Too many countries send young people into adulthood without the skills or support they need to thrive at work, underscoring the need to create career pathways for youth. That is the central warning of Education at a Glance 2025, the latest in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s annual series of global education reviews.

This year’s edition devotes particular attention to career education, workforce readiness and the critical transition from grades 10-12 — what the report calls upper-secondary schooling — into employment or further study. The findings are stark: While some countries provide clear pathways from classroom to career, many — including the United States — leave too many teenagers unready for the next stage of life.

Released each autumn since 2010, the report about creating career pathways for youth compares data from 38 member nations and about a dozen partner economies. The current version covers more than a billion students worldwide. It is filled with tables and charts on topics from preschool enrollment to the wage premium for education and training beyond high school, including diplomas, academic degrees and vocational certificates — all of which it groups under what it calls tertiary education.

The report confirms that more schooling typically means stronger earnings and more stable employment, and that adults with postsecondary degrees usually enjoy the highest wages and lowest unemployment. Yet it warns that credentials alone are not enough. In every country, a significant share of young people, including some university graduates, lack the literacy, numeracy and digital skills that employers demand.

Depending upon the country, the decisive years for young people are ages 15 to 19, when students finish compulsory schooling and face choices about university, vocational programs or work and would benefit from action taken to creating career pathways. The report highlights that upper-secondary programs, whether academic or vocational, are pivotal to workplace success. In systems with strong vocational education and training, young people typically move smoothly into paid apprenticeships that confer recognized credentials.

Programs such as career-focused community college certificates or industry-recognized credentials can serve as effective bridges between high school and either employment or further study.

Read the full article about preparing youth for the workforce by Bruno V. Manno at The 74.