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AI Readiness Gap: 97% of Parents Expect Kids to Reskill — 36% Believe Schools Aren’t Preparing Them

Report shows nearly all parents worried AI will disrupt their child’s career; 71% plan to be very involved in career choices.

Zety®, a leading resume templates service, recently surveyed more than 900 U.S. parents of children ages 12–24 for itsAI Readiness Gap: 2025 Parent Outlook Report. The data found nearly all parents are growing anxious about how AI will affect their children’s professional lives, with 97% fearing their child’s career could be disrupted or replaced within the next decade.

At the same time, one in three parents (36%) say school isn’t preparing students for AI-era jobs. With that landscape, 71% of parents say they are very involved, or plan to be, in their child’s career choices.

Key Findings

  • Doubts about education: One in three parents (36%) say school isn’t preparing students for AI-era jobs.
  • Reskilling is inevitable: The majority (97%) believe AI will force their child to reskill multiple times during their career.
  • Job uncertainty: 54% of parents are very worried their child will have fewer career opportunities than their generation.
  • Technical skills are vital: Parents believe skills like coding, AI, and data analysis are most critical for their child’s career.
  • Renewed interest in the skilled trades: 29% of parents report their child is most interested in trade work, followed by corporate or office jobs (28%).

Parental Anxiety Rises Over AI and Jobs

Parents are growing anxious about how AI will affect their children’s professional lives. 97% worry their child’s career could be disrupted or replaced by AI within the next decade, highlighting concerns about generational downturn, school readiness, and parental guidance:

  • 54% of parents are very worried their child will have fewer career opportunities than their generation.
  • One in three parents (36%) say school isn’t preparing students for AI-era jobs.
  • 71% of parents are—or plan to be—very involved in their child’s career choices, providing active guidance.

Parents’ Top Career Concerns for Their Kids

AI’s impact is causing parents to closely monitor potential obstacles their children may encounter in their careers. Their biggest concerns include:

  • Fewer job openings overall – 59%
  • Jobs becoming unstable or short-term – 57%
  • Low pay or reduced earning potential – 56%
  • Needing to constantly retrain/reskill – 34%
  • Struggling to adapt to new tools and technologies – 20%

Kids’ Career Interests in an AI World

As AI transforms work, parents reveal which careers their children are most interested in today:

  • Skilled trades (electrician, plumber, etc.) – 29%
  • Corporate or office jobs – 28%
  • Government or public service jobs – 23%
  • Entrepreneurship or freelance work – 10%
  • Creative or artistic careers (e.g., design, writing, performing arts) – 8%
  • Social media or digital content creation – 2%

What Parents See as Essential Skills

Nearly all parents (97%) believe their child will need to reskill multiple times during their career because of AI, and 96% worry they may struggle to adapt to these types of rapid changes in the job market. 

To prepare their children for an AI-driven workforce, parents say the following skills will be most critical for success:

  • Technical skills (coding, AI, data analysis) – 52%
  • Soft skills (communication, adaptability, creativity) – 33%
  • Entrepreneurial skills (innovation, risk-taking) – 12%
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving – 3%

For detailed insights on the Parent Outlook Report access the full study at zety.com/blog/ai-readiness-gap-parent-outlook

AI and Student Services

While AI is being used and considered for many services, it is ideal to take a step back first and review your current office operations. Are you a high school counselor with a backlog of recommendation letter requests? Is your current process for sending out local scholarship information working? Does the student transcript request system for college applications work effectively?  College staff procedures could also be involved. Do you have a back log of transfer student academic records that need to be reviewed? If so, what plans are being considered to correct this situation? Are admission office applicants waiting a long time for a status update? Is this impacting your freshman class yield rate? How are student customer service experiences in your individual student service offices and/or your one stop shop? Do enhancements need to be made? This type of assessment needs to be completed before AI is added to your school’s process. Why? AI will not fix operational issues which are a separate issue. When considering AI options, below are some things to keep in mind.

Choosing a business vendor is a serious matter. In my opinion, the dynamics are similar to a close personal friendship or marriage. Trust and dependability are involved. A technology decision can make or break an organization. I currently view technology choices as two-year decisions that may last as long as five years. This type of decision naturally leads to requesting input from numerous staff members.

