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What does college and career ready mean?
Specifically, college and career readiness refers to the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to be successful in post-secondary education and/or training that lead to gainful employment. These skills allow students to enter career pathways that offer gainful employment and opportunities for advancement.
What skills are necessary to be college and or career ready?
Just as important as academic learning, these five soft skills are necessary to increase college and career readiness:
- Self-Motivation. Most students know that college will challenge them to become much more self-motivated and self-disciplined.
- Critical Thinking.
- Communication.
- Knowledge Integration.
- Perseverance.
Are college students career ready?

Students agree, with 85 percent considering themselves proficient in teamwork….Are College Graduates “Career Ready”?
Competency | % of Employers That Rated Recent Grads Proficient* | % of Students Who Considered Themselves Proficient** |
---|---|---|
Leadership | 33.0% | 70.5% |
Digital Technology | 65.8% | 59.9% |
Career Management | 17.3% | 40.9% |
Global/Intercultural Fluency | 20.7% | 34.9% |
How would you differentiate between college and career readiness?
Conley described college readiness as the ability to succeed in entry-level general-education coursework and move into a program of study or academic major. Career readiness, by contrast, he said, is the ability not just to enter into but to advance through a career over time.
What is the purpose of college and career readiness?
The College and Career Readiness standards anchor and define general, cross-disciplinary literacy expectations that must be met for students to be prepared to enter college and workforce training programs ready to succeed.

How do students get college and career ready?
The following measures are approved as indicating college or career readiness:
- Career Technical Education Pathway Completion.
- Grade 11 Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments in ELA and mathematics.
- Advanced Placement Exams.
- International Baccalaureate Exams.
- College Credit Course (formerly called Dual Enrollment)
Why is college and career readiness important?
College and career readiness are important because they work to set students up for success in their future. Being prepared for college is integral to a student’s career journey, as often times where a student receives their higher education in turn plays a large role in their future career prospects.
Why is career preparation important in college?
Career readiness education is critical in schools because it prepares students for life after college as they begin their careers, equipping them with the skills necessary to navigate the workforce.
Why is it important to be college ready?
College readiness helps provide students with early momentum towards long-term college success. Being better prepared academically for college improves a student’s chances of completing a college degree.
What do you do in college career readiness?
“College and career readiness means that a high school graduate has the necessary English and mathematics knowledge and skills—including, but not limited to, reading, writing, communications, teamwork, critical thinking and problem solving—either to qualify for and succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing two- or four- …
What are the four keys to college and career readiness?
Visit our Four Keys to College and Career Readiness page to learn about the model in detail; in short, the Four Keys are:
- Key Cognitive Strategies (THINK)
- Key Content Knowledge (KNOW)
- Key Learning Skills and Techniques (ACT)
- Key Transition Knowledge and Skills (GO)