Introducing YouScience® Brightpath: A New Platform That Enables The Convergence Of Education-To-Career To Better Prepare Students For Success In School And Life

New, first-of-its-kind technology elevates educational relevance and engagement by helping educators and students plan individualized pathways

American Fork, UT /PRNewswire/ - YouScience®, the leading technology provider dedicated to solving the skills gap crisis for students and employers, announced today the launch of YouScience® Brightpath. This comprehensive education-to-career platform is designed to help students prepare for academic and career success. It uses decades of research and a proprietary artificial intelligence engine to deliver personalized education and career pathways.

Education leaders need innovative, proven solutions to make education more meaningful and provide students with the necessary support for their educational and career success. Recent research has revealed that a staggering 75 percent of high school graduates do not feel confident or prepared enough to make decisions about college or their careers once they graduate. In addition, the troubling nationwide high school dropout rate persists, and college enrollment and retention rates are declining for our most vulnerable populations, further highlighting student disengagement.

At the same time, business and industry leaders are facing significant challenges in hiring a workforce that possesses the required skills, experience, and aptitude for today's and tomorrow's job roles. In fact, the threat of a talent shortage – which has tripled in the past 10 years – is estimated to reach a total of 85.2 million by 2030.

YouScience® Brightpath is designed to enable education-to-career convergence for the benefit of all students. It provides educators and administrators with the flexibility and tools needed to engage and re-engage students. Key outcomes include:

• Students discover their aptitudes and natural talents and use these as the foundation for understanding themselves better.
• Students see a range of educational opportunities that they can pursue along with majors that align with their aptitudes. The selection of schools can include vocational, trade, or technical schools, as well as colleges and universities.
• Students explore different career opportunities that align with their aptitudes and can determine the best classes or industry certifications to pursue.
• Students, counselors and school personnel, as well as parents or guardians, can work together to identify the right mix of high school courses to take that align with each student's natural talents and future plans.
• Students validate their learning by earning industry-recognized certifications that demonstrate capability in more than 200 areas of study.
• Students can directly align their talents, skills, knowledge, and interests to specific programs and majors within colleges to increase college enrollments and completions.
• Students have access to local, regional, and national employers who offer internships, apprenticeships, or jobs that align with their aptitudes.

The Washougal School District in Washougal, Washington, is an early adopter of several of the new capabilities featured in YouScience® Brightpath.

"The need for this type of solution is critical. It's important for students to be able to explore who they are, what they are innately good at, and what they are interested in, so they know what classes to choose and how those classes connect to their career goals. YouScience will provide students with the tools needed to find the pathway that is right for them, creating excitement for their futures, while assisting educators and district leaders with the right type of support to ensure student success. We're thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with YouScience to create a holistic approach in making sure our students are prepared for their future," said Margaret Rice, Director, Career and Technical Education (CTE) at Washougal School District.

YouScience® Brightpath also supports education leaders in achieving critical initiatives, including:

• Improving diversity, equity, and inclusion outcomes
• Improving graduation rates among all students.
• Inspiring student engagement as students lean into, not out of, their education.
• Providing personalized guidance for each student.
• Showcasing career and technical education (CTE) programs to the entire population of students.
• Quantifying outcomes through industry-recognized certifications.
• Demonstrating learning relevance through a closer alignment of education and industry.
• Helping more students enroll and stay active in personalized post-secondary education.

"We constantly hear from students and educators alike that there is a missing link in education. That missing link is the connection between the classroom and the real world," said Edson Barton, Founder and CEO of YouScience. "Our mission is to empower everyone to find intentional, individual success. YouScience® Brightpath is a first-of-its-kind solution that uses decades of proven data and advanced AI to help students discover, prove, and pursue their passion, their path, and their purpose."

YouScience® Brightpath is available for implementation for the 2023/2024 school year.

YouScience will be attending The AASA National Conference on Education in San Antonio from February 16 – 18, 2023, at Booth #1340. Please contact YouScience to set up a meeting to learn more about Brightpath.

For more information on YouScience and YouScience® Brightpath, please visit www.YouScience.com.

About YouScience
YouScience® is the leading technology provider dedicated to solving the skills gap crisis for students and employers. Its end-to-end platform, YouScience® Brightpath, connects education with career applications designed to help students unlock their potential for future pathways. YouScience leverages proven research, artificial intelligence, and industry input to help individuals identify their natural talents, validate their skills and knowledge, and get matched with real-world educational and career pathways in high-demand occupations. YouScience is the preferred choice of individuals, parents, educators, and counselors to guide and support educational and career pathways, currently serving more than 7,000 educational institutions and nearly one million users.