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Conversations about the future of education and the workforce often return to a familiar question: how do we create meaningful pathways for students beyond a one-size-fits-all, college-only narrative?

As an administrator of a statewide virtual public school serving K12 students—many from rural communities—I believe it’s time to broaden that conversation and more fully recognize the range of options that can prepare young people for success.

In fall 2022, nearly 10 million K12 students were enrolled in rural public schools across the U.S. Far from the buzz of metropolitan life, many rural students are unsure what job opportunities exist in their communities—or whether they’ll be prepared for them.

CTE isn’t an alternative for students who don’t know what they want to do. It’s a launchpad for students who want to be prepared for the real world right out of high school.

Rural Gen Z students are 19% less likely than their urban peers to believe they’ll find a good job where they live and 12% less likely to think that they’ll have access to job training, by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation.

But online schools—and their accessible, flexible approach to learning—may hold the key to rewriting that narrative.

Eye-opening experiences

Across the country, rural high school students are gaining real-world skills that prepare them for in-demand careers—whether they dream of working in a city or staying in their hometowns. From Wisconsin farmlands and Indiana coalfields to Texas ranches, virtual schools are reaching students who too often miss out on the career learning their urban and suburban peers receive.

Malaki, a rural student attending , once planned to enlist in the military after high school, until he discovered another opportunity through his online school’s career training program.

Pre-apprenticeship programs can be challenging to find in rural areas, but Arkansas Virtual Academy combines virtual courses with hands-on training through local partnerships. Through this program, Malaki became one of five students selected for an electrician apprenticeship with Associated Builders and Contractors, where he trained weekly in the fundamentals of electrical work, from wiring wall outlets to understanding electrical systems.

Malaki’s experience opened his eyes to multiple career paths—residential, industrial, or commercial—and gave him hope for a fulfilling future. Malaki’s story is one example of how online schools are opening doors for students, regardless of region, to bright and exciting career opportunities.

When CTE offers real insight

Traditionally, when young people leave rural areas to pursue opportunities or stay without a clear career path, communities lose skilled workers, future leaders, and long-term economic strength. But today, students can explore high-demand fields such as legal services, business information management, agribusiness or heavy machinery operations, through virtual classes taught by state-certified teachers.

In rural communities, talent is everywhere—even when opportunity is not. CTE changes that when a virtual school delivers industry-recognized certifications and real-world career skills directly to students’ homes, we remove geography as a barrier to success.

We’re not just helping students earn diplomas; we’re helping them graduate with credentials in hand, confidence in their abilities and a clear pathway to high-wage, high-demand careers. For rural families, that isn’t just education—it’s economic transformation.

At the heart of online career learning is personalization—they’re not just picking a career off a list. Students can opt to complete a career pathway, which may include a required number of credits, work-based learning, dual enrollment and industry certifications.

Exploratory courses offer real insight into different roles, including the kind of lifestyle and salary they can expect. Students still exploring their interests can take courses in a variety of fields, building a diverse range of skills that make them stand out to companies looking for new talent.

Virtual doesn’t mean isolated

With online classes, career learning is accessible no matter where students live. But virtual doesn’t mean isolated. Many programs also offer in-person, hands-on training through various partnerships with school districts, local unions, and businesses.

Future operating engineers learn how to run a crane or a backhoe, tomorrow’s nurses and doctors intern in local doctors’ offices, while others learn electrical skills, farm machinery maintenance, and Adobe Creative Cloud.

These students are graduating high school with strong career knowledge and skills, not to mention industry-recognized certifications and college credit, giving them a step up when they apply for apprenticeships and jobs. And this is all possible because of the virtual learning environment.

Online schools are leveling access to high-quality career learning, giving students the same opportunities, whether they dream of success in their hometowns or life in a completely different setting. Today’s students don’t need to feel stuck or discouraged by their job opportunities—there are options.

This is the future of education—where every student can build a career that they’re proud of. It’s time we make accessibility the standard for all students, no matter where they live.