Ask a dozen students what they want to do after high school, and you’ll likely hear a dozen answers. Some have a clear plan. Others are weighing options. Many are still trying to figure out what careers are even available or desirable to them.
That variety creates both a challenge and an opportunity for schools. The earlier students can explore careers, understand their options, and connect learning to future goals, the better equipped they’ll be to make informed decisions about their post-graduation lives, work, and education.
Those experiences can also help students discover Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways they may not have otherwise considered. According to a U.S. Department of Education analysis, CTE concentrators graduated high school at a rate of 94%, compared to 86% for non-concentrators, and were more likely to be employed full-time eight years after graduation (72% versus 67%).
Perkins V funding helps schools create those opportunities. Whether the goal is expanding career exploration, strengthening CTE programs, or increasing access to work-based learning, Perkins funds can support initiatives that help students build confidence alongside subject-based knowledge and employability skills.
Here are nine ways schools can leverage Perkins funding to strengthen career readiness.
1. Expand career exploration opportunities
Students can’t prepare for careers they don’t know exist.
Career exploration helps students discover industries, occupations, and pathways that align with their interests and strengths. Schools can use Perkins funds to provide career awareness activities, career assessments, labor market information, guest speakers, career fairs, and other experiences that expose students to a broader range of possibilities.
These experiences help students make more informed decisions about course selection, postsecondary education, and career pathways while giving greater purpose to their learning.
2. Strengthen Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs
High-quality CTE programs give students opportunities to develop hands-on and technical skills while exploring careers in high-demand fields available in their region..
Perkins funding can support curriculum updates, pathway development, program expansion, and efforts to align instruction with current workforce needs. Schools can also use funding to introduce emerging industries and occupations that reflect changing labor market demands.
When programs stay relevant and connected to industry expectations, students gain skills that translate into future opportunities.
3. Support work-based learning experiences
Reading about a career and experiencing it firsthand are two very different things.
Work-based learning helps students apply what they’re learning in their classroom to authentic work settings, all while developing professional skills employers value most. Perkins funds can support internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing, industry mentorships, workplace visits, and project-based partnerships with local employers.
These experiences help students build confidence, strengthen career interests, grow social capital, and develop a clearer understanding of workplace expectations.
4. Invest in professional development for educators
Effective teachers can make all the difference. A teacher who can answer “When will I ever use this?” with real-world examples can transform how students view a subject.
Perkins funding can support professional development that helps educators build those connections. This may include industry certifications, employer partnerships, training on emerging technologies, curriculum development, teacher externships, and participation in industry events.
As educators deepen their understanding of workforce trends and career pathways, they can help students see how classroom learning translates into future opportunities.
5. Make learning more realistic and relevant
Students learn best when learning feels authentic, and they’re quick to recognize when it’s not.
A math lesson that asks students to calculate website update intervals mirrors a challenge a software developer might encounter on the job. A word problem about hot dogs and hamburgers may teach the same mathematical concept, but it offers less insight into how that concept is used beyond the classroom.
Perkins funds can support curriculum improvements, career-connected instructional resources, interdisciplinary projects, and other initiatives that help students connect academic concepts to real careers.
6. Modernize equipment, technology, and learning environments
Having opportunities to learn with the same tools and technologies used in the workplace can be a huge confidence boost for students.
Perkins funds can be used to purchase industry-standard equipment, software, laboratory resources, and instructional technology that support hands-on learning. These investments help students develop practical skills while ensuring programs remain aligned with current industry practices.
Whether students are using advanced manufacturing equipment, healthcare simulation tools, agricultural technology, or industry-specific software, access to modern resources helps bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace.
7. Increase access and student support services
Career readiness opportunities have the greatest impact when every student can participate fully.
Perkins V places a strong emphasis on supporting special populations and expanding access to high-quality CTE programs. Schools can use funding for career counseling, mentoring, transportation assistance, academic support services, outreach initiatives, and other resources that help students engage in career-connected learning.
These supports all help remove barriers and ensure more students can take advantage of the opportunities offered to them.
8.Use labor market data to inform program planning
Effective career readiness programs reflect both student interests and workforce opportunities.
Perkins funds can support tools and resources that help educators and administrators understand local and regional labor market trends, identify high-demand occupations, and evaluate how existing pathways align with workforce needs. Access to labor market data can strengthen career planning conversations, support CLNA discussions, and help schools communicate the value of career pathways to students, families, employers, and other stakeholders.
When schools have a clearer picture of workforce demand, they can make more informed decisions about program offerings, pathway development, and resource allocation.
9. Strengthen individual career planning
A student’s future shouldn’t rely on guesswork.
Perkins funds can support tools and programs that help students identify interests, explore career options, set goals, and develop personalized plans for success after high school. Individual career planning gives students a structured process for connecting their strengths and aspirations to educational and career pathways.
Schools may use funding to implement career readiness platforms, provide access to labor market data, support academic and career planning activities, and help students document their progress over time.
When students have a clearer picture of where they’re headed (and educators have the resources to help them), they’re better equipped to make decisions about coursework, credentials, postsecondary education, and career opportunities.
Make Your Perkins Investments Count
Whether you’re refining current initiatives or exploring new opportunities, the right resources can help maximize the impact of your Perkins investments. Connect with our team to learn how districts in your state are using Perkins funds to support career exploration, pathway planning, and career-connected learning.