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Glennie, B., Dalton, B. W., Studley, R. E., & Lauff, E. (2026). Earning industry certifications in high school: Do all groups get the same educational benefits?Career and Technical Education Research, 51(1), 31-55. https://doi.org/10.5328/cter51.1.31
Industry certifications can help people prepare for jobs in a range of careers. Many state educational systems have given students the opportunity to earn certifications in secondary school. Earning a certification may help students prepare for college, but benefits may differ by career cluster or the demographic characteristics of the certification-earner. Using comprehensive administrative data on two cohorts of first-time ninth graders from Florida, we examine whether earning a certification is associated with postsecondary educational enrollment and attainment in 2 and 4-year colleges for separate groups of certification earners. Earning a certification in high school prepares students for success in both 2 and 4-year colleges. The patterns of certifications and college enrollment and degree attainment were similar across career clusters and demographic groups of students, suggesting certifications have a role to play in supporting equitable outcomes for high school graduates.
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