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In an era where workforce demands and the needs of high school learners are rapidly evolving, a new survey by Penn Foster Group sheds light on how teachers are reimagining education to better equip students for success.

Conducted at the start of the year, the survey of over 300 high school teachers underscores the growing need for educators to offer career-focused learning content and alternative high school pathways that equip students with workforce-ready skills in flexible ways beyond traditional schooling.

Teachers overwhelmingly reported a surge in interest among students to enter the workforce directly after graduation, with nearly 70 percent noting this trend had increased significantly in the past five years. This shift reflects a broader move toward practical, skills-based learning, as more than half of respondents (54 percent) shared plans to center their curricula around real-world skills. One teacher captured the essence of this approach, stating, “Students want to see how what they’re learning connects to their future. Showing them real-world applications keeps them engaged and motivated.”

By incorporating skills-based learning into their curricula, educators are equipping students with the tools necessary to transition seamlessly into the workforce after graduation–and online education is poised to play a pivotal role in this evolution. Nearly three-quarters of the teachers surveyed predict a rise in demand for online learning programs, with 70 percent agreeing that such programs are essential to workforce preparation. Educators pointed to flexibility and accessibility as key benefits, enabling students to balance education with other responsibilities while building critical skills for future careers.

The data in the survey also revealed that cost, faster completion times, and alignment with job opportunities are driving students toward nontraditional pathways. With 64 percent of educators expressing confidence in online learning as a viable alternative to traditional schooling, the shift toward digital and skills-based education is expected to continue accelerating, especially as high school learners are seeking more options for flexibility in their environment.

“As the educational landscape continues to evolve, it’s clear that traditional pathways are no longer enough to meet the diverse needs of today’s students,” said Andy Shean, Chief Learning Officer at Penn Foster Group. “This survey emphasizes the critical need for flexible, skills-based, and accessible learning options that prepare students for career success and keep them on track for graduation while supporting their overall well-being. By embracing innovative models such as online education, credit recovery, summer school, and blended learning, we can ensure that students not only graduate but thrive in an ever-changing world.”

Mental health remains a pressing issue, with 72 percent of teachers anticipating an increase in anxiety and stress among students in 2025. Teachers cited these challenges, along with social isolation and academic pressure as barriers to engagement and success. In response, many educators are implementing innovative strategies such as project-based learning, internships, and career exploration opportunities to meet students where they are and offer better support.

Online learning also serves as a lifeline for students who need additional support to stay on track for graduation. Penn Foster Group works with teachers and counselors who highlight the growing use of online courses for credit recovery, summer school, and blended learning models, allowing students in traditional schools to customize their education to meet their unique needs. These programs provide students with a second chance to earn missed credits, accelerate their progress, and engage with coursework in a way that accommodates personal schedules, extracurricular commitments, and other responsibilities.

As demand for alternative learning pathways rises, Penn Foster Group remains at the forefront of education innovation by focusing on practical skills and flexible, online program delivery. The latest data reinforces Penn Foster Group’s commitment to delivering forward-thinking education that empowers high school learners’ continued adaptability and success.

This press release originally appeared online.

eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.

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In a transformative push to bring Artificial Intelligence (AI) education to the heart of rural India, Microsoft, in partnership with eVidyaloka, is empowering around 37,000 students with Responsible AI training through Build Rural Artificial Intelligence Network (BRAIN) program. Now, in its second year, BRAIN has grown from 300 government schools in its pilot phase to more than 400 schools across 10 states of India.

Drawing on Microsoft’s Responsible AI principles and powered by its technology, curriculum, corporate social responsibility grants, devices, and volunteer network with strategic corporate partners, the program is not only teaching foundational AI concepts, but also enabling hands-on innovation in the classrooms, where access to advanced digital tools was once unimaginable.

One of the milestones in this year was the distribution of laptops to 108 government schools through Microsoft’s in-kind donation program, enabling more than 6,000 students to experience AI for the first time, through hands-on learning. Meanwhile, the Teacher Training (ToT) program equipped 343 educators in nine states with AI pedagogy and digital skills, laying the foundation for sustainable, long-term impact.

At the center of this initiative, offering 22 modules on AI for students and teachers is BRAINIAC 2025, a national AI innovation challenge that puts knowledge into action. It invites students from the government schools to identify pressing local issues in their schools or neighbourhoods and design practical, AI-powered solutions. By blending classroom instruction with hands-on problem-solving, BRAINIAC transforms digital education into a tool for grassroots innovation and community impact.

In this year’s challenge, 748 student teams (1,496 students) have come forward with innovative AI-driven prototypes addressing real-life issues, from smart dustbins and navigational systems to energy management tools and attendance solutions. Guided by trained Class Assistants and volunteer mentors, the initiative is redefining what students can achieve when given the right platform.

