U.S. high school graduates looking for entry-level work might consider starting out at a company appearing on a new ranking from the American Opportunity Index.
Released earlier this month, the list named 50 large companies as the best places for people with a high school diploma to launch their careers. Among the top 10 companies, seven are retailers and restaurants.
The index scored companies based on three metrics: how likely they are to hire entry-level employees, promote them from within, and set them up to land better-paying jobs when they leave.
“There are so many lists and rankings and resources out there for young people who’ve just graduated from college,” says Rajiv Chandrasekaran, a managing director at the Schultz Family Foundation, which helped produce the ranking along with the American Opportunity Index, Burning Glass Institute and Managing the Future of Work Project at Harvard Business School.
“We didn’t see a whole lot out there for the 40% of high school graduates who aren’t going off to post-secondary education immediately — most of whom have to find some sort of work,” he continues.
Here are the top 10 companies on the list.
- Chipotle Mexican Grill
- Lowe’s
- Walgreens Boots Alliance
- Foot Locker
- PNC Financial Services Group
- Gap Inc.
- Goodyear Tire & Rubber
- Best Buy
- Chewy
- Starbucks
Retailers and restaurants frequently appear on the list in part because those businesses tend to hire more frontline, entry-level employees than other sectors, Chandrasekaran says. Strong people skills are important for those customer-facing roles, he adds.
Many of the companies on the full list for high school degree holders are alike in that they provide strong training and educational opportunities, Chandrasekaran says, adding that some of the companies offer educational benefits including tuition reimbursement to workers interested in returning to school for a college degree.
“Asking prospective employers about their education benefits and understanding what those are during the hiring process is something that could pay off well for them in the long term,” he advises.
Many companies are dropping college degree requirements for job openings, but hiring based on skills has yet to take off to the same extent, data indicates.
The index evaluated 400 large U.S. companies to draw up its 50-piece ranking. Rather than survey the companies, the index analyzed the career paths of around 5 million workers from 2018 until 2022 to make its assessment.
“These are great places to get a start, and what comes next will be better. It’s a launchpad for your career,” Chandrasekaran says.