Prepare for a Career in Business with FBLA—as Early as Middle School

Pearson Futures

The Partnership

Pearson has partnered with Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) in order to prepare students to become leaders in whatever career path they choose. Through this partnership, students as early as middle school will gain the experience, mindset, and skills they need in order to thrive as community-minded business leaders in a global society.

About FBLA

Developed in 1937, FBLA believes in more than simple career success. FBLA believes that every person should prepare for a meaningful career  and to go about that work in a manner that helps to lift up their own families, the people around them, and society as a whole.Developed in 1937, FBLA believes in more than simple career success. FBLA believes that every person should prepare for a meaningful career  and to go about that work in a manner that helps to lift up their own families, the people around them, and society as a whole.

How this partnership helps you

It’s not too early to start thinking about how to be a leader in whatever field (or fields) you choose to pursue. Want to become the kind of person that your coworkers or employees are inspired to imitate?

The Pearson-FBLA partnership will help you learn what you need to know. Through FBLA’s programs, you will:

  • Develop competent business leadership
  • Understand American business enterprise
  • Develop projects that improve home, business, and community
  • Develop your character
  • Learn efficient money-management
  • Transition smoothly from school to work with FBLA’s help

Why it matters

A country is only as great as her people. Without strong, ethical, capable business leaders, the economy deteriorates, society declines, and families suffer.

Yet in a recent survey, 77% of respondents said they believe corporate America is suffering a “leadership crisis,” and nearly 60% agreed with this complaint: “I don't see any leaders at my company today that I aspire to be.” 

Get Involved

Start your FBLA journey today! Talk to your school counselor about enrolling in business pathway courses. Find out whether your school has an FBLA chapter here. If your school doesn’t have a chapter, contact your school to begin one. Interested in learning more about FBLA?

Explore More Articles

  • Our Partnership with SEMI Will Help You Find Your Future in Microelectronics
    By Pearson Futures

    SEMI is the major industry association for the microelectronics industry. It represents over 3,000 high-tech businesses focused on creating a broad range of electronic products that we use and depend on every day. Microelectronics are the tiny computers and silicon chips (also known as semiconductors) found in ubiquitous items like phones, watches, cars, laptops, really any piece of electronic equipment you can think of. The semiconductor is essentially the brain of the device.

    One of SEMI’s goals is to help electronics manufacturers and businesses develop the next generation of talent. Demand for microelectronics is massive, which means the industry offers numerous career opportunities for young people. The key is to help a new generation of talent learn about these many and varied careers, and to put young jobseekers in touch with the resources they can use to get a meaningful start.

    Why it matters

    Investments in the domestic production of microelectronics have grown tremendously over the past few years, indicating that many businesses in this sector are in dire need of talent of almost every conceivable type: engineering, production, construction, distribution, business operations, and more. Every major industry sector you can think of—from tech to communications to healthcare to the military to transportation to energy to manufacturing—needs LOTS of microelectronics.

    Many of these businesses also realize that today’s junior high, high school, and college students are not aware of either the high demand for new talent or the varied and interesting types of work within the industry. So they are working hard to get in front of young people and raise awareness of these jobs.To get started, check out SEMI’s career site. There you will find:

  • When it Comes to Figuring out College and Career, the Digital Generation Still Prefers Mom and Dad
    By Pearson Futures

    Who are high school students turning to for guidance?

    We can all remember that time in high school when the future felt blurry and like an ever-moving target. And what was true for previous generations is now even more true for Gen Z, given the incredible amount of technological, cultural, social, and economic upheaval they’ve experienced since 2020. Further, in a world where the internet plays such a substantial role, the vast sea of information can often make decisions tougher. ‘Who do I ask for help?’ is now a question with a million answers. 

    To better understand how today’s students feel about their post high school life, we surveyed Connections Academy students. Perhaps most interestingly, Gen Z, the generation with the greatest exposure to the greatest wealth of technology the world has ever seen, is still completely reliant on their parents for guidance about the future. And for all the current popularity of AI, it plays virtually no role in how students are making decisions. 

    For instance, when it comes to making choices about college, 85% of the students we asked said that they rely primarily on mom and dad. The next closest answer percentage-wise was ‘other family members’ at 46%. Only 25% said that they would turn to social media. 

    Of course, the internet still plays a role: 42% of students said they use online sources and other forms of online education for help making college choices. But familial relationships had the clear priority, and digital or more remote sources were only a secondary source.