Should High Schools Have Career Coaches? Virginia Lawmakers Say Not Yet

RICHMOND, Va. – Lawmakers debated whether to expand career readiness to high school students in Virginia, but ultimately, the concerns over funding halted the bill.

Supporters argued that House Bill 138 would strengthen the workforce. A career coach would assist students with internships and apprenticeship programs and connect students with career opportunities.

Del. Shelly Simonds, D-Newport News, introduced the bill in January with the goal of expanding career readiness efforts across the state.

“We have a lot of students in Virginia that don’t necessarily have clear pathways to careers, to adulthood,” Simonds said. “They need help from schools.”

Any individual hired as a school career coach could not be employed as a replacement for guidance counselors, according to the bill.

2026 marks the fourth consecutive year the legislation was introduced in the General Assembly by Simonds. Despite growing support from education advocates, the bill faced criticism.

“It has a large fiscal impact on the state … it would cost about $17 million a year,” Simonds said.

Hiring one career coach for every public high school would cost the Virginia Department of Education upward of $17.5 million annually to support the staffing needs. Localities would be required to provide funds, which could be up to $12.8 million annually, according to the bill’s fiscal impact statement.

“This is about communicating to students,” Simonds said. “This is about our kids.”

Judi Crenshaw, an associate professor who leads a career preparedness program at Virginia Commonwealth University, said the discussion should not only consist of adding new coaching positions, but also about how schools are fiscally supported.

“There needs to be a shift in funding public schools,” Crenshaw said. “Now in public education, because of budget issues, there are entire school systems that have no budget for guidance counselors.”

The premise of a career coach is similar to Career and Technical Education programs offered in public high schools. CTE is an optional program that gives students the hands-on, real-world knowledge and experience they need to be prepared for careers, according to the VDOE.

A career coach would offer more personalized guidance to the student than a CTE instructor. Supporters of the bill emphasized the importance of getting real-world advice from a professional and the opportunity to find or learn about a career.

“I would have loved a realistic take from someone who majored in psychology and worked in psychology,” said Vickie Civil, a VCU senior majoring in psychology.

Many of her classmates went into adulthood with a sense of naivety, leaving them struggling in their early years of college, according to Civil. But she was uncertain what the coaching process would really look like.

“My worry is certain careers, certain majors, getting more priority or getting more push on students compared to other fields,” Civil said.

National data reflect similar concerns that students need assistance. Fewer than 30% of high school students report feeling “very prepared” to pursue secondary pathways, according to Gallup.

Teachers and school counselors often shape students’ decisions, with 75% of students reporting that teachers have been helpful in providing information about postsecondary options, according to Gallup. Forty percent of parents reported they know “only a little” or “nothing at all” about the jobs most in demand currently, along with the associated pay and benefits of those jobs.

Some Virginia schools have adopted career readiness programs. Data shows 172 high schools in Virginia have already implemented some form of a career coaching program.

During a House Education subcommittee hearing, Jack George of Virginia High School Democrats testified in support of the bill.

“It would benefit all students across the commonwealth and not only strengthen or help them find career paths, but also strengthen our workforce as a whole when they get out into their careers,” George said.

By Madison Lee, Capital News Service

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Richard T. Robertson School of Communication. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.