How INDLS Makes Career Learning Accessible in Rural Communities 

All students deserve access to high-level courses and preparation for their next steps, but not all school districts have the resources to provide courses, training, and opportunities that meet their needs. 

Budget cuts are forcing rural districts to scale back career-training programs, leaving one in five K-12 students in Indiana unsure about their futures and the options available to them. Research shows that rural Gen Z students are 19% less likely than their urban peers to believe they’ll find a good job where they live and 12% less likely to think that they’ll have access to job training. 

However, online schools like Indiana Digital Learning School (INDLS) and our accessible, flexible approach to learning may be the key to turning around rural students’ outlooks. 

How are online schools helping rural students prepare for their careers? 

Traditionally, when young people leave rural areas to pursue opportunities or stay without a clear career path, communities lose skilled workers, future leaders, and long-term economic strength. But today, students can explore high-demand fields such as hospitality management, business administration, agribusiness, and biotechnology, to name a few, through virtual classes taught by state-certified teachers. 

Online classes make career learning accessible no matter where students live, but virtual doesn’t mean isolated! INDLS students can enroll in career clubs, also called career technical service organizations (CTSOs). CTSOs give students with similar career interests the opportunity to connect, practice professional skills, work on service projects, take field trips, and compete against other schools at the local, state, and national levels. INDLS offers a SkillsUSA Membership with a curriculum that covers 130 job categories and more than 600 national partners to practically apply what they learn in the classroom, take courses in addition to those offered by the INDLS course catalog, and even earn scholarships offered exclusively through SkillsUSA. 

Our exploratory courses offer insight into different roles, including the lifestyles and salaries they can expect. INDLS students can opt to complete a career pathway, which may include a required number of credits, work-based learning, dual enrollment, and industry certifications. For students who are still exploring their interests, they can take courses in a variety of fields and build a diverse range of skills that make them stand out to companies looking for new talent. 

These students are graduating high school with strong career knowledge and skills, not to mention industry-recognized certifications and college credit, giving them a step up when they apply for apprenticeships and jobs.  

More students are choosing INDLS for its options and opportunities. 

INDLS offers college preparation and nearly a dozen high-demand career readiness pathways, and we’ve seen steady growth in our student body over the past three years as more students enroll. We reached an enrollment of 6,291 students in 2025, demonstrating increasing trust from families seeking quality education for their children. 

We also see strong graduation and post-secondary outcomes among INDLS students: 

• In 2023, INDLS outperformed the state average in graduation pathway completion rates. INDLS was at 94.9% while the state completion was at 89.%. 
• INDLS graduates earn strong diplomas, with 95% achieving Core 40, Academic Honors, and Technical Honors designations. 
• INDLS graduates demonstrate strong post-secondary success, with high rates of employment and enrollment in higher education within Indiana. 
• INDLS exceeded the state average of high school graduates who were employed within Indiana. 

These outcomes are possible because of the virtual learning environment. We bring high-quality career-learning opportunities directly to students, regardless of where they live. Not only do they see the opportunities available to them, but they also learn how to seize those opportunities to build a successful future for themselves, no matter the course they choose. 

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