Jamie Dimon wants to fix America’s schools-to-job pipeline

It's no secret job hunting has become more difficult in recent years, especially for those entering the labor force for the first time. Now, the leader of one of America's biggest banks is calling out schools. JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says he wants to see schools doing more to bring students up to pace with the working world instead of leaving it up to businesses to bridge the gap. Diamond wants schools to be monitored on whether their students launch careers after they graduate, as opposed to whether they go to college. In an interview with Axios Thursday, Diamond said businesses have to hire a lot of people and they have to train them. So when the school system doesn't do it, it makes this harder for companies. He added more certificates and training are needed to help people land skilled jobs. It seems students agree with that. Education data specialist National Clearinghouse reported back in January that undergraduate enrollment grew 1.2% in the fall of 2023 for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. That report also showed significant growth in vocational courses, which are designed to help students learn in a practical way to prepare them for a skills based role. Well, the database reported that at community colleges with a high vocational program focus, enrollment grew 16% in the fall of 2023, bringing them above fall 2019 levels. For straight Arrow News, I'm Lauren Taylor. For more stories just like this, download the Straighter Own News app.