LABI joins College Board to prepare high school students for high-growth careers

BATON ROUGE, La. – Leaders from the Louisiana Association of Business & Industry (LABI) and College Board announced their collaboration to bring new career courses into high school classrooms across Louisiana.

The courses are part of the College Board’s new Advanced Placement Career Kickstart initiative that combines the decades of college-level rigor of Advanced Placement® (AP®) with industry-guided relevance, beginning with AP Business with Personal Finance and AP Cybersecurity. The courses are being field tested in classrooms and will launch nationwide in the 2026-27 school year, ultimately expanding to new high-growth industries such as health sciences. The courses are slated for approval by the Board of Regents and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) in June.

“Today reinforces LABI’s commitment to bridging the divide between classrooms and careers in our high schools. We’re partnering with the College Board to bring new courses endorsed by leading employers—empowering the next generation of talent in our state with in-demand skills,” says Will Green, LABI President and CEO. “This initiative expands access to business education by building on the strong workforce efforts already underway, creating a scalable model that reaches every student while empowering more teachers to deliver these essential skills.”

“For decades, students have turned to AP to challenge themselves and get ahead in college,” said David Coleman, College Board CEO. “Now, we’re bringing that energy to career learning. Students want to do work that matters. Employers want to hire talent that’s ready. AP Career Kickstart brings those worlds together so every student can earn credentials that count for the future they choose.”

Courses are being shaped by educators, higher education, and industry advisors that to-date include the CompTIA, Oracle, IBM, U.S. Bank, Sephora. We join nearly 400 employers and 75 local chambers across 40 states in endorsing the courses.

“As a business owner and employer, I strongly support efforts that bring real-world skills into the classroom,” said Tom Cox, Founder and Chairman of Golfballs.com, a longtime LABI member. “Courses like AP Business with Personal Finance and AP Cybersecurity help students gain the understanding and practical experience needed to succeed in today’s economy. These courses help prepare students for success after high school—whether that path leads to college, technical training, or directly into the workforce. This partnership between LABI and the College Board is an important step toward ensuring Louisiana students are better equipped for their future.”

Research confirms the value of this work in the recent release of new research by the U.S. Chamber and College Board: “New Hire Readiness Report” which examines the perceptions of 500 employers on their perceptions on the preparedness of entry-level employees to enter today’s workforce. Key findings include:

• 84% of hiring managers say that most high school students are not prepared to enter the workforce.
• The vast majority (92%) said there should be more business courses in high school.
• Industry-recognized credentials and hard-to-quantify “soft skills” such as critical thinking and communication are a talent booster for entry-level workers.

College Board offers 40 AP courses in nearly 24,000 high schools worldwide as the leading provider of college credit opportunities in high school, equipping students and educators with rigorous curricula, and validating learning to ensure consistency across schools, districts, and states—an increasingly critical need in the age of AI. AP Career Kickstart assessments will validate both student learning for higher education and career readiness for employers.

“Through this experience, I’ve learned that I can run a business,” said Lilly, a student who participated in the AP Business with Personal Finance field-test. “At first, I was so self-conscious, constantly worrying—‘What if I mess this up? I don’t know what I’m doing.’ But now I feel confident and passionate about my work. It helped me realize what I’m capable of.”

For employers or chambers interested in becoming an Industry Advisor and help shape Career Kickstart courses, please fill out this interest form.

For College Board media inquiries, please contact communications@collegeboard.org.

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