The Chamber of Commerce and the College Board on the missing subject in American high schools: business

This fall, students are making their way back to school filled with the possibility that comes with a fresh academic year.

Some high school seniors will dive into college applications, some will use this year to prepare to enter the workforce, and some will weigh the countless other pathways available from certifications to military service.

All of them will be acutely aware of the weight their decisions will hold for their futures.

However, the stark reality is that America’s leading businesses say high school graduates aren’t as prepared as previous generations, citing that they can execute assignments but struggle to think critically and navigate ambiguity at a time when technology is rapidly reshaping work.

Educators see similar gaps.

Recent research shows only 40% of hiring managers say it’s easy to find entry-level candidates with the skills they most need: the ability to communicate clearly, work in teams, solve problems, manage projects, and understand the fundamentals of financial decision-making.

These are gaps our nation can’t afford to ignore.

Students are graduating from high school without a clear understanding of how organizations function, how money flows, and how ideas become opportunities.

Today, fewer than 20% of high school students take a business course—and when they do, it’s often siloed as an elective or introduced as a path to a business degree rather than foundational for necessary workplace skills.

Our own personal upbringings highlight the long-standing disparity.

In rural Oklahoma, Neil’s high school sorted students early into college or trades.

His parents – both small business owners – understood their tradecraft but had little expertise in how to grow a business.

Ultimately, Neil chose to pursue the “college track,” where college-bound students completed academic courses with few opportunities to build practical, hands-on skills, while those on the “trade track” were rarely exposed to business know-how that could help transform their expertise.

Greg’s parents worked on the assembly line in an airplane manufacturing plant in Williamsport, Penn., but had dreams for more.