High School Business Education Prepares Students for AI-Driven Job Market

Accelerated advances in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies are rapidly transforming the job market, with approximately 170 million new jobs projected in the next decade and 50% of Generation Z planning to become entrepreneurs. Whether climbing corporate positions or founding companies, succeeding in today's market requires technological leadership, vision, business knowledge, and agility. The good news is that students don't have to wait until college to acquire these skills—they can begin in high school.

Business schools at many universities, including the New York Institute of Technology School of Management, offer courses, workshops, and seminars that allow high school students to begin their college careers. Some opportunities even allow students to earn college credits. Regardless of the career path chosen, learning business and entrepreneurship fundamentals will boost academic and professional development.

Students gain knowledge of emerging business technologies through workshop series like the High School Business Academy from the School of Management, which allows students to explore real applications of AI, financial technology (FinTech), digital analytics, and other innovations in key business fields. Through hands-on projects, group challenges, and dynamic discussions, students discover how next-generation technologies are transforming industries and career paths.

Financial literacy skills are increasingly important, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 15% increase in demand for financial skills by 2034. University-level business programs, including those at New York Tech, prepare students to evaluate costs, analyze risks, conduct forensic research, manage portfolios, and identify strategic investments. Students are also trained to make smart decisions in their personal finances.

Business studies introduce college-bound students to a wide range of careers in entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, accounting, management, and other fields. For example, the High School Business Academy, taught by expert faculty, includes workshops on entrepreneurship and professional development, among other topics. Additionally, programs like New York Tech Advance allow high school students to begin their college education by earning credits at significantly reduced rates.

As AI and automation are increasingly used for routine tasks, human capacity to innovate, communicate, and think critically becomes even more valuable. University business programs foster essential communication skills—both digital and interpersonal—early on, while training students to negotiate, collaborate, and resolve conflicts in culturally diverse work environments. The New York Tech School of Management offers virtual and in-person learning opportunities to prepare high school students interested in the college business experience, including AI-integrated degree programs such as bachelor's degrees in business artificial intelligence and analytics, forensic accounting, and financial fraud investigation.