Paper™ acquires MajorClarity to Create a Comprehensive Career & College Readiness Platform

65% of U.S. parents believe their children face barriers to ideal pathways after graduation

MONTREAL, Feb. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Paper™, the leading Educational Support System (ESS), today announced that it has acquired MajorClarity, a best-in-class Career & College Readiness (CCR) tool. Together, the companies will offer a comprehensive CCR platform that will support all students, regardless of their preferred path after high school.

Today, most high schools and CCR programs are focused primarily on college preparation, despite the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting that in 2021, only 61% of high school graduates enrolled in college—a 20-year low for college enrollment.

These reports indicate that a growing number of high school graduates are enrolling in Career and Technical Education (CTE) or trade schools, enlisting in the military, or going directly into the workforce. However, these students have fewer career readiness tools at their disposal than their counterparts who plan on attending college.

According to a Gallup report, nearly half (45%) of U.S. parents want more non-college paths for their high school students. About two-thirds of parents (65%) say their student faces barriers to their ideal pathway post-graduation. Those barriers included "a lack of finances, information or availability, as well as more systemic challenges, including the preparation provided by their child's school."

"85% of the jobs that will be needed in 2030 didn't exist in 2018," said Philip Cutler, Paper co-founder and CEO. "It is critical that we develop better ways to connect students to career opportunities that meet their personalized interests, strengths, and ambitions."

Unfortunately, most districts don't have the resources to provide meaningful academic planning for all students, and school counselors often struggle to support non-college pathways. MajorClarity by Paper provides the necessary support for all students, regardless of their path after graduation. The new combined CCR platform includes customized academic pathways, career exploration tools, workforce micro-credentialing, a resume builder, and a cover letter review tool. For students attending college, there is a college essay review tool, a college application management, and a scholarship search.

"Career exploration not only gives purpose and meaning to academics—it's also the key to building the professional skills every student needs, regardless of their career goals," said Joe Besterling, CEO of MajorClarity by Paper. " And in a world with rising student debt and changing workforce needs, rethinking career readiness is more imperative than ever."

"Paper and MajorClarity are both companies focused on academic success for all students. Bringing career readiness and academic support together in one place means students have the tools to discover the "why" behind their education—then get the learning support they need to accomplish their goals," Belstering added.

The launch of MajorClarity by Paper is a part of the company's rapidly expanding Educational Support System. Earlier this month, Paper announced a new suite of learning tools that includes products addressing math skills, literacy, after-school programming, and college and career readiness. Those offerings, plus on-demand virtual tutoring and writing review, are currently available to over three million students nationwide.

"Recent trends highlight the decreasing number of students attending two- or four-year colleges. This creates a two-fold challenge for educators. We need to better support students who elect alternative paths after graduation while also increasing the number of students who continue their academic journey through post-secondary education," Cutler concluded.

Mission-driven educators founded Paper to help all students reach their full potential and gain confidence in life. Paper provides an unlimited, on-demand Educational Support System (ESS) that includes 1:1 virtual tutoring; a Review Center for writing assignments; MajorClairty College & Career Support; Paper Missions, a gamified math skills tool; and PaperLive, a streaming service featuring interactive after-school programming. Paper's highly qualified educators provide an instructional framework emphasizing inquiry-based learning to empower students to pursue lifelong learning and prepare for college and career success. Paper's multilingual academic support is available in English, Spanish, French, and Mandarin. Paper supports over three million students at over 300 unique school districts in more than 40 U.S. states and Canada. Paper employs more than 2000 educators and tutors nationwide. Learn more or request a demo at paper.co.

SOURCE Paper