Learn4Life, a nonprofit public school network that provides students with personalized learning, career training, and life skills, recently featured the story of Héctor, a 19-year-old high school student who realized it was possible to improve protections for landscapers from the sharp tools, thorny brush, biting insects, and heat they often handle or encounter on a daily basis.

Thanks to the support of business administration teachers in the Learn4Life High School Career Technical Education (CTE) program, Héctor was able to transform his idea into a business plan, developing the Arbolero, a technical vest to protect workers.

Krisha Moeller, CTE specialist/teacher at Learn4Life, stated:

If more high schools taught business management, we might be able to improve the success rate of small businesses.

Learn4Life's support for business advancement

Héctor is currently learning how to create a business marketing plan and getting to understand the finances involved in starting a business.

Thanks to Learn4Life training programs, students like Héctor can learn how to manage money, including basic bookkeeping, budgeting, interest and debt costs.

Additionally, in the advanced course, students develop project management, leadership, and practical skills by presenting their business concept and plan to a focus group of their classmates.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, but unfortunately one in five will fail in the first year, and almost half will go under within five years. So why not start teaching the basics of business management in high school to our potential entrepreneurs?” added Moeller.

Héctor, who obtained the Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ) certification, which demonstrates his knowledge of advanced concepts within the platform, will be able to graduate this year thanks to personalized learning and flexible hours offered by the public high schools that are part of the Learn4Life network.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, but unfortunately 1-in-5 will fail in the first year. Future entrepreneurs can learn how to run a business through high school business classes. #CareerTechEdhttps://t.co/ZnmkE4Pxf3

— Learn4Life High Schools (@Learn4Life) February 16, 2023

Lean4Life, and a better future

According to data shared by the Education Network, more than half of small business owners are not college graduates, so future entrepreneurs need to learn how to run a business somewhere.

“Héctor and fellow business management students are getting an introduction to economics with a focus on credit, consumerism, budgeting and financial institutions. Skills that benefit all students,”  noted Moeller, who says the introduction of Career Technical Education (CTE) business classes in high school is a great start, especially for students from underserved communities.

The CTE specialist/teacher also pointed out: “Héctor is planning to go to college, but that isn’t the choice for everyone. Enrolling in CTE classes can put students on a path to a high-paying and rewarding career whether or not college is in their plans. And we see that students enrolled in CTE pathways are more engaged and perform better in all their classes.”

February is National Career Technical Education Month to raise awareness about the role it plays in preparing students for college and career success.

Learn more about Learn4Life and its CTE programs by clicking here.