Over the past two years, Ohio saw a 6% decline in college enrollment – the steepest drop among Midwest states. Pennsylvania fell 3%, Michigan 2%.

Team NEO’s annual “Aligning Opportunities” report makes the trend clear: High school students are increasingly bypassing traditional college pathways in favor of alternative training programs and career options. However, many of these choices do not align with local workforce demands, exacerbating challenges posed by Ohio’s aging population and contributing to mismatches between student career interests and regional economic priorities.

The question isn’t whether to reverse this trend – it’s how we adapt by building career pathways that keep young talent here and give employers the skilled workforce they need. Waiting until high school graduation means we’ve already lost ground.

Northeast Ohio historically has focused on retaining and attracting college graduates and experienced workers. While these efforts remain essential, we must advance a complementary strategy to connect K-12 staff and students with existing employers in their backyard through work-based learning.

Work-based learning – internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing, industry mentorships, and project-based work with real companies – introduces students to career possibilities long before making major education or career decisions. When students solve real problems in manufacturing facilities or work alongside professionals in the coatings industry, they discover how algebra and chemistry power actual careers. These early experiences build relationships with Northeast Ohio’s employers; connections that increase the likelihood students will launch their careers here.

These efforts are underway, but they must be accelerated and sustained. The Greater Cleveland Career Consortium is introducing career exploration as early as sixth grade through its Planning and Career Exploration (PACE) framework. By embedding career exploration throughout middle and high school, students have years – not months – to discover their strengths and connect with regional opportunities.

Local employers like Sherwin-Williams Co. partner with school districts and groups like the Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio to show students career opportunities available at a local Fortune 500 company. Other companies are also collaborating with high schools and colleges to expand internships across Northeast Ohio – another powerful tool for keeping talent local. And it works: According to the 2025 National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) report, more than 60% of interns nationwide receive full-time job offers. These programs expose students to high-demand careers available here, building awareness and interest in regional opportunities.

But isolated examples won’t transform our regional economy. We need systemic change and commitment: more business leadership; stronger collaboration between K-12 districts, community colleges, and universities; and policy alignment. For employers across Northeast Ohio, this means recognizing that investing in K-12 work-based learning opportunities isn’t philanthropy – it’s an investment in their future business plans.

Making systemic changes requires investment. Meaningful work-based learning programs require staff time, coordination infrastructure and sustained funding. But consider the alternative: continuing to lose talent to other regions, then spending millions to recruit from elsewhere, competing for workers we could have grown ourselves. The return on investment becomes clear when we view K-12 engagement as the first stage of workforce development.

The payoff won’t be immediate – career exploration opportunities can begin as early as elementary school. But if industry and education commit to working together now, alongside current retention and attraction efforts, with clear accountability measures in place, we can bend the curve of our region’s economic trajectory, establishing a vibrant economy where there are more opportunities for residents and companies to thrive.

Northeast Ohio’s future workforce is sitting in classrooms today. If businesses open their doors, schools incorporate career exploration, and our economic development ecosystem invests and supports connections, we can build the talent pipeline our economy demands.

The question isn’t whether we can afford to invest. It’s whether we can afford not to.

Jacob Duritsky is vice president for strategy, research and talent at Team NEO and Board Chair of the Greater Cleveland Career Consortium.

Have something to say about this topic?

* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.