A new survey from Berrien College Access Network takes a look at what southwest Michigan teens are planning to do after high school graduation. The network tells us more:
Students in Berrien County are five times more likely to plan to attend college after high school than they are to pursue a trade, according to a recent survey. The Berrien College Access Network (Berrien CAN) surveyed 610 high school juniors in nine local school districts last spring to better understand their post-high school plans. The results show that 77% of the students surveyed said they want to pursue a two- or four-year college or university after high school, while only 14% want to pursue a trade or certification program.
These results have important implications for both the educational and workforce development systems in Michigan’s Great Southwest. Chris Machiniak, Assistant Superintendent of Career & Technical Education and System Improvement at Berrien RESA and co-chair of Berrien CAN, says that traditional college is not the only option for students who want to have successful and lucrative careers in southwest Michigan. In fact, the local labor market is full of open jobs that pay good wages and require credentials that can be obtained in less time and for less money than a two- or four-year college degree. And the future job forecast includes more of the same. “This data reaffirms the vital role that Career and Technical Education plays and must continue to play in our community,” Machiniak said. “There are so many opportunities that students aren’t aware of or taking advantage of, and we need to change that.”
Dr. Dan Applegate, Superintendent of Niles Community Schools and a member of the Berrien CAN leadership team, says that the survey results are providing helpful insight to local school districts as they help their students create pathways for their post-secondary plans. “The ‘Life After High School’ survey provides educators with real-time knowledge of current students who are on the journey to making their post-high school choices. Armed with this knowledge, we are better equipped to provide the necessary supports so our students can meet their goals.”
While the survey measured what students say they want to do, what they actually end up doing once they graduate may be a different story. According to the Michigan Department of Education, only 50% of the students who graduated from high school in Berrien County in the 2018/2019 school year enrolled in college within six months of graduation (this data is being used for comparison because it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic). This number falls far short of the 77% who say they want to pursue college.
The Berrien College Access Network leadership team wants to do more research to understand what is causing the gap between those two numbers. A round of focus groups are being conducted to dig into this and other results from the survey. This qualitative data will help provide Berrien CAN leadership with some of the “whys” behind the survey results.
Other survey results include:
Close to two-thirds of students know what the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is, and they understand how to apply, but only one-quarter have talked to their parents about it.
Nearly two-thirds of students don’t know where to look for college scholarships.
College-bound students want help with scholarships, essays, and FAFSA.
A student’s race/ethnicity has implications for their plans for after high school, as does the education level of a students’ parents.
ABOUT BERRIEN COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK
Berrien College Access Network is a collective impact effort supported by United Way of Southwest Michigan. The mission of Berrien CAN is to achieve a goal of 60% of Berrien County residents earning degrees, certificates, or other high-quality post-secondary credentials by the year 2030. This is in conjunction with the State of Michigan goal of all Michigan residents earning some sort of post-secondary degree or credential by 2030. Berrien CAN aims to foster a “college-going” culture, lower barriers that prevent students from pursuing post-secondary credentials, deliver comprehensive and coordinated college access services, ensure alignment of current college access resources, and encourage replication of successful strategies.
