Career Awareness

Co-chaired by Paula Arends and Kirk Marske

Key Challenges

 

  • Many students don’t see the intrinsic value of school. This could be partly because there has been a loss of vocational programs in the high schools.

  • Employers play a HUGE role in advancing vocational education – They can show relevance (e.g.: algebra for future nurses) MUST BE CONTEXTUAL; MUST BE RELEVANT.

  • Show pathways from the shop floor to the Board room (involve labor) – CAEL has a program the shows career pathway inside employer institutions.

  • We need to expose students at middle school-age to employers; high school is too late.

  • We need to think of internships as broader than our traditional idea.  Employers struggle with how to be helpful.  Get them to understand the connections that already exist, like the InternQC program with CCQC.

 

Short-Term Strategies

  • Identify and confirm leadership for this committee.

  • Develop a directory of partners.

  • Encourage our colleagues and service providers to all become career coaches/mentors.

  • Work with B & I on documenting pathways to add to larger media campaign.

  • Identify best practices in career exploration.

 

Long-Term Goals

  • Maintain a clearing house of education and workforce resources.

  • Identify and implement a solution for vocational programs leaving high schools.