High School Relevance Is the Key to Future Readiness

How can we best prepare all high school students for the world they’re entering?  

College Board and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are answering that question with AP Career Kickstart—a groundbreaking collaboration between education and business. These AP career courses equip students with in-depth learning and professional skills that open multiple pathways after high school.

That vision—helping students move confidently from classroom to careers—was at the heart of From Classrooms to Careers, an event co-hosted by College Board and the Chamber on Sept. 17 in Washington, D.C. The event highlighted AP^® Career Kickstart courses and how they can empower students to own their future. The College Board and Chamber partnership brings voices from across education and industry together to equip students with the skills, experiences, and credentials that colleges and employers both value. And the need is urgent.  

Our just released joint New Hire Readiness Report shows that 84% of hiring managers believe high school graduates aren’t ready for the workforce, even as more students choose to enter the workforce directly after high school. Hiring managers point to three areas that would make a difference: business courses, financial literacy, and professional career skills in high school. Yet only 12% of students receive formal business training in high school—a gap both evident and solvable.   

Two students, Kaedin Jaramillo and Austin Bourns, show what’s possible when young people are given those opportunities in high school. They talked about how their high school business courses helped them write business plans at age 15, build their confidence as entrepreneurial thinkers, and develop durable skills like communication that carried them into internships, college, and beyond. “We didn’t just learn business,” Austin said. “We learned how to think strategically, present, and lead.” 

AP Career Kickstart courses will launch with AP Business with Personal Finance and AP Cybersecurity. The courses will offer students college credit and an employer-endorsed credential.  

“What we’ve been doing through our state and local chambers is getting employers to sign up and say: we would value this,” said Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer, and Head of Strategic Advocacy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “That sends a market signal—and in my opinion, that’s what’s going to attract a lot of kids.”

Nearly 300 employers and 75 local chambers across more than 40 states have endorsed the courses that will teach the exact skills employers value but struggle to find: problem-solving, teamwork, communication, financial literacy, and technical aptitude. And with personal finance concepts included in 55% of the AP Business with Personal Finance course topics and addressing 100% of the National Standards for Personal Financial Education, students gain real-world knowledge that connects directly to their futures.

As David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, said, “learning sticks when students can build it, pitch it, and own it. This is about giving every student a chance to show what they can do because when learning is relevant, students win.”

That message resonated across business sectors with leaders from Accenture, LinkedIn, and Verizon. James Schenck, CEO of Pentagon Federal Credit Union, emphasized the business case: “To get the best talent, I have to engage with academia. I need students who understand business fundamentals—not just theory, but how to operate a business.”  

Education leaders echoed that sentiment. For K–12 leaders, the courses are a chance to offer students learning that’s relevant and rooted in the real world. For higher education, the courses will create a pipeline of students arriving with real-world experience.  

“We’re not just teaching students to start companies—we’re teaching them to start ideas,” said Paul Cheek, a senior lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management and a senior Advisor at Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. “When students are given permission to think like entrepreneurs, they don’t just engage, they ignite.”

Momentum is building. AP Business with Personal Finance and AP Cybersecurity courses will be available to high schools nationwide for the 2026-27 school year. To date, 14 states have approved the courses, and a growing number of employers continue to endorse.  

As Aneesh Raman, chief economic opportunity officer at LinkedIn, put it: "We are entering a totally new era for our economy, and this [AP Business with Personal Finance] course is probably the first real signal I've seen of people organizing around that. Helping students starting in high school really understand what that means is going to be a game changer for them and for communities and economic growth overall."