Nine in 10 believe skill gaps in entry-level candidates can be solved by personalized learning high school programs like the ones supported by Lifelong Learning

Companies large and small across the U.S. share a growing demand for skilled entry-level workers but see a gap in needed skills and certifications among candidates. Most of them believe additional job training and exposure in high school would help significantly.

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Students in a personalized learning program gain marketable trade skills and certifications through hands-on training

Lifelong Learning Administration Corporation (LLAC), a nonprofit that provides administrative and operational support to schools, commissioned an independent survey¹ designed to reveal employer opinions about entry-level hiring, and the impact a public high school education can have on a skilled workforce.

Among the findings, nine in 10 employers say personalized instruction would help produce better-prepared candidates for entry-level positions. The survey results are released in time for August’s Personalized Learning Month, created to promote the idea of teaching students in the way each learns best, with opportunities to learn job and life skills that will serve them after high school.

“The results of this employer survey don’t surprise us at all since we’ve seen firsthand how students thrive by gaining marketable job skills in our partner schools’ personalized learning programs,” said Lifelong Learning Chief Academic Officer Chris Hodge. “We know when we tailor the educational experience to the individual’s goals – including entering the skilled workforce – they are more engaged, achieve better results and are more likely to graduate.”

The survey reveals five key insights about hiring and a skilled workforce in the U.S.:

1. The hiring outlook is strong

• 94 percent plan to hire entry-level employees in the next 12 months
• 87 percent feel the increased demand for entry-level workers will continue over the next 24 months

2. A need for a skilled entry-level workforce

• 59 percent require certifications/training of new employees
• A skilled workforce is among the top three concerns facing organizations in the next 12 months (third to inflation and tariffs, respectively)
• 43 percent have changed their hiring standards of entry-level candidates to accommodate reduced skill levels
• 57 percent of those who have changed their standards feel it has negatively affected their organization’s performance
• Among the top skills that are lacking in entry-level candidates are time management, work ethic/dependability, communication skills, positivity and greater professionalism

3. Skilled entry-level workers are paid more

• 48 percent of entry-level jobs are paid between $25K-$50K/year
• 76 percent of employers find certifications valuable when entry-level applicants have them
• 78 percent are willing to pay entry-level applicants more if they have required certifications
• 55 percent of employers would be willing to pay between 10 percent and 20 percent more to entry-level candidates with industry certifications

4. Additional training in high school would be ideal for skilled workers and employers

• 94 percent say it is important for high schools to include flexible learning models that can be tailored to students’ career or vocational interests (74 percent say it is very important)
• 59 percent feel that a one-size-fits-all traditional high school experience does not prepare students well for future career or vocational opportunities

5. Companies want personalized learning that includes job skills training in high school, especially in these areas:

• Business and finance (small business, financial literacy) marketing/sales and information technologies
• Professional skills and computing high school courses are valuable to 94 percent of employers

“We have seen outsized support for the concept of teaching students in the way each learns best from parents, teachers, students and now businesses. The good news is personalized learning is already happening in classrooms across the country – students just need more of it,” noted Hodge.

For more information about personalized learning, search in your browser or visit PersonalizedLearningMonth.com.

About Lifelong Learning

Lifelong Learning provides services and support to schools that educate students through a personalized learning model. As a nonprofit, Lifelong Learning is dedicated to empowering other nonprofits and educational organizations that work to enrich lives and communities. For more information, please visit www.llac.org.

¹ From Friday, May 16, through Monday, June 2, 2025, J. Wallin Opinion Research conducted an online survey of employers nationwide, plus an oversample in California. 2,000 employers were interviewed nationwide, plus an oversample to equal 450 within California. A survey of this size yields a margin of error of +/-2.2 percent (95 percent confidence interval) nationwide, and +/-4.6 percent within California.

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The good news is personalized learning is already happening in classrooms across the country – students just need more of it.