The Significance of a High School Diploma in Today's Job Market

A high school diploma can significantly impact your job prospects. It not only helps you meet the basic requirements for many in-demand careers but also allows you to take the next steps toward securing a job you’re interested in. Whether you earn your high school diploma on a traditional timeline or you’re an adult learner finishing your studies, graduating can make a big difference.

The Necessity of a High School Diploma

With a few exceptions, most employers today are unlikely to even consider an application from someone who doesn’t meet their minimum education requirements. At least 39% of jobs require a diploma, while others require further education. Not only is your high school diploma a stepping stone to a job, it is often necessary to have before you can pursue a college degree or technical training. And, along with those opportunities comes the potential to earn more per year. Those with high school diplomas, on average, earn $768 per month, or $9,216 per year, more than someone without a diploma.

Benefits Beyond Employment

Obtaining a high school diploma goes beyond just meeting job requirements. It can:

Help you decide what interests you.
Make you a more well-rounded person.
Build your confidence. When you graduate, you know you’ve successfully completed something.

Displaying Your Diploma on Applications

After you complete your high school diploma program, you may be wondering how to best show you’ve earned your diploma on applications. When submitting a resume, your education is usually listed first, after your name and contact information. After graduating, make sure to add your completed diploma.

When filling out a form application, you’ll generally have a section that asks you to list your education. You’ll want to name your school, including graduation date. Some will also ask where that school is, so don’t forget to add that James Madison is in Norcross, Georgia.

Read also: Job Skills for Students

Overcoming Obstacles to Graduation

If you haven’t had a chance to finish your diploma because of time or money, no worries! Online diploma programs offer self-paced learning and are priced to fit your budget.

The Value of Credentials

When comparing two candidates for the same job, those with credentials continue to be held in higher regard.

Legal Considerations and EEOC Guidance

While federal law doesn’t explicitly prohibit employers from requiring applicants to have a high school diploma, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has cautioned employers about the use of such policies. According to EEOC guidance, “a high school diploma requirement is discriminatory under Title VII if it has a disparate impact on a protected group and is not job-related and consistent with business necessity.” A disparate impact occurs when a policy or rule appears to be neutral but results in a disproportionate impact on people within a protected class (e.g., race, sex, or religion).

A Supreme Court ruling made it clear that the requirement is unlawful unless job-related and consistent with business necessity because of the disparate impact it had on minority applicants. In 2011, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) response took this one step further by saying that requiring one of the credentials could violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) if it effectively eliminated applicants who couldn’t receive a high school diploma or GED because of their learning disability (e.g.

Job-Relatedness and Business Necessity

A qualification standard is “job related and consistent with business necessity” if it accurately measures an applicant’s ability to perform the fundamental responsibilities of the job in question. However, that measurement is simply the first of two steps.

Implications for Employers

Educational employers should take another look at their job descriptions and reevaluate whether a completed high school education is truly necessary to perform the essential job functions. Educational entities may wish to view the available job descriptions in TASB HR Services’ Model Job Descriptions (TASB login required) as a starting point. For instance, job descriptions for child nutrition worker and groundskeeper do not require a high school diploma or GED, while security guard and pest control specialist do. The differentiation here stemming mostly from the higher levels of scrutiny and exposure to risk associated with safeguarding schools and applying potentially toxic chemicals.

For applicants claiming that a disability prevented them from obtaining a high school diploma or GED, employers should take into consideration whether they could still perform the essential job functions with or without a reasonable accommodation. Also, employers may wish to allow applicants to demonstrate qualification in another way. HR Services’ Model Job Descriptions can be used as a resource for developing or revising local job descriptions.

The ADA and Learning Disabilities

The letter was in response to an issue involving individuals who are unable to earn a high school diploma because of certain learning disabilities and who therefore are ineligible for jobs that require a high school education. According to Liz Washko, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Nashville office: “Employers may use a high school diploma or college degree as a screening requirement to ensure a certain caliber of applicant, even where those achievements may not be critical or even related to the job at issue. Washko continued: “The letter does, however, highlight how that ADA criteria may apply in the `real’ world and as to a criteria that many take for granted is an acceptable minimum level of achievement. It is difficult for an employer to determine whether an applicant has failed to obtain a high school diploma due to a learning or other disability or due to other factors, such as lack of initiative, failure to persevere, aversion to hard work, etc.

Addressing Unusual Application Requests

A job you're applying for is asking for credit/quarter hours for every educational institution you have attended. For college this is not a problem, but they are asking for credit hours from high school as well. Your high school didn't have credit hours on their transcripts (it wasn't a public school) and you don't really see why it makes any difference. Should you just leave that space blank? This is certainly a… peculiar request. But as you may have guessed from my aside above? My best answer is this - unusual and unreasonable requests are red flags in the interview process. Details about University, especially if it is for a field where a Degree is mandatory - that I could understand for an Intern or entry-level position. difference. You have two choices. why do they want this? In some places there are different diploma levels.

Recommendations for Employers

We recommend that you not require applicants to have a high school diploma unless you can demonstrate that the requirement is job-related and consistent with business necessity.

Read also: Eligibility for National Awards

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