Here are the three types of questions involved when you are considering a technology decision: 

1. Technology vendor questions
2. General business vendor questions
3. Political questions to privately consider


In some industries, the number of major and minor companies is constantly changing. As a manager, the decisions you make can drastically affect the existence of other companies.

If you are attempting to choose a technology vendor, I would consider the following:

  • What kind of background do the people have who are heading up the new company?
  • Can this new product or service affect the security of my position or industry?
  • If so, why has the new product or service not already had an impact?
  • How long will it take for the new idea to affect my position, organization and/or industry?
  • Does the idea or product make sense but lack industry support?
  • If it makes sense, will people involved with the new idea or product end up being leaders in the industry?
  • How long would it be before the new idea or product would be replaced?
  • Is my industry ready to accept the new idea or product?

Below is a list of general questions you may want to ask a potential business vendor:

  • May we have a brief organizational overview?
  • What is your Customer Service approach for your current business partners?
  • Do you have any plans to increase staffing in your Customer Service department?
  • Are Satisfaction surveys conducted with your current business partners?
  • What successes did your organization experience during the past fiscal year?
  • What challenges do you expect to face in the upcoming fiscal year?
  • Can you update us on your goals for the upcoming fiscal year?
  • For the upcoming fiscal year, are any new services or products available?
  • What other companies, similar in size and scope, do you currently serve?
  • Can we call a few of your current customers, to discuss your products and services?

Again, selecting a business vendor is serious business. A lot of agreements are easy to get involved in and hard to dissolve.


The last set of questions should be privately considered before you make a final decision:

  • Is a potential conflict of interest involved?
  • Does the parent company of the potential vendor have a vested interest in me also using their other products?
  • If so, are their other products up to the standards my organization requires?
  • Does the potential business vendor have political connections involving upper administration in my organization?
  • If so, will I truly be allowed to make the decision?
  • Date October 28, 2025
  • Author Kenneth McGee, Financial Aid and Enrollment Management Consultant

Which “Optional” Essays are Really Optional?

Students are not always sure which “optional” essays are truly optional. Use Wow coach
Joe Kane’s insight to guide you and your students. Joe has been with Wow since 2013. He
also runs a youth writing program in Nashville, and is a wonder with any type of student. 

At the end of a recent brainstorm session, one of my students said he was concerned that
his application didn’t demonstrate enough hardship. After a couple follow up questions, I
discovered that he had read through the Common App sections before our meeting, and the
Additional Information section caught his attention. Reading the long list of challenging
circumstances gave him the impression that living through hardship was a prerequisite for a
strong application, but he knew that none of the listed circumstances applied to him. 


Even though my student saw that the Additional Information section was labeled “optional,”
he didn’t trust it. And with good reason. There are plenty of supplemental essays and
additional materials that are marked “optional” but are really a requirement if students what
to be competitive. Students notice that. They also notice when adults, who are trying to
maintain a positive tone, get a little cagey when asked if a part of the application is truly
optional. 
 
While discussing the Additional Information section with my concerned student, I was
intentionally direct. I acknowledged that some essays marked “optional” are actually
required, while others are perfectly fine to leave blank. I also promised that I would always
tell him the difference right away. I’d never leave him guessing. 
 
For the hardship question, I told him that if he didn’t immediately think of an idea while
reading the prompt, that’s probably a sign that the question isn’t for him. Students who have
experienced hardship that significantly impacted their high school experience generally don’t need to dig for a story. It’s already on their mind. When he realized that he could leave that section blank, he heaved a big sigh of relief.


Optional? In this case, yes.
 
In others, maybe…
 
Trust yourself and trust the process. You can download a free copy of the ten-step Wow
Method here: https://wowwritingworkshop.com/wow-method-free-download/

Susan Knoppow is CEO of Wow Writing Workshop. She can be reached at
susan@wowwritingworkshop.com

Have You Considered Working with Families Independently? A Conversation with Four Former School-Based Counselors Who Made the Transition to IEC – Free Webinar

Have you ever thought about pursuing college counseling on a private basis, either as a side hustle, working for a company, or starting your own company? Do you wonder about the pros, cons, practical challenges, and great rewards of this work? If so, please join a candid (and unrecorded) conversation with four IECs who were all school-based college counselors before transitioning to owning their own business. Yvonne Espinoza, CEP, Jamie Kirby, Hilary Lehn, M.Ed., and Chris Teare, CEP, will offer their thoughts on how they approach this work through the lens of former school-based counselors, and answer the questions you submit in advance or bring with you to the session.

