K-12 education is evolving. Employers, politicians, postsecondary institutions, and K-12 districts are coming together to revitalize student’s progress through their “cradle-to-career” journeys.
One of the major challenges states across the country are currently facing is how to effectively scale authentic career exploration experiences, while ensuring collaboration among all parties, i.e. students, employers, policymakers, and educators. One of Richmond’s own companies, MajorClarity, is helping with just that.
MajorClarity is a unique software program that works with students allowing them to quickly and easily try out careers through one-of-a-kind activities and video content. Then students are aligned with customizable academic plans of study based on their individual career interests. This cost-effective and incredibly comprehensive platform exposes students to career paths they were potentially unaware of, and most importantly, shows them how to get there.
MajorClarity has grown tremendously over the last year and a half, having expanded their presence to 7 states. One of their largest markets is right here in Virginia, where they currently work with 30% of school districts, representing over 125,000 students. They have been able to leverage their software platform to begin tackling the problems faced by various stakeholders, while also offering scalable career immersion to students.
One of their partner districts in Virginia used the software to expose students to a variety of new career paths, and later used the platform’s reporting and analysis tools to see how their current program offerings compared and contrasted with their students’ career interests. They used this data to submit a report to the State of Virginia and secure statewide funding to launch two new CTE programs; all made possible through the partnership with MajorClarity.
Now they are partnering with community and workforce development efforts to help students answer the question of “What’s next?” after graduation.
MajorClarity’s CEO, Joe Belsterling, realized students were struggling with this question, noting that “Currently less than half of high school graduates enroll in a 4-year college, and the opportunities to learn about pathways outside of a 4-year college and build relationships with those stakeholders are very limited for high school students. We’re very excited to be leading the charge around helping students more authentically engage with career exploration and better understand how to get where they want to head after graduation, regardless if it is a 4-year or 2-year school, technical school, or employment.”