Instructions: Based on Activity 4 on page 2-26, share four career readiness or exploration activities you could implement within your work/service system.
Things to consider: What state specific programs/supports exist to aid in implementing these new activities? What additional supports are needed for implementation? If financial resources are required, how or where will those be obtained?
Week 2 Discussion
Instructions: Based on Activity 4 on page 2-26, share four career readiness or exploration activities you could implement within your work/service system.
1. Service Learning: I am a middle school career coach, and I am also the service learning coordinator for my school. I present service learning as potential career prep. I encourage all students to explore their areas of interest through service learning to see if a job in this field fits their personality. I remind them that, due to their age in middle school, most can’t get a paying job yet, so service learning can also act as networking and work experience for a future résumé.
2. Job Shadow: Because I am at the middle school level, job shadowing is not really an option during the school day. We can either take a field trip as a group or they can watch virtual job shadow videos. Pathful has a virtual job shadowing video for every one of the hundreds of careers on the platform. I utilize these with students throughout their career exploration activities.
3. Internship: Again, because I am at a middle school, students can’t actually obtain an internship. However, to introduce the internship program and process, I coordinate with the feeder high school career counselor. She brings 20-30 of her 12th grade interns to my school. My 7th graders get to pick which sessions they would like to see.
4. Apprenticeship: Though middle school students are a long way off from apprenticeship opportunities, I do introduce the topic during my career units. I also encourage businesses to talk about their apprenticeship opportunities (if applicable) during my career fair.
Things to consider: What state specific programs/supports exist to aid in implementing these new activities? What additional supports are needed for implementation? If financial resources are required, how or where will those be obtained?
I believe CCPS has all of the programs and supports in place to implement these activities because they are not new to our school system. Service learning, internships and apprenticeships have been ongoing for many years. Concerning job shadowing, this is a part of the internship process as most students have the opportunity to job shadow for a day before deciding on an internship at a specific business. Pathful is a new career exploration platform, but job shadow videos are and have been in Mynextmove.org for many years. I believe their library of videos has grown.
No further resources or supports are needed for these activities. However, more funding for buses may help career coaches plan more small-group field trips. Also, because Pathful is paid for by Workforce Development, this resource may not always be available if MOU funding changes in the future. Further financial resources may be obtained through the school at the availability and discretion of the administration. A school’s PTO may also be able to help with funding depending on the school. Lastly, some businesses may be able to provide funding that relates to activities with their business.
I feel to answer these questions you’ll need some background about how Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) choose Career Coaches for the middle school. CCPS choose to hire teachers into the eight positions for the middle schools. Which allows us to understand the culture of schools, IEP/504, lesson planning and developing curriculum since we have the teaching background already. We have a support system through our supervisors (Bill Eckles, Leslie Chesley and Ted McNett) who work with us to develop programs based upon our school needs. Workforce Development is a partnership that helps implement materials based upon the Career Coach needs. For example: they will help find guest speakers for career day or touch a truck events.
All funding for events has come from Career Coach themselves since none of us have received any budgets to provide materials. This is a major concern for the Career Coaches since our personal finances shouldn’t be running programs. Last year I personally spent over $500, and it will be again this year. For example, I just had a event on Saturday and just purchased the coffee and donuts was $80 plus all the materials needed for the children’s area was another $25. There is no reimbursement but feel if you as organizations to donate their time on a Saturday at least you can provide coffee and donuts. I’m always willing to help my programs but when you’re the only one supporting it financially it’s a big concern. My next purchase will be providing lunch for the career day (taco bar) which again will have no reimbursement. I don’t mean for this to sound negative or that I don’t like my job (I love my job!) but the financial aspect is a barrier.
1. Pathful Computer Program: This computer program was made available last year through Workforce Development. The Career Coaches and teachers can make lessons for classroom usage. However, the student can explore careers in all areas, explore colleges, scholarships and employment skills. This program provides various assessments opportunities as well. Data is tracked to see how long students spend on the program as well as download assessment results for Schoology Portfolios.
2. Career Day: Career Days are opportunities to include the community by coming into the classroom to present careers. Most schools focus on career days for 8th grade, but guest speakers can go into any grade level.
3. Touch a Truck Event: This event brings together trade industries to bring trucks for a career exploration. The industries came together on a Saturday to explain their careers and equipment they use. We made it a family event so there was a child center, raffles, and food truck. Needed to a contract with food truck and get certificate of liability from companies. The space used was the school parking lot.
4. Pre-vocational Skills Field Trip: At my school, I have a large quantity of special education students. So, I have developed pre-vocational skills with them like working in a department store, food service and grocery store. They practice these skills daily and then we take a field trip to stores to show our skills. Last year, we went to Boscov’s, Wendy’s and Therapeutic Riding Center. This year we are going to Hampstead Library, Wendy’s and Carroll Indoor. The bus is paid for by my supervisor Bill Eckles and special education funding. This field trip includes my school and a neighboring middle school. So even though the bus costs $355, it is split between two schools.