*Please note: This webinar registration is limited to current school-based counselors to allow space for their participation. Also, the information shared during registration is only for presenters to understand our audience. Registrants will not be added to any marketing materials, nor will the information be shared with any other parties.

Dec 3, 2025 1:00 PM Central Time

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/5DCUFjoHS6eS1K5cj–PdQ?fbclid=IwZnRzaANl_xFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHg7RjmvNMOM6TGqke0nKgVXVKPq1wcZBfz6BPksI1ayqFnpH0IZruiI6WFHH_aem__umHgoUwiAhB2F66QxRVhA#/registration

How Career Planning in Security Studies Opens Doors Across Industries

Security studies are a robust and diverse education pathway that, let’s face it, very few 18-year-olds have on the mind.

As a counselor, you come across many different types of students, and yet one category that is most likely underrepresented on the list of students you interact with regularly is the child with a keen interest in foreign policy, national and international security, and international relations.

And how much poorer is the world for that? In reality, though this career path does not have instant or obvious appeal to people choosing their degree, it is a genuinely lucrative and impactful one worthy of consideration.

The next time you have a clever student on your hands who doesn’t know what direction to take their life, you could do a lot worse than directing them toward a career in security studies.

A Degree in Security Studies Can Open Many Doors

Security studies can sound, at first, to be a very limiting major. On the one hand, the corresponding degrees are pretty specific and clearly optimized for someone with an interest in public policy or even international relations. However, when deciding the value of a degree, it’s important to consider not just the specific job it correlates with, but also the skills involved.

Security studies will focus on foreign policy, political science, national security, international security, and other comparable career paths, but it will also teach problem-solving skills, organizational skills, and leadership skills.

Depending on the emphasis, it might also interact with other disciplines. For example, a focus on information security will inevitably emphasize tech skills.

There are many well-known federal organizations that are constantly hiring people with security degrees. This includes everything from the Department of Homeland Security to the NSA or the DEA.

Keep in mind also that, as an undergraduate degree, this can also be a gateway into other career paths.

In the next few headings, we’ll take a look at how an undergraduate degree in security studies can indirectly lead to other careers.

Law

Law schools are pretty inclusive when it comes to undergraduate degrees that they view as admissible. Because the law is so niche and specific, schools are by no means accepting only pre-law majors.

They want any student with an established ability to think logically, write clearly, and understand high-level concepts, such as those developed in security studies, particularly with its emphasis on policy and international relations.

International relations is a uniquely good undergraduate degree for people interested in going on to law school.

Not only does it give the student a bunch of interesting fallback careers that they can pursue if they tire of working as a lawyer, but it also equips them with many of the skills they’ll need as professional lawyers.

Entering Tech-Related Fields

To enjoy a career in technology, you’ll generally need both an undergraduate and graduate degree in a related field of study. That said, many people migrate into tech careers having obtained an undergraduate degree in something different. In these cases, you’re often able to enroll in tech programs by completing prerequisites.

Here’s why: security studies can open doors in tech-related careers. Let’s say you’re interested in a career in cybersecurity with a degree in security studies. You’ll understand risk factors at a level most people won’t. Cybercrime is often politically motivated. Preventing these types of violations is often not just a matter of understanding the architecture behind digital security systems, but also understanding how and why hackers do the things they do.

No, a degree in security studies alone is not going to qualify you for a career in cybersecurity. But it can help open doors into graduate programs that provide worthwhile careers in lucrative fields.

City Positions

Security studies can also be a very valuable component of preparing for careers in public office. Not only will it look good on an application or even in an election platform, but it will also prepare the student to fully understand the unique needs of the community that they are serving.

Changing the Way Students Think About Degrees

Of course, it doesn’t have to be security studies. There are so many different ways that students today can prepare themselves for interesting and lucrative careers. You, as a guidance counselor, are not necessarily responsible for advocating any particular degree path, but rather for changing the way the student sees their education.

