Scarsdale Public Schools

First graders are years away from finishing high school and choosing careers. But as a group of 1st grade teachers in a Kentucky district work with their young students on reading, writing, and math, they’re also imparting a different set of skills that colleges and employers might someday demand.

It’s part of a push in the Bullitt County district, south of Louisville, to emphasize universal skills that correspond with what will be expected of students as they enter college, the workforce, or military service, on top of academic content.

High schools across the country are slowly retooling to offer their students greater exposure to potential careers and job-specific training. Students, by and large, say they want this assistance. But preparing students to be successful in college and careers starts well before high school—and it doesn’t only involve occupation-specific training. Rather, employers in survey after survey say they look for hires with a set of skills that are applicable in any job—often, the abilities to collaborate, solve problems, and communicate effectively.