The program’s reach is further amplified by eVidyaloka’s Teach Through Television (TTT) model, which blends television and online content to overcome access barriers. In 2024–25, the TTT platform recorded 14.58 lakh views, delivering AI modules in five languages—Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and English—with redesigned content broken into 66 short, engaging lessons enhanced with motion graphics and interactive quizzes.

“Through the BRAINIAC Challenge, we are not just introducing rural students to Artificial Intelligence, we are enabling them to become thinkers, creators, and problem-solvers in their own communities. It’s heartening to see students take ownership of their learning journeys and build solutions that are meaningful, relevant, and deeply rooted in the community.” said Brinda Poornapragna, CEO of eVidyaloka.

Microsoft’s volunteer ecosystem has played a key role in co-developing curriculum and hosting student’s Meet & Greets with tech professionals. Collaborative efforts with Microsoft’s partner organisations like Nirmaan to adapt the BRAIN curriculum, further extended the reach of this Responsible AI course to 4,100 students across Tamil Nadu, ensuring exposure to global tech thinking even in India’s remotest classrooms.

Like many young mothers, Jenna was unsure where to start. But that’s where her local family support service came in. Offering breastfeeding advice, a space to come together with other parents and for her son Billy to play with other babies, it reassured Jenna that she was on the right track – and crucially, that Billy was set up to achieve when he got to school.

Jenna’s service was the first of Labour’s renowned Sure Start centres in Washington, my home town in north-east England. I knew it well: before becoming an MP I ran a refuge nearby for women fleeing domestic violence. I linked up the women who used our refuge with Sure Start. It was a lifeline for those women who, despite everything, were determined to give their children the very best start in life.

But, sadly, after 14 years of Conservative government, stories like Jenna’s, and those of the many women who were offered that lifeline, are much less common. Funding was stripped out of Sure Start centres and services scrapped in rebranded family hubs. Today, 65 councils, and the children and families who live under their authority, have missed out on recent funding. Many more are lacking the childcare places that so many families in our country need.

For every Jenna, there are a host of other young mothers, and families, who missed out on crucial pillars of support, whose children have fallen behind before they have even started school.

One in three five-year-olds enters year 1 without the basic skills – like holding a pencil and writing their own name – that they need to make the most of what education has to offer them. Some haven’t reached essential milestones such as putting on a coat or going to the toilet by themselves.

For the most vulnerable children, the situation is graver. Just over half of those eligible for free school meals reach a good level of development at age five. For children in social care, it’s just over one in three. And for children with special educational needs, it’s one in five.

The gap in achievement we see between our poorest and most affluent children at 16 is baked in before they even start school, creating a vicious cycle of lost life chances that’s all too visible in the shameful number of young people not earning or learning.

It’s this government’s moral mission to bridge that gap, but to do it we must build an education system where all children can achieve and thrive, starting from day one.

That is why reforming the early years education system is my number one priority. And it’s why, just 12 months after Labour entered government, I am so proud to be setting out our strategy to give every child the best start in life.

Backed by £1.5bn over the next three years, it brings together the best of Sure Start, health services, community groups and the early years sector, with the shared goal of setting up children to succeed when they get to school.

We will create 1,000 Best Start Family Hubs, at least one in every council area, invest a record £9bn in funded childcare and early years places – and hundreds of millions to improve quality in early years settings and reception classes.

These hubs will bring disjointed support systems into one place, allowing thousands of families to access help with anything from birth registration to breastfeeding, from housing support to children’s speech and language development.

The strategy takes inspiration from around the world. I’ve been really impressed by what happens in countries I’ve visited, such as Estonia, where early education and family support are bound tightly together with stellar results. Its disadvantage gap is negligible because children get to school ready to learn. Its children outperform those from much larger, wealthier countries in international rankings. The country punches above its weight economically as a result.

At the heart of our strategy is the recognition that for our country to succeed in a fast-changing world, it is not enough for only some children to do well in education: every child must have the opportunity and the tools not just to get by, but to get on in life.

Working people have always known that education is the best way to break the link between their background and what they go on to achieve, the route to prosperity not just for individuals, but for all of society. It’s a common thread that runs through every Labour government: that we must use education to spread the freedoms that today too few enjoy, so that tomorrow they are common to us all.

It’s the essence of our politics, the socialism of extending freedom to allow working people to choose their own path to fulfilment: to get better employment, to achieve a better quality of life or even to start a family.

This strategy is a watershed moment for our government, but more importantly for every single family who needs our support. To make it a reality, we will begin unprecedented collaboration between parents, councils, nurseries, childminders, schools and government, enmeshing family support, early education and childcare so deeply that no rightwing government can ever unpick it, as the Tories did with Sure Start over 14 long years.

Our plan for change will ensure Jenna’s experience – and Billy’s future success – is shared by every family and every child in our country.