To begin with, it is important to remember that a great many people will choose careers far outside what their degree was initially designed to prepare them for. This has become less an exception and more a rule of modern employment.

You can help your student prepare for the modern job market by encouraging them to think not only about the specific career they are training for, but also the skills they are learning within the program.

It’s these resume-ready abilities that will ultimately have the biggest influence on the trajectory of their life.

To simply major in security studies or a comparable educational discipline is not necessarily to commit to it for your entire life. High schoolers today should understand that their education does not narrow their options, but expands them.

Conclusion

The world of employment changes so frequently that it’s difficult to determine which way the wind will be blowing in the context of helping an eighteen-year-old map out their entire future. The world of employment has changed a lot over the last twenty years, and with the advent of artificial intelligence, none of us really know what the next several decades will have in store.

Here’s what can be said with reasonable confidence: having the ability to problem-solve, think logically, and understand complex concepts will always be valuable. Security studies is not the only degree path that emphasizes these traits, but it sure is a good one.

Trust the College Essay Process

In our weekly staff meetings, we always discuss student wins and challenges. No matter how many years of experience we have with the Wow Method, we’re always learning.

Here’s some insight from David Bersell, who has been with us for more than seven years, has worked with hundreds of students, trained countless IECs and school counselors, and supervises training for our team of coaches.

This week, a student surprised me. She was someone who had a hard time talking about her ideas during the brainstorm. After talking for over an hour, and exploring additional topics and characteristics, we eventually agreed on a clear theme, based on the idea that she had the most to say about.

She wrote a short first draft and brief responses for the content exercises, where we ask the student to write outside the essay and consider new openings. While I was a little worried about how the essay would turn out, I kept her moving, and tried to be steady and encouraging in my emails.

She wrote a much stronger second draft but still stopped before the end of her story. I gave two rounds of feedback, and she was able to add a paragraph each time. We got to an effective and genuine essay in four weeks, and it was a nice reminder: don’t write off students who aren’t the easiest or the highest willingness or ability.

I was still able to help my student share who she is without much additional thought or effort.

I’ll say it again (and again, and again, and again): Trust the process!

You can download a free copy of the ten-step Wow Method here: https://wowwritingworkshop.com/wow-method-free-download/

Susan Knoppow is CEO of Wow Writing Workshop. She can be reached at susan@wowwritingworkshop.com

2026 Summer Liftoff Institute

Calling 5-12 STEM Educators, CTE Instructors & Current Pre-Service Teachers – Applications are now OPEN for the 2026 LiftOff Summer Institute!

The theme of this year’s LiftOff Educator Institute is Moon to Mars: A New Era of Discovery. The program will focus on how NASA, commercial space companies, and research institutions are working together to shape the future of deep space exploration.

Educators will hear directly from the scientists, engineers, and mission leaders advancing spaceflight technology and developing commercial platforms in Low Earth Orbit.

Application Deadline: December 12, 2025

Program Date: June 22-26, 2026

For more information & apply online: https://www.csr.utexas.edu/liftoff/

What you need to know for In-Person fairs

Have any students planning to attend a NACAC fair this Fall or Spring or possibly a local college fair? If so, NACAC has published some great tips your students can use for before, during and after the fair.

Before the Fair

Register online before the fair to receive a barcode for easy onsite access to college representatives.  Print or take a screenshot on your phone of the barcode and bring it to the fair as your electronic ID.  Online registration leaves more time for you to meet one-on-one with admission representatives

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Do I want to attend a large, medium, or small school?
  • What major do I wish to study?
  • Do I want to attend an urban, suburban, or rural school?
  • Do I want to attend a two-year, four-year, single-sex, or religiously-affiliated school?
  • Do I want to participate in athletics, clubs, fraternities, sororities, or special programs such as study abroad or cooperative education?

Research colleges attending the fair to determine if they meet your search criteria and to find best fits.

Make a list of questions to ask college representatives.

At the Fair

Pick up a fair directory and bag for all of the materials you collect.

Visit the schools on your list that aligned best with your attributes that you provided at the time of registration or are the closest match to your search criteria.  Be adventurous.  Don’t just talk to the well-known schools.


Ask the college representative to scan your barcode.  This will allow the representative to follow up with you directly—and quickly.

Ask the same questions to each college representative you visit.

Take notes.  Write down what you find most interesting about each college.

Attend an information session (if available) to learn more about the college search process, financial aid, and other topics.

After the Fair

Review college websites, catalogs, and viewbooks to gather more information to help narrow your choices.
 

Send a thank you note/email to the college representatives you met.  This simple gesture can show admission officials you’re serious about wanting to attend their college.

What if my parent(s) want to come to a fair with me?

Bringing a wing person to make sure you can hit every table you’re interested in is always a good plan.  We suggest printing your barcode out twice, so you guys can divide and conquer all you want.

Another tip, set up an email account specifically for the college admissions process.  You will be getting a lot of correspondence from these folks.  You want to make sure to handle emails quickly and not miss anything.  On the other hand, because you will get a lot of admissions office emails, you might want to keep them untangled from your everyday inbox.

7 Certifications Proven to Boost Wages Without a Degree

Some of your students who may not plan to attend College can boost their wages by getting certified. Recent LiveCareer analysis identifies the top professional certifications that boost wages without the cost of a four-year degree. The full report (including top jobs for each credential) is available here.

These seven certifications stood out for offering above-average wage gains and having a significant share of earners without a bachelor’s degree. Top jobs for completers of the credential are also included. Ordered from highest to lowest wage gains:

Here is How Your Students Can Make Certifications Work for Them

1. Showcase certifications in a dedicated section on your resume.
Create a clearly labeled “certifications” or “professional development” section near the top of your resume (especially if the credential is relevant to your target role). List the full name of the credential, issuing organization, and date earned.

2. Reinforce your certification in your summary.
In your resume summary or personal profile, mention the certification to highlight it as a core qualification. Example: “Certified Project Management Professional (PMP®) with 3+ years of experience leading cross-functional teams in logistics and supply chain settings.”

3. Add skills that align with the certification.
Most certifications map to specific technical or soft skills. Add these to your “skills” section and use them to describe achievements in your work history. Example for CEH: “Utilized ethical hacking techniques to identify and resolve security vulnerabilities across cloud-based systems.”

4. Tailor your resume for job listings.
If a job description mentions a credential you hold—or the skills associated with it—mirror that language in your resume. This boosts your chances of passing through applicant tracking systems (ATS).

5. Mention certifications in your cover letter and interviews.
Certifications show initiative and up-to-date knowledge. Briefly explain how earning yours has made you more effective in your role or helped you grow professionally.

6. Keep them visible on social media profiles.
Don’t forget to list your certifications in the “licenses & certifications” section in your social media profiles. If available, include the credential URL so employers can verify it directly.

Helping Students Explore Readiness Through Summer Programs

Four-year university, community college, gap year or another path? For autistic students, a summer program can provide real-world clues about which direction makes the most sense after high school graduation. A well-run program lets teens practice independence, build social confidence and discover whether they’re prepared for the next step.

As a high school counselor, you’ve likely worked with autistic students who are unsure about their next step after graduation. Some may be eager to apply to college, while others may need more time to practice daily living skills, social communication or managing responsibilities on their own. A well-matched summer program can provide a valuable training ground to help families and students decide: Is my student ready for college now or do we need to consider alternative paths first?

Encouraging families to explore summer opportunities before senior year can reduce stress and help them make informed choices.  The benefits of away-from-home summer programs are well established – read my recent Autism Spectrum News article to see how these programs have tangible benefits for neurodivergent students from promoting a sense of belonging to strengthening emotional resilience after setbacks.

To help families learn about these programs and select a great fit, Spectrum Transition Coaching is hosting a FREE Autism Summer Program Expo on November 9 featuring nine programs in one live, virtual event. Families will have the chance to meet staff, ask questions and learn about unique programs that support skill-building, confidence and independence.

By connecting families with resources like summer programs, you can help them move from uncertainty to confidence. Away-from-home programs let neurodivergent students “test drive” skills needed for life after high school and help families make smarter decisions about what comes next after graduation.

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