YouScience, the leading college and career readiness company, today announced the State of Georgia has approved the continued use of the company's aptitude assessment, YouScience Discovery, for more than 1 million K12 students, and students within the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), which includes 22 technical colleges across 88 campuses. Last year alone, roughly 240,000 7th and 10th grade students in Georgia took YouScience Discovery to identify their natural abilities and align them with potential careers.

In 2010, the General Assembly of Georgia enacted the Bridge Bill, which was passed to ensure that Georgia's 6th - 12th grade students were made aware of available college and career options. YouScience seamlessly fits into the state's initiative and Georgia's curriculum to fulfill the bill's requirements.

"This renewal is a testament to the success that students have achieved with using Discovery over the past eight years," said Edson Barton, CEO at YouScience. "It's critical we ensure that today's graduates are aligned with what the workforce is looking for and have a sense of what careers they can thrive in. It's also vital that career exploration starts at a young age so that we can get students on the right pathway – whether that be college or directly into a career – as early as possible. We're thrilled to continue our work with the state of Georgia and aid its students' in college and career exploration and ultimately success."

Since 2015, students across Georgia have used Discovery to identify their aptitudes allowing them to be exposed to a variety of careers that they can explore and succeed in based on those aptitudes. Built on learnings from 50-plus years of scientific research, YouScience Discovery combines interests with aptitudes, providing insight into abilities that are aligned with real-world, in-demand careers. A recent YouScience survey of male and female U.S. high school students, revealed that students have the talents to excel in today's in-demand jobs, but often lack interest in these fields, in some cases due to lack of knowledge about available careers – also known as the career exposure gap. Discovery helps eliminate natural biases and increases access and equity for students by unveiling their abilities and connecting them to careers that seek these aptitudes. 

"Georgia is focused on developing a strong workforce that aligns with the needs of the industry. We've seen firsthand that when students know their aptitudes, they are more engaged and excited about their education and future plans," said Dr. Barbara Wall, Deputy Superintendent of Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education at Georgia Department of Education. "I am delighted that today's students, and future ones, will have access to the YouScience solution."

"YouScience is an invaluable resource for students interested in learning how their strengths align with various career pathways," said Derek Dabrowiak, TCSG Assistant Commissioner. "By providing students with a clear picture of career fields and postsecondary programs that may interest them, YouScience plays an important role in helping put Georgians on a path to success after high school."