure stable employment. Georgia students do not receive early enough exposure to potential pathways to make informed decisions without high school. It gives students who aren’t suited for a university degree a career goal to aspire to, positively shaping the high school experience. 

To combat this workforce misalignment, Georgia should expand and standardize trade and technical guidance in public schools. First, increasing funding for school counselors in Georgia, to get closer to the counselors-to-students ratio that the ASCA recommends. Second, schools should require structured career exposure and introduce career pathways starting in middle school. The earlier a student develops career aspirations, the better. Third, Georgia should strengthen their partnerships with technical colleges. The General Assembly collaborating directly with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) would encourage legislation more catered to market-specific needs.

Lastly, policymakers must create accountability measures that require schools to report career outcomes beyond merely college enrollment. Maryland implemented a similar program known as Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. Through this program, students have individualized career counseling and exposure to multiple pathways early.  Upon its implementation, approximately 4,100 students completed apprenticeships or earned industry credentials the following year. Overall, opportunity should not be contingent on a student’s access to information. Georgia must ensure that every student has a clear path forward and does not have to figure it out independently.

Faith is a second-year at the University of Georgia studying political science and English. She is a member of our Labor and Economic Development group.