Schools across the U.S. are doing what they can to help narrow the skills gap and boost graduation rates by offering school programs to students that feature hands-on learning and exposure to real-world work.

Federal grants for career pathway programs "reached $107 million in 2014, and lawmakers are weighing a bill that would focus on developing models to prepare students for work and postsecondary education," according to an article on USAToday.com.

"We have huge numbers of young people who are dropping out of school, particularly in our larger metros, and there's significant numbers of young people who... graduate not very well-prepared for ongoing success in further education and a career," said Gary Hoachlander, executive director of ConnectEd, in the article.

According to the article, "nationally, the high school graduation rate is at an all-time high of about 80 percent, but education experts point to rates as low as 70 percent in Oregon and New Mexico, and for economically disadvantaged non-Asian minorities as evidence that the traditional high school format is not working."

"Students who are exposed to real-world work experiences in high school are more likely to finish high school, go on to post-secondary training and get higher-paying jobs, according to a report by Jobs for the Future, a Boston-based non-profit," the article said. "An annual Gallup survey that measures student engagement shows 8 in 10 fifth graders report being engaged, but that falls to 4 in 10 once they reach high school."

In the article, Tony Wagner, education expert in residence at Harvard University, said "that's a sign that the majority of high schools are failing."

"We're losing a generation of kids who are bored out of their mind," Wagner said in the article. "Kids today want to be active, engaged and know why they should learn that."

